RFC 1370 (rfc1370) - Page 1 of 2

Applicability Statement for OSPF

Network Working Group                          Internet Architecture Board
Request for Comments: 1370                             Lyman Chapin, Chair
                                                              October 1992


                    Applicability Statement for OSPF

Status of this Memo

   This memo is an IAB standards track Applicability Statement for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "IAB
   Official Protocol Standards" for the standardization state and status
   of this specification.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

1. INTRODUCTION

   Users and vendors have expressed a strong need for IP routers from
   different vendors that can interoperate using a common Interior
   Gateway Protocol (IGP).  There is therefore an urgent requirement for
   a high-functionality non-proprietary 'open' IGP that will be
   ubiquitously available from all IP router vendors.

   The Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol [1] was
   developed by the IETF to fill this need.  This Applicability
   Statement specifies the circumstances under which OSPF must be
   implemented by router vendors.  The history of OSPF development and
   the reasoning behind this Applicability Statement will be found in
   [5].

   This Applicability Statement places a requirement on vendors claiming
   conformance to this standard, in order to assure that users will have
   the option of deploying OSPF when they need a multivendor,
   interoperable IGP in their environment.  Users are of course free to
   use whatever routing protocol best meets their requirements.

2.  APPLICABILITY OF OSPF

   An IP router that implements any routing protocol (other than static
   routes) is required to implement OSPF [1] and the OSPF MIB [2].
   Within OSPF, implementation of all features except TOS (Type-of-
   Service) routing is required; implementation of TOS routing is
   recommended.

   This requirement does not prevent a router from implementing other
   routing protocols in addition to OSPF.  Complete and definitive
   requirements on all aspects of an IP router will be found in a
   forthcoming Applicability Statement: "Requirements for IP Routers"



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