RFC 1863 (rfc1863) - Page 1 of 16

A BGP/IDRP Route Server alternative to a full mesh routing

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Network Working Group                                          D. Haskin
Request For Comments: 1863                            Bay Networks, Inc.
Category: Experimental                                      October 1995


       A BGP/IDRP Route Server alternative to a full mesh routing

Status of this Memo

   This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet
   community.  This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any
   kind.  Discussion and suggestions for improvement are requested.
   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

   This document describes the use and detailed design of Route Servers
   for dissemination of routing information among BGP/IDRP speaking
   routers.

   The intention of the proposed technique is to reduce overhead and
   management complexity of maintaining numerous direct BGP/IDRP
   sessions which otherwise might be required or desired among routers
   within a single routing domain as well as among routers in different
   domains that are connected to a common switched fabric (e.g. an ATM
   cloud).

1. Overview

   Current deployments of Exterior Routing protocols, such as the Border
   Gateway Protocol [BGP4] and the adaptation of the ISO Inter-Domain
   Routing Protocol [IDRP], require that all BGP/IDRP routers, which
   participate in inter-domain routing (border routers) and belong to
   the same routing domain, establish a full mesh connectivity with each
   other for purpose of exchanging routing information acquired from
   other routing domains. In large routing domains the number of intra-
   domain connections that needs to be maintained by each border route
   can be significant.

   In addition, it may be desired for a border router to establish
   routing sessions with all border routers in other domains which are
   reachable via a shared communication media. We refer to routers that
   are directly reachable via a shared media as adjacent routers.  Such
   direct peering allows a router to acquire "first hand" information
   about destinations which are directly reachable through adjacent
   routers and select the optimum direct paths to these destinations.
   Establishment of BGP/IDRP sessions among all adjacent border routers
   would result in a full mesh routing connectivity.  Unfortunately for



Haskin                        Experimental
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