Implementing Cisco Networking Solutions

Link-state routing

Link-state routing protocols use a set of algorithms called Shortest path first (SPF) algorithms. These protocols maintain full knowledge of all devices on the network and how they are connected. This knowledge is passed on from routers using a set of link-state advertisements (LSAs) and is collectively known as the link-state database (LSDB). The routers then run the SPF algorithm on the LSDB to create the shortest path to each prefix on the network, which results in the routing table. The LSAs are exchanged between devices only during startup of the router and when the network topology changes. This ensures that the protocol traffic is kept to a minimum. However, to keep track of neighboring routers and their health, ...