Users Guide
can connect to many areas in an AS and is considered a member of each area it connects to—shown as Router H 
in the example.
Autonomous system 
border router
The autonomous system border router (ASBR) connects to more than one AS and exchanges information with the 
routers in other ASs. The ASBR connects to a non-IGP such as BGP or uses static routes—shown as Router N in 
the example.
Internal router The internal router (IR) has adjacencies with ONLY routers in the same area—shown as Routers E, F, I, K, and M in 
the example.
Designated and backup designated routers
OSPF elects a designated router (DR) and a backup designated router (BDR). The DR is responsible for generating LSAs for the entire 
multiaccess network. Designated routers allow a reduction in network trac and in the size of the topological database.
Designated router Maintains a complete topology table of the network and sends updates to the other routers via multicast. All 
routers in an area form a slave/master relationship with the DR. Every time a router sends an update, the router 
sends it to the DR and BDR. The DR sends the update out to all other routers in the area.
Backup designated 
router
Router that takes over if the DR fails.
Each router exchanges information with the DR and BDR. The DR and BDR relay information to other routers. On broadcast network 
segments, the number of OSPF packets reduces by the DR sending OSPF updates to a multicast IP address that all OSPF routers on the 
network segment are listening on.
The DRs and BDRs are congurable. If you do not dene DR or BDR, OS10 assigns them per the protocol. To determine which routers are 
the DR and BDR, the OSPF looks at the priority of the routers on the segment —default router priority is 1. The router with the highest 
priority is elected the DR. If there is a tie, the router with the higher router ID takes precedence. After the DR is elected, the BDR is elected 
the same way. A router with a router priority set to zero cannot become the DR or BDR.
Link-state advertisements
A link-state advertisement (LSA) communicates the router’s routing topology to all other routers in the network.
Type 1—Router LSA
Router lists links to other routers or networks in the same area. Type 1 LSAs ood across their own area only. The 
link-state ID of the Type 1 LSA is the originating router ID.
Type 2—Network 
LSA
DR in an area lists which routers are joined within the area. Type 2 LSAs ood across their own area only. The link-
state ID of the Type 2 LSA is the IP interface address of the DR.
Type 3—Summary 
LSA (OSPFv2), 
Inter-Area Prex 
LSA (OSPFv3)
ABR takes information it has learned on one of its attached areas and summarizes it before sending it out on other 
areas it connects to. The link-state ID of the Type 3 LSA is the destination network's IP address.
Type 4—AS Border 
Router Summary 
LSA (OSPFv2), 
Inter-Area-Router 
LSA (OSPFv3)
In some cases, Type 5 External LSAs ood to areas where the detailed next-hop information may not be available, 
because it may be using a dierent routing protocol. The ABR oods the information for the router—the ASBR 
where the Type 5 originated. The link-state ID for Type 4 LSAs is the router ID of the described ASBR.
Type 5—AS-
External LSA
LSAs contain information imported into OSPF from other routing processes. Type 5 LSAs ood to all areas except 
stub areas. The link-state ID of the Type 5 LSA is the external network number.
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