JUNOS Enterprise Switching

RIP Routing

Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a venerable old workhorse, having been deployed way back in the early 1970s to support Xerox Networking Services. The protocol was later updated to support IP routing and was defined in RFC 1058, back in 1988. RIP Version 2 (RIPv2) was originally defined in RFC 1388 (1993) and is currently specified in RFC 2453 (1998).

RIP is a distance vector (DV), or Bellman-Ford, routing protocol that suffers from many performance and functional shortcomings when compared to newer IGP options, such as OSPF, which is based on LS shortest-path algorithms. That being said, RIP was updated with a version 2, and later with IPv6 support via RIPng, and it is supported in virtually all IP routing gear, in part because of its inherent simplicity and long implementation history. Being easy to implement is great; this inherent simplicity also results in frugal use of router CPU and memory resources, which can be a significant issue in low-end or older routing equipment. When compared to LS protocols, RIP is also found to be somewhat intuitive and easy to understand. This translates to easier deployment and support activities by normal folks—you know, those who may have a life outside of IP networking, and therefore do not “dine on data and snack on RFCs.”

As noted in the static routing section, there is a time when a simple nail and hammer, that is, a static route, is the best solution. While you may gain an ego boost by solving the same problem with glue, ...