Routing

There are two basic types of routing.

1. Static routing
2. Dynamic routing

Static routing

Static routing which the simplest way of configuring routes is performed by the
system/network administrator manually. The paths and the routing devices
configured initially are not being changed unless someone (network administrator)
changes it. Always uses the same identical path to transfer data unless otherwise
do the extra configurations

(Static Load Balancing: Using static load balancing, you can configure traffic load balancing
on a per-packet basis without using a dynamic routing protocol.     Most  routers will
perform load balancing automatically if several equal      cost paths      to a destination
exist on multiple interfaces. To configure this using static       routing, you need only
create multiple static routes for more than one interface.     This creates more than one
equal cost path which will balance the load.

Cisco routers perform load balancing on a per-destination, per-source-destination and per-

CISCO router commands:

ip route [Link] [Link] e0

-or-

ip route [Link] [Link] [Link]

[Link]
ng
) (Its depend on several parameters which we do not need for this). This method uses when the
number of routing devices is less or the routes which are steady and pre defined.

(+)

Easy to detect the failures in the network (when occurred such)

This method is best suited for small networks.

(-)

Hard work to the system administrator, when there is several topologies with many routing
alternatives.
Does not handles the external network failures and the presence of a network administrator is
essential to fix or repair the loss of connectivity or such failures.

This takes more time to troubleshoot the connectivity.

Dynamic routing

The primary duty is to automatically detect and adapt to topological changes in the internetwork.
The process functions on the software applications running on the routing devices. The routing
devices get the information of routes from the connected routing devices. To facilitate the process it
is being used routing protocols such as RIP, OSPF, BGP. It finds the best path to send data to the
destination. Since the routing devices gather information from the other connected routers, this
method has the advantage of being acknowledged the ‘best path’ eliminating failures and network
outages. Then it alters the data transmission route to possible routes accordingly the information.

(+)

This method is more robust than static routing.

The routing process through the best path is happened automatically releasing the presence of a
network administration at all the time.

Less work to the network administrator

Since the optional paths are automatically learned (available), the data transmission can happen
without interruption and delays.

Most of the time data travels through best path or paths while few protocols uses less number of
hops and shortest distance as best path selection mechanism.

This is better use for larger networks.([Link] enterprises, Internet)

(This takes relatively less time to troubleshoot the connectivity due to the alternate possible routes.)

(-)

The bandwidth, queue space, memory, and processing time may be higher (less) than static routing
equal in conditions.

Dynamic routing protocols

Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

RIP is classified as an interior gateway protocol (IGP). It used in local and wide area networks.

The protocol has since been extended several times, resulting in RIP Version 2 (RFC 2453). Both
versions are still in use today. But they are considered to have been made technically obsolete by
more advanced techniques introduced such as Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)

The OSPF will always search for the fastest route, and not the shortest path.

OSPF is mainly used on smaller scale networks that are centrally administered. OSPF is classified as
an internal gateway protocol. It updates information from the other routers of their status (to check
whether it is online), available possible paths, shortest paths. Other than that it permits load
balancing ( a router may split the datagram evenly between the available paths to a destination.).

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

The BGP protocol is mainly used on very large-scale networks (eg the internet). It is classified as
either an external or internal gateway protocol.

Internal BGP is used by a collection of routers and client machines under the same administration
unit (autonomous system). The external BGP is running between (under) two or more autonomous
systems. (which are different.)

Configuration and maintain task of BGP is much more complicated than OSPF.