Open Shortest Path
First
An interior gateway
routing protocol for TCP/IP networks, OSPF uses a link state routing algorithm that
calculates routes for packets based on a number of factors, including least hops, speed of
transmission lines, and congestion delays. You can also configure certain cost metrics for
the algorithm. This protocol is more efficient and scalable than vector-distance routing
protocols. OSPF features include least-cost routing,
ECMP (Equal Cost Multi Paths)
routing, and load balancing. Although OSPF requires CPU power and memory space, it results
in smaller, less frequent router table updates throughout the network. This protocol is more
efficient and scalable than vector-distance routing protocols.