OSPF Network Design Solutions, Second Edition

Case Study: Assigning Unique Network Numbers to Each OSPF Area

In this scenario, each OSPF area has its own unique NIC-assigned IP address range. This can be as grand as a Class A address for the entire network, with multiple Class Bs assigned to each area, or more realistically, it can be a group of Class C addresses. This example is demonstrated in Figure 5-27. The benefits of this method are as follows:

• Address assignment is simple because each area has its own unique network.

• Configuration of the routers is easy, reducing the likelihood of errors.

• Network operations are streamlined because each area has a simple unique address prefix.

Figure 5-27. Assigning Unique Network Numbers to Each OSPF Area

The following basic steps allow you to ...