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OSPF performs load balancing automatically. If OSPF finds that it can reach a destination through more than
one interface and each path has the same cost, it installs each path in the routing table. The only restriction
on the number of paths to the same destination is controlled by the
maximum-paths
(OSPF) command.
The range for maximum paths is 1 to 32 and the default number of maximum paths is 32.
Multi-Area Adjacency for OSPF Version 2
The multi-area adjacency feature for OSPFv2 allows a link to be configured on the primary interface in more
than one area so that the link could be considered as an intra-area link in those areas and configured as a
preference over more expensive paths.
This feature establishes a point-to-point unnumbered link in an OSPF area. A point-to-point link provides a
topological path for that area, and the primary adjacency uses the link to advertise the link consistent with
draft-ietf-ospf-multi-area-adj-06.
The following are multi-area interface attributes and limitations:
• Exists as a logical construct over an existing primary interface for OSPF; however, the neighbor state
on the primary interface is independent of the multi-area interface.
• Establishes a neighbor relationship with the corresponding multi-area interface on the neighboring router.
A mixture of multi-area and primary interfaces is not supported.
• Advertises an unnumbered point-to-point link in the router link state advertisement (LSA) for the
corresponding area when the neighbor state is full.
• Created as a point-to-point network type. You can configure multi-area adjacency on any interface where
only two OSF speakers are attached. In the case of native broadcast networks, the interface must be
configured as an OPSF point-to-point type using the
network point-to-point
command to enable the
interface for a multi-area adjacency.
• Inherits the Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) characteristics from its primary interface. BFD
is not configurable under a multi-area interface; however, it is configurable under the primary interface.
The multi-area interface inherits the interface characteristics from its primary interface, but some interface
characteristics can be configured under the multi-area interface configuration mode as shown below:
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-ospf-ar)#
multi-area-interface GigabitEthernet 0/1/0/3
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-ospf-ar-mif)#
?
authentication
Enable authentication
authentication-key
Authentication password (key)
cost
Interface cost
cost-fallback
Cost when cumulative bandwidth goes below the theshold
database-filter
Filter OSPF LSA during synchronization and flooding
dead-interval
Interval after which a neighbor is declared dead
distribute-list
Filter networks in routing updates
hello-interval
Time between HELLO packets
message-digest-key
Message digest authentication password (key)
mtu-ignore
Enable/Disable ignoring of MTU in DBD packets
packet-size
Customize size of OSPF packets upto MTU
retransmit-interval
Time between retransmitting lost link state advertisements
transmit-delay
Estimated time needed to send link-state update packet
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-ospf-ar-mif)#
Routing Configuration Guide for Cisco NCS 6000 Series Routers, IOS XR Release 6.4.x
276
Implementing OSPF
Multi-Area Adjacency for OSPF Version 2