IP Routing

As a delivery vehicle for email, web pages, text, audio, and video, the global IP network is inspiring and intimidating in its vigor and resilience. While we could discuss at length the reasons for its vigor, the resilience of this network is in large part due to IP routing. This book introduces the reader to the intricacies of IP routing as it is implemented using Cisco routers. Each section leads the reader through the basics of configuring routing protocols. This approach gives the reader a quick start with the routing protocol under discussion and reveals the underlying concepts of IP routing. What is the packet-forwarding process? How is the routing table maintained? How do Distance Vector algorithms work? How do classful and classless route lookups differ? These and other concepts are illustrated in the discussions of static routing, RIP, IGRP, and EIGRP. The limitations of these traditional routing protocols will also become obvious to the reader.Variable Length Subnet Masks, route summarization, and fast convergence are key features in the design of any large IP network. These features are discussed in the OSPF chapter, which includes an introduction to Dijkstra's algorithm, the foundation for Link State protocols. Finally, BGP-4 is described in detail, showing the reader how to use BGP-4 attributes to set routing policies. This book is intended for anyone interested in IP routing. While it is appropriate for a beginner, it will also be useful for anyone already familiar with IP routing who is seeking a better understanding of the underlying concepts.

This concise guide offers the basic concepts of IP routing, free of hype and jargon. It begins with the simplest routing protocol, RIP, and then proceeds, in order of complexity, to IGRP, EIGRP, RIP2, OSPF, and finally to BGP. New concepts are presented one at a time in successive chapters. By the end, you will have mastered not only the fundamentals of all the major routing protocols, but also the underlying principles on which they are based.

The basic information in IP Routing is designed to help you begin configuring protocols for Cisco routers. Although author Ravi Malhotra assumes that readers have a basic understanding of TCP/IP and are somewhat familiar with Cisco router configurations, he also assumes that you find some or all of these protocols difficult to work with.

His book presents concepts simply, as nuts and bolts. Malhotra's use of plain language, analogy, and the recurring example of an imaginary network, which grows in complexity as the book progresses, will help you understand fundamental concepts behind each protocol. Once you master these concepts, you will benefit from the detailed information contained in Cisco manuals and web pages (such as bug lists, new features, design guides, etc).

Depending on your skill level, you can either read IP Routing from cover to cover or use it as a reference for any of the protocols presented. The book describes administrative tools available to all the routing protocols, including those that block the advertisement of routing updates, and those that set up preferences for one routing protocol over another.

Honed by years of teaching Data Communications at major universities and managing IP networks in production environments, Ravi Malhotra's knowledge of this subject makes IP Routing is the ideal primer to Internet routing protocols.

Beginning with the simplest routing protocol, "IP Routing" is a straightforward, jargon-free introduction to the basic concepts. The logical approach helps readers master not only the fundamentals of all the major routing protocols, but also the underlying principles on which they are based.

"This book introduces the reader to the intricacies of IP routing as it is implemented using Cisco routers. Each section leads the reader through the basics of configuring routing protocols. This approach gives the reader a quick start with the routing protocol under discussion and reveals the underlying concepts of IP routing. What is the packet-forwarding process? How is the routing table maintained? How do Distance Vector algorithms work? How do classful and classless route lookups differ? These and other concepts are illustrated in the discussion of static routing, RIP, IGRP and EILGRP. The limitations of these traditional routing protocols will also become obvious to the reader. Variable Length Subnet Masks, route sumamrization, and fast convergence are key features in the design of any large IP network. These features are discussed in the OPSF chapter, which includes an introduction to Dijkstra's algorithm, the foundation of Link State protocols. Finally, BGP-4 is described in detail, showing the reader how to use BGP-4 attributes to set routing policies."--Back cover This is a straightforward, jargon-free introduction to the basic concepts of IP Routing. The book begins with the simplest routing protocol--RIP. Each chapter adds a new concept, building from the simplest to the most complex Cover 1 Table of Contents 6 Preface 10 Chapter 01 15 Chapter 02 24 Chapter 03 47 Chapter 04 77 Chapter 05 108 Chapter 06 121 Chapter 07 171 Chapter 08 217 Index 227