Routing protocol configuration overview

Overview

A routing protocol specifies how routers communicate with each other and enables them to select routes between any two nodes in a network. Routing protocols typically determine the specific choice of a route based on the following metrics:

• number of network-layer devices along a path (hop count)

• bandwidth

• load

• delay

• MTU

• reachable addresses

• cost

Routing protocols store the results of these metrics in a routing table. Routing protocols use the information and path parameters to compile a network topology. The information about routes that is used to update routing tables can be modified using routing policies. Some devices also support a RIB API with read and write access to their routing tables.

Each router has a prior knowledge only of networks attached to it directly. A routing protocol shares this information first among immediate neighbors, and then throughout the network. This way, routers gain knowledge of the topology of the network.

You can use the network, routing, IS-IS, and OSPF views in the NFM-P GUI navigation tree to view and configure the device routing protocol support. The supported protocols are displayed in the navigation tree as child objects to the routing instance.

A device can support multiple routing protocols. The supported protocols are device dependent. The NFM-P only displays the protocols that can be configured on each device type. Supported routing protocols on the NFM-P include:

IPv6 BGP and MP-BGP RIP and RIPng LDP IS-IS OSPFv2 and OSPv3 RSVP (enabled by default) L2TP (enabled by default) WPP MPLS MPLS-TP

Multicast routing PIM IGMP MSDP MLD Bridging WPP BIER IPSec

Note: For an OmniSwitch, the NFM-P supports viewing the status of routing protocols that are enabled using the CLI.

L2TP is enabled by default on a base routing instance, but not on a VPRN routing instance.

Routing protocols can be configured to import or export routes from other routing protocols using routing policies. See NE routing policies in NE routing and forwarding .