Internet Draft





Network Working Group                                          R. Coltun
Internet Draft                                              FORE Systems  
Expiration Date: July 1997                                     V. Fuller
File name: draft-ietf-ospf-nssa-update-01.txt                 BBN Planet
                                                               P. Murphy
                                                    US Geological Survey
                                                              April 1997


                          The OSPF NSSA Option

Status of this Memo

   This document is an Internet-Draft.  Internet-Drafts are working
   documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its areas,
   and its working groups.  Note that other groups may also distribute
   working documents as Internet-Drafts.

   Internet-Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six
   months and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents
   at any time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress".

   To learn the current status of any Internet-Draft, please check the
   "1id-abstracts.txt" listing contained in the Internet-Drafts Shadow
   Directories on ftp.is.co.za (Africa), nic.nordu.net (Europe),
   munnari.oz.au (Pacific Rim), ds.internic.net (US East Coast), or
   ftp.isi.edu (US West Coast).























Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page i]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


Table Of Contents

   1.0 Abstract .................................................  1
   2.0 Overview .................................................  2
   2.1 Motivation - transit networks ............................  2
   2.2 Motivation - corporate networks ..........................  3
   2.3 Proposed Solution ........................................  4
   3.0 Implementation Details ...................................  6
   3.1 The N-bit ................................................  6
   3.2 Type-7 Address Ranges ....................................  7
   3.3 Type-7 LSAs ..............................................  7
   3.4 Originating Type-7 LSAs ..................................  8
   3.5 Calculating Type-7 AS External Routes ....................  9
   3.6 Incremental Updates ...................................... 12
   4.0 Originating Type-5 LSAs .................................. 13
   4.1 Translating Type-7 LSAs .................................. 13
   4.2 Flushing Translated Type-7 LSAs .......................... 16
   5.0 Acknowledgments .......................................... 17
   6.0 References ............................................... 17
   7.0 Security Considerations .................................. 17
   8.0 Authors' Addresses ....................................... 18
   Appendix A: Type-7 LSA Packet Format ......................... 19
   Appendix B: The Options Field ................................ 20
   Appendix C: Router-LSAs ...................................... 21
   Appendix D: Configuration Parameters ......................... 23
   Appendix E: Differences from RFC 1587 ........................ 24

1.0  Abstract 

   This memo documents of an optional type of OSPF area which is
   somewhat humorously referred to as a "not-so-stubby" area (or NSSA). 
   NSSAs are similar to the existing OSPF stub area configuration option
   but have the additional capability of importing AS external routes in 
   a limited fashion.

   The OSPF NSSA Option was originally defined in RFC 1587.  The functional
   differences between this memo and RFC 1587 are explained in Appendix D.
   All differences, while expanding capability, are backward-compatible in
   nature.  Implementations of this memo and of RFC 1587 will interoperate.

   Please send comments to ospf@gated.cornell.edu.












Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 1]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


2.0  Overview

2.1  Motivation - transit networks


   Wide-area transit networks (such as the NSFNET regionals) often have
   connections to moderately-complex "leaf" sites.  A leaf site may have
   multiple IP network numbers assigned to it.

   Typically, one of the leaf site's networks is directly connected to a
   router provided and administered by the transit network while the
   others are distributed throughout and administered by the site.  From
   the transit network's perspective, all of the network numbers
   associated with the site make up a single "stub" entity.  For example,
   BBN Planet has one site composed of a class-B network, 130.57.0.0,
   and a class-C network, 192.31.114.0.  From BBN Planet's perspective,
   this configuration looks something like this:

                    192.31.114
                        |
                      (cloud)
                  -------------- 130.57.4
                        |
                        |
                     ------ 131.119.13 ------
                     |BR18|------------|BR10|
                     ------            ------
                                          |
                                          V
                                  to BBN Planet "core" OSPF system


   where the "cloud" consists of the subnets of 130.57 and network
   192.31.114, all of which are learned by RIP on router BR18.
   Topologically, this cloud looks very much like an OSPF stub area.  The
   advantages of running the cloud as an OSPF stub area are:

             1. Type-5 routes (OSPF external link-state advertisements
                (LSAs)) are not advertised beyond the router labeled
                "BR10".  This is advantageous because the link between
                BR10 and BR18 may be a low-speed link or the router BR18
                may have limited resources.

             2. The transit network is abstracted to the "leaf" router
                BR18 by advertising only a default route across the link
                between BR10 and BR18.

             3. The cloud becomes a single, manageable "leaf" with
                respect to the transit network.



Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 2]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


             4. The cloud can become, logically, a part of the transit
                network's OSPF routing system.

             5. Translated type-5 LSAs that are sent into the backbone
                from the cloud (which is a separate stub area) may be
                considered "leaf" nodes when performing the Dijkstra
                calculation.

   However, the current definition of the OSPF protocol [1] imposes
   topological limitations which restrict simple cloud topologies from
   becoming OSPF stub areas.  In particular, it is illegal for a stub
   area to import routes external to OSPF; it is not possible for
   routers BR18 and BR10 to both be members of the stub area and to
   import the routes learned from RIP or other IP routing protocols as
   type-5 (OSPF external LSAs) into the OSPF system.  In order to run
   OSPF out to BR18, BR18 must be a member of a non-stub area or the
   OSPF backbone before it can import routes other than its
   directly-connected network(s).  Since it is not acceptable for BR18 to
   maintain all of BBN Planet's external (type-5) routes, BBN Planet
   is forced by OSPF's topological limitations to only run OSPF out to
   BR10 and to run RIP between BR18 and BR10.


2.2  Motivation - corporate networks

   In a corporate network which supports a large corporate infrastructure it
   is not uncommon for OSPF area 0 to have a large area infrastructure
   injecting large routing tables into area 0.  Organizations within the
   corporate infrastructure may routinely multi-home their non-0 OSPF areas
   to strategically located backbone area 0 routers, either to provide
   backbone redundancy or increase backbone connectivity or both.  Because
   of these large routing tables, OSPF aggregation via summarization is
   routinely used and recommended.  Stub areas are also recommended to keep
   the size of the non-zero routing tables small.  Organizations within the
   corporation are administratively autonomous and compete for corporate
   backbone resources.  They also want isolation from each other in order
   protect their own network resources within the organization.

   Consider a typical backbone connection, as shown on the next page, where
   routers An, Bn are connected to their respective area n's and routers A0
   and B0 are border routers to both area 1 and area 2.  Serial lines are
   displayed, but several ethernets, not displayed, may also connect from
   the connected areas at each router depicted internal to Areas 1 and 2. 
   Assume the 192.243.192/20 and 192.243.208/22 clouds are subnetted with a
   protocol foreign to the corporate OSPF process.  These processes could be
   RIP, IGRP, or second and third OSPF processes separate from the corporate
   OSPF backbone process.





Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 3]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


           /---A0-----Area 0(cloud)------B0---\
           |   |                          |   |
      56kbs|   |T1             19.2 dialup|   |T1
           |   |                          |   |
           |   A1-----Area 1(cloud)------B1   |
           |   |   T1                 T1  |   |
           | T1|                          |T1 |
           |   \---192.243.192/20 cloud---/   |
           |                                  |
           \---A2-----Area 2(cloud)------B2---/
               |   T1                 T1  |
               |                          |   
               \---192.243.208/22 cloud---/  

   As a matter of policy, the corporate network administrators want
   192.243.192/20 and 192.243.208/22 aggregated to the backbone.  This
   policy conflicts with both Area 1 and Area 2's desire to see the
   aggregate's subnetted infrastructures learned from Area 1's internal
   routers A1 and B1 and Area 2's internal routers A2 and B2 from which it
   can make efficient routing decisions.  The current standard OSPF stub
   area has no mechanism to support the redistribution of routes for
   192.243.192/20 and 192.243.208/22 subnets within their respective areas. 
   If one assumes that both the Area 1 and Area 2 clouds are extremely large
   with internally very large routing tables originating from a complex OSPF
   link state topology and subnetting scheme, neither Area 1 or Area 2 wants
   to be at the mercy of either the other area's summary links
   advertisements or external links advertisements.  Thus standard OSPF
   areas are not an option either.

   Any solution to this dilemma must honor Area 1's path of choice through
   A0 with redundancy through B0 while at the same time honoring Area 2's
   path of choice through B0 with redundancy through A0.  Furthermore, such
   a solution must support the aggregation of the externally learned
   subnetted routing subdomain.

   2.3 Proposed Solution

   This document describes a new optional type of OSPF area, somewhat
   humorously referred to as a "not-so-stubby" area (or NSSA), which has the
   capability of importing external routes in a limited fashion.

   The OSPF specification defines two general classes of area configuration. 
   The first allows type-5 LSAs to be flooded throughout the area.  In this
   configuration, type-5 LSAs may be originated by routers internal to the
   area or flooded into the area by area border routers.  These areas,
   referred to herein as type-5 capable areas (or just plain areas in the
   OSPF specification), are distinguished by the fact that they can carry
   transit traffic.  The backbone is always a type-5 capable area.  The
   second type of area configuration, called stub, allows no type-5 LSAs to



Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 4]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


   be propagated into/throughout the area and instead depends on default
   routing to external destinations.

   NSSAs are defined in much the same manner as existing stub areas.  To
   support NSSAs, a new option bit (the "N" bit) and a new type of LSA
   (type-7) are defined.  The "N" bit ensures that routers belonging to a
   NSSA agree on its configuration.  Similar to the stub area's use of the
   "E" bit, both NSSA neighbors must agree on the setting of the "N" bit or
   the OSPF neighbor adjacency will not form.

   Type-7 LSAs provide for carrying external route information within a
   NSSA.  Type-7 AS External LSAs have virtually the same syntax as the
   Type-5 AS External LSAs with the obvious exception of the link-state type
   (see section 3.2 for more details).  There are two major semantic
   differences between type-5 and type-7 LSAs.

          o  Type-7 LSAs may be originated by and advertised throughout
             a NSSA; as with stub areas, type-5 LSAs are not flooded
             into NSSAs and do not originate there, except on NSSA border 
             routers.

          o  Type-7 LSAs are advertised only within a single NSSA; they
             are not flooded into the backbone area or any other area by
             border routers, though the information which they contain
             can be propagated into the backbone area (see section 3.6).

   In order to allow limited exchange of external information across a NSSA
   border, NSSA border routers will translate selected type-7 LSAs received
   from the NSSA into type-5 LSAs.  These type-5 LSAs will be flooded to all
   type-5 capable areas.  NSSA border routers may be configured with address
   ranges so that several type-7 LSAs may be represented by a single type-5
   LSA. The NSSA border routers which perform translation are configurable
   thus creating efficient forwarding to type-5 LSA originating from
   aggregated type-7s.

   In addition, a NSSA border router may originate a default type-7 LSA (IP
   address of 0.0.0.0) into the NSSA, and must if no NSSA internal type-7
   default route exists.  Default routes are necessary because NSSAs do not
   receive full routing information and must have a default route to route
   to AS-external destinations.  Like stub areas, NSSAs may be connected to
   the backbone at more than one area border router, but may not be used as
   a transit area.  Note that the default route originated by a NSSA border
   router is never translated into a type-5 LSA, however, a default route
   originated by a NSSA internal AS boundary router (one that is not also an
   area border router) may be translated into a type-5 LSA.

   Like stub areas, the importing of OSPF summary routes (type-3 LSAs) into
   NSSAs is a configuration option.  However particular care should be taken
   to ensure that OSPF internal routes are always chosen over OSPF external
   (type-7) routes.  This may happen when other IGPs, like RIP and ISIS,


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 5]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


   leak routing information between an OSPF NSSA and another OSPF area.  In
   these cases, all OSPF summary routes should be imported into the effected
   NSSAs.  The recommended default behavior is to import OSPF summary routes
   into NSSAs.  Note that if a type-7 default originates from an internal
   NSSA router, all summary routes must automatically be imported into the
   NSSA.  This insures that OSPF internal routes are preferred over an
   internal type-7 LSA default path which may cause inter-AS traffic to exit
   the AS.

   In our transit example topologies the subnets of 130.57 and network
   192.31.114 will still be learned by RIP on router BR18 but now both
   BR10 and BR18 can be in a NSSA and all of BBN Planet's external routes
   are hidden from BR18; BR10 becomes a NSSA border router and BR18 becomes
   an AS boundary router internal to the NSSA.  BR18 will import the subnets
   of 130.57 and network 192.31.114 as type-7 LSAs into the NSSA.  BR10 then
   translates these routes into type-5 LSAs and floods them into BBN
   Planet's backbone.

   In our corporate example, the subnets of 192.243.192/20 and
   192.243.208/22 are learned via their respective routing process,
   redistributed throughout NSSAreas 1 and 2, and then aggregated during the
   translation process into a single Type-5 LSA which is flooded into Area
   0.  Area 1 may configure A0 to perform translation with B0 standing by as
   a backup translator, while Area 2 configures B0 as its translator with A0
   its backup.

3.0  Implementation Details

3.1  The N-bit

   The N-bit ensures that all members of a NSSA agree on the area's
   configuration.  Together, the N-bit and E-bit reflect an interface's
   (and consequently the interface's associated area) external LSA
   flooding capability.  As explained in section 10.5 of the OSPF
   specification, if type-5 LSAs are not flooded into/throughout the
   area, the E-bit must be clear in the option field of the received
   Hello packets.  Interfaces associated with a NSSA will not send or
   receive type-5 LSAs on that interface but may send and receive type-7
   LSAs.  Therefore, if the N-bit is set in the options field, the E-bit
   must be cleared.

   To support the NSSA option an additional check must be made in the
   function that handles the receiving of the Hello packet to verify that
   both the N-bit and the E-bit found in the Hello packet's option field
   match the value of the options that have been configured in the receiving
   interface.  A mismatch in the options causes processing of the received
   Hello packet to stop and the packet to be dropped.





Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 6]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


3.2  Type-7 Address Ranges

   NSSA border routers may be configured with type-7 address ranges. 

   Each address range is defined as an [address,mask] pair.  Many
   separate type-7 networks may then be represented by a single address
   range, just as a subnetted network is composed of many separate
   subnets.  NSSA border routers may then summarize type-7 routes by
   advertising a single type-5 route for each type-7 address range.  The
   type-5 route, resulting from a type-7 address range match will be
   distributed to all type-5 capable areas.  Section 4.1 gives the
   details of generating type-5 routes from type-7 address ranges.

   A type-7 address range includes the following configurable items.

               o An [address,mask] pair.

               o A status indication of either Advertise or
                 DoNotAdvertise.

               o An external route tag.

3.3  Type-7 LSAs: NSSA External Link-State Advertisements

   External routes are imported into NSSAs as type-7 LSAs by NSSA AS
   boundary routers.  A NSSA AS boundary routers (ASBR) is a router
   which has an interface associated with the NSSA and is exchanging
   routing information with routers belonging to another AS.  Like ASBRs,
   a NSSA router indicates it is a NSSA ASBR by setting the E-bit in its
   router links advertisement.  As with type-5 LSAs a separate type-7 LSA
   is originated for each destination network.  To support NSSAs, the
   link-state database must therefore be expanded to contain a type-7
   LSA.

   Type 7-LSAs are identical to type-5 LSAs except for the following
   (see section 12.4.4 "AS external links" in the OSPF specification).

      1. The type field in the LSA header is 7.

      2. Type-7 LSAs are only flooded within the originating NSSA.  The
         flooding of type-7 LSAs follows the same rules as the flooding
         of type 1-2 LSAs.

      3. Type-7 LSAs, which are kept within the NSSA's LSDB, are area
         specific.  Type-5 LSAs, which are flooded to all type-5 capable
         areas, have global scope and are kept in the router's LSDB.

      4. At the NSSA border router, selected type-7 LSAs are translated
         into type 5-LSAs and flooded into the backbone.



Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 7]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


      5. Type 7 LSAs have a propagate (P) bit which is used to flag the
         NSSA border router to translate the type-7 LSA into a type-5
         LSA.  Examples of how the P-bit is used for loop avoidance are
         in the following sections.

      6. Those type-7 LSAs that are to be translated into type-5 LSAs
         must have their forwarding address set.  Type-5 LSAs that have
         been translated from type-7 LSAs for the most part must contain
         a forwarding address.  The exception to this is if the
         translation to a type-5 LSA is the result of an address range
         match, in which case the type-5 LSA will not contain a
         forwarding address (see section 4.1 for details).  The
         forwarding address contained in type-5 LSAs will result in more
         efficient routing to the AS external networks when there are
         multiple NSSA border routers.  Having the forwarding address in
         the type-7 LSAs will ease the translation of type-7 into type-5
         LSAs as the NSSA border router will not be required to compute
         the forwarding address.

         If the network between the NSSA AS boundary router and the
         adjacent AS is advertised into OSPF as an internal OSPF route,
         the forwarding address should be the next hop address as is
         currently done in type-5 LSAs, but unlike type-5 LSAs if the
         intervening network is not advertised into OSPF as an internal
         OSPF route, the forwarding address should be any one of the
         router's active OSPF interface addresses.

   Type-5 and type-7 metrics and path types are directly comparable.

3.4 Originating Type-7 LSAs

NSSA AS boundary routers may originate type-7 LSAs.  All NSSA  border
routers must also be AS boundary routers since they all must have the
capability of translating type-7 LSAs into type-5 LSAs (see section
4.1 for the translation algorithm).  NSSA  border routers must
set the E-bit (external bit) as well as the B-bit (border bit) in
their router (type-1) LSAs (both in the backbone and in the NSSA).

   When a NSSA internal AS boundary router originates a type-7 LSA that
   it wants to be translated into a type-5 LSA by NSSA border routers
   (and subsequently flooded into the backbone), it must set the P-bit
   in the LSA header's option field and add a valid forwarding address in
   the type-7 LSA.

   If a router is attached to another AS and is also a NSSA border
   router, it may originate both a type-5 and a type-7 LSA for the same
   network.  The type-5 LSA will be flooded to the backbone (and all
   attached type-5 capable areas).  The type-7 LSA will be flooded into
   the NSSA.  If this is the case, the P-bit must be reset in the type-7


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 8]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


   NSSA so the type-7 LSA isn't again translated into a type-5 LSA by
   another NSSA border router.  If the border router only originates a
   type-7 LSA, it may set the P-bit, thus allowing the network to be
   aggregated/propagated during the type-7 translation.

   A type-7 default route (network 0.0.0.0) may be originated into the NSSA
   by a NSSA border router or by a NSSA ASBR which is internal to the NSSA. 
   The type-7 default route originated by the NSSA border router must have
   the P-bit reset so that the default route originated by the NSSA border
   router will not find its way out of the NSSA into the rest of the AS
   system via another NSSA border router. 

   The type-7 default route originated by a NSSA ASBR which is not a NSSA
   border router may have the P-bit set.  Type-7 routes which are originated
   by a NSSA border router will not get added to the routing tables of other
   NSSA border routers.  If no NSSA internal router originates a type-7
   default route in the NSSA, then, like stub areas, a type-7 LSA with
   default destination must be originated by all the NSSA's border routers
   in order to support inter-area AS routing and inter-AS routing. 

   Note that a NSSA area border router which originates a type-7
   default route would have to originate a type-5 default route before
   other NSSA area border routers would see that default route.  An
   internal type-7 default route whose P-bit is not set may only be
   installed on a NSSA border router when it is the only non-backbone
   OSPF area connected to it.  This restriction protects the default
   routing of other areas attached to the NSSA border router as well any
   ISP agreements of the NSSArea.

   In order for backbone summary internal routes to be preferred over 
   external Type 7 routes, all implementations must support the optional
   import of summary LSAs from the backbone into a NSSA, with the
   exception of a (type-3) summary LSA for the default route.  The
   import of summary LSAs is automatically activated when an type-7
   default route is detected as originating from an internal NSSA ASBR,
   regardless of the no-summary setting.  This protects the NSSA from
   routing intra-AS traffic out the AS via a type-7 default route.

   Unlike the stub area case, a default route must not be injected into 
   the NSSA as a summary (type-3) LSA.  The reason for this is that the
   summary default route would be chosen over all more preferred type-7
   default routes.

3.5 Calculating Type-7 AS External Routes

   This calculation must be run when type-7 LSAs are processed during the AS
   external route calculation.  This calculation will also process type-5
   LSAs and may replace section 16.4 when processing type-5 LSAs.  If
   section 16.4 is still used to process type-5 LSAs, NSSA ASBR routing
   table entries are not to be used for the ASBR address calculation of
   type-5 LSAs.

Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                         [Page 9]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


   A NSSA border router should examine both type-5 LSAs and type-7 LSAs
   if either type-5 or type-7 routes need to be updated or recalculated.
   This is done as part of the AS external route calculation.  A NSSA
   internal router should examine type-7 LSAs when type-7 routes need to
   be recalculated.  When OSPF Section 16.4.1 path preference is applied
   in step (6.c), NSSA and non-NSSA intra-AS paths have equal
   preference.

   What follows is only a modest modification of the OSPF Version 2
   Specification Section 16.4.  Original text is suffixed with .  NSSA
   specific text is suffixed with .

   AS external routes are calculated by examining AS-external-LSAs, be they
   type-5 or type-7.  Each of the AS-external-LSAs is considered in turn.
   Most AS-external-LSAs describe routes to specific IP destinations.  An
   AS-external-LSA can also describe a default route for the Autonomous
   System (Destination ID = DefaultDestination, network/subnet mask =
   0x00000000).  For each AS-external-LSA :

    (1) If the metric specified by the LSA is LSInfinity, or if the age
        of the LSA equals MaxAge, then examine the next LSA.  

    (2) If the LSA was originated by the calculating router itself,
        examine the next LSA.  

    (3) Call the destination described by the LSA N.  N's address is
        obtained by masking the LSA's Link State ID with the
        network/subnet mask contained in the body of the LSA.  Look up
        the routing table entries (potentially one per attached area)
        for the AS boundary router (ASBR) that originated the LSA.  If
        no entries exist for router ASBR (i.e., ASBR is unreachable), do
        nothing with this LSA and consider the next in the list.  

        Else if the destination is a type-7 default route (destination =
        DefaultDestination) and one of the following is true, then do
        nothing with this LSA and consider the next in the list:

           o  The originator of the type-7 LSA and the calculating
              router are both NSSA border routers.

           o  The calculating router is a border router, the LSA has its
              P-bit clear, and at least two non-backbone OSPF areas
              connect to the calculating router.  

        Else, this LSA describes an AS external path to destination N.	
        Examine	the forwarding address specified in the	AS-external-LSA. 

        This indicates the IP address to which packets for the
        destination should be forwarded.  



Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 10]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997

   
        If the forwarding address is set to 0.0.0.0, packets should be
        sent to the ASBR itself.  

        If the current LSA is type-5, among the multiple non-NSSA ASBR
        routing table entries for the ASBR (both NSSA and non-NSSA ASBR
        entries might exists on an NSSA border router), select the
        preferred entry as follows :

           If RFC1583Compatibility is set to "disabled", prune the set
           of routing table entries for the ASBR as described in OSPF
           Section 16.4.1.  In any case, among the remaining routing
           table entries, select the routing table entry with the least
           cost; when there are multiple least cost routing table
           entries the entry whose associated area has the largest OSPF
           Area ID (when considered as an unsigned 32-bit integer) is
           chosen.  
 
        If the forwarding address is non-zero, look up the forwarding
        address in the routing table.  The matching routing table entry
        must specify an intra-area or inter-area path; if no such path
        exists, do nothing with the LSA and consider the next in the
        list.  

    (4) Let X be the cost specified by the preferred routing table entry
        for the ASBR/forwarding address, and Y the cost specified in the
        LSA.  X is in terms of the link state metric, and Y is a type 1
        or 2 external metric.  

    (5) Now, look up the routing table entry for the destination N.  If
        no entry exists for N, install the AS external path to N, with
        the next hop equal to the list of next hops to the
        ASBR/forwarding address, and advertising router equal to ASBR. 
        If the external metric type is 1, then the path-type is set to
        Type-1 external and the cost is equal to X + Y.  If the external
        metric type is 2, the path-type is set to Type-2 external, the
        link-state component of the route's cost is X, and the Type-2
        cost is Y.  

    (6) Otherwise compare the AS external path described by the LSA with
        the existing paths in N's routing table entry, as follows.  If
        the new path is preferred, it replaces the present paths in N's	
        routing	table entry.  If the new path is of equal preference, it
        is added to N's routing table entry's list of paths.   

        Preference is defined as follows:

        (a) Intra-area and inter-area paths are always preferred over AS	
            external paths.  

        (b) Type 1 external paths are always preferred over type 2


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 11]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


            external paths.  When all paths are type 2 external paths,
            the paths with the smallest advertised type 2 metric are
            always preferred.  

        (c) If the new AS external path is still indistinguishable from
            the current paths in N's routing table entry, and
            RFC1583Compatibility is set	to "disabled", select the
            preferred paths based on the intra-AS paths to the
            ASBR/forwarding addresses, as specified in Section
            16.4.1.  

        (d) If the new AS external path is still indistinguishable from
            the current paths in N's routing table entry, select the
            preferred path based on a least cost comparison.  Type 1
            external paths are compared by looking at the sum of the
            distance to the forwarding address and the advertised type 1
            metric (X+Y).  Type 2 external paths advertising equal type
            2 metrics are compared by looking at the distance to the
            forwarding addresses.  

        (e) If the new paths are still indistinguishable the following
            priorities apply (listed from highest to lowest) for
            breaking the tie.

               a. Any type-5 LSA. 

               b. A type-7 LSA with the P-bit set and the forwarding
                  address non-zero. 

               c. Any other type-7 LSA.  

3.6 Incremental Updates

   Incremental updates for type-7 LSAs should be treated the same as
   incremental updates for type-5 LSAs (see section 16.6 of the OSPF
   specification).  That is, if a new instance of a type-7 LSA is
   received it is not necessary to recalculate the entire routing table.
   If there is already an OSPF internal route to the destination
   represented by the type-7 LSA, no recalculation is necessary.
   Otherwise, the procedure in the proceeding section will have to be
   performed but only for the external routes (type-5 and type-7) whose
   networks describe the same networks as the newly received LSA.









Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 12]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


4.0 Originating Type-5 LSAs

4.1 Translating Type-7 LSAs Into Type-5 LSAs

   This step is performed as part of the NSSA's Dijkstra calculation after
   type-5 and type-7 routes have been calculated.  If the calculating router
   is not a NSSA border router this translation algorithm should be skipped.
   It is not recommended that multiple NSSA border routers perform the
   translation unless the efficient routing of packets through area 0 to a
   NSSA partitioned by aggregation requires it.  It is normally sufficient
   to have only one NSSA border router perform the translation.  Excessive
   numbers of type-7 translators unnecessarily increase the size of the OSPF
   link state data base.

   A new bit called bit Nt is added to the router links advertisement.  All
   NSSA area border routers which are performing the translation set bit Nt in
   their router links advertisement into the NSSA. 

   A new parameter called the NSSATranslateState is added to the OSPF area
   data structure.  If a NSSA border router has 

        NSSATranslateState = enabled

   then this router always translates Type-7 LSAs into Type-5 LSAs for the
   NSSA. 

   If a NSSA border router has

        NSSATranslateState = disabled

   and no NSSA border router for the NSSA has bit Nt set in its router links
   advertisement and this router has the highest router ID among the NSSA
   border router set, then this router performs the translation of type-7
   LSAs into type-5 LSAs for the NSSA and NSSATranslateState should be set
   to elected.

   Otherwise the translation algorithm should not be performed and
   NSSATranslateState should remain set to disabled.

   Note that during the translation of type-7 LSAs into aggregated type-5
   LSAs, the highest router ID is not necessarily the best choice for an
   advertising router as all packets which are forwarded by a type-5 LSA
   routing table entry originating from an aggregated type-7 LSA translation
   are sent to the translator (As described below, the forwarding address is
   not set in type-5 LSAs which originate from aggregated type-7 LSAs).  The
   NSSATranslateState allows the network designer to configure the most cost
   effective route to the NSSA's type-5 LSAs which originate from the
   aggregation of type-7 LSAs.  Is cases of aggregate partitioning of the
   NSSA, multiple translators may be required to effect efficient routing.


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 13]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997



   Indeed, all NSSA border routers could be set to perform translation, if
   required.

   All installed type-7 LSA's should be examined including those type-7s
   originated by the router itself (a set which may differ between NSSA
   border routers of the same NSSArea).  This allows NSSA border routers to
   propagate and/or aggregate locally originated type-7s during the
   translation.  Locally originated type-7s are skipped during the external
   route calculation.  Their installation status is external to OSPF.

   If the type-7 LSA (associated with the route being examined) has the
   P-bit set and a non-zero forwarding address, the following steps
   should be taken.

      The translation procedure must first check for a configured type-7
      address range.  Recall that a type-7 address range consists of an
      [address,mask] pair and a status indication of either Advertise or
      DoNotAdvertise.  At most a single type-5 LSA is made for each
      range.  If the route being examined falls within the type-7
      address range, (i.e., the [address,mask] pair of the route is
      equal to or a more specific instance of the [address,mask] pair of
      the type-7 address range), one of following three actions may take
      place.

         1. When the range's status indicates Advertise and the route's
            address and mask are equal to the address and mask of the
            type-7 range, a type-5 LSA should be originated if

            o there currently is no type-5 LSA originated from this
              router corresponding to the type-7 LSA, or there is and

            o the path type or the metric in the corresponding type-5
              LSA is different from the type-7 LSA or

            o the forwarding address in the corresponding type-5 LSA is
              different from the type-7 LSA.

            The newly originated type-5 LSA will describe the same
            network and have the same network mask, metrics, forwarding
            address, external route tag and path type as the type-7 LSA,
            however, the advertising router field will be the router ID
            of this area border router.

         2. When the range's status indicates Advertise and the route's
            address or mask indicates a more specific route (i.e., the
            route's address is subsumed by the range or the route has a
            longer mask), a type-5 LSA is generated with link-state ID



Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 14]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997



            equal to the range's address (if necessary, the link-state
            ID can also have one or more of the range's "host" bits set;
            see Appendix F of the OSPF specification for details), the
            network mask, external route tag and path type will be set
            to the configured type-7 range values.  The advertising
            router field will be the router ID of this area border
            router.  The forwarding address will not be set.  The path
            type should always be set to the highest path type that is
            subsumed by the net range.  The metric for the type-5 LSA
            will be set as follows:

            o if the path type is external type 2, the type-5 metric
              should be set to the largest type-7 metric subsumed by
              this net range + 1.

            o if the path type is external type 1, the type-5 metric
              should be set to the largest metric.

            For example, given a net range of [10.0.0.0, 255.0.0.0] for
            an area that has type-7 routes of:

                    10.1.0.0 path type 1, metric 10
                    10.2.0.0 path type 1, metric 11
                    10.3.0.0 path type 2, metric 5

            a type-5 LSA will be generated with a path type of 2 and a
            metric of 6.

            As another example, given a net range of [10.0.0.0,
            255.0.0.0] for an area that has type-7 routes of:

                    10.1.0.0 path type 1, metric 10
                    10.2.0.0 path type 1, metric 11
                    10.3.0.0 path type 1, metric 5

            a type-5 LSA will be generated with a path type of 1 and a
            metric of 11.

            These metric and path type rules will avoid routing loops in
            the event that path type 1 and 2 are both used within the
            area.

         3. When the range's status indicates DoNotAdvertise, the type-5
            LSA is suppressed and the component networks remain hidden
            from the rest of the AS.

      By default (given that the P-bit is set and the LSA has a non-zero
      forwarding address) if a network is not contained in any


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 15]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997

      explicitly configured address range, a type-7 to type-5 LSA
      translation will occur.

      A new instance of a type-5 LSA should be originated and flooded to
      all attached type-5 capable areas if

            o  there currently is no type-5 LSA originated from this
               router corresponding to the type-7 LSA, or there is and

            o  the path type or the metric in the corresponding type-5
               LSA is different from the type-7 LSA or

            o  the forwarding address in the corresponding type-5 LSA is
               different from the type-7 LSA.
      The newly originated type-5 LSAs will describe the same network
      and have the same network mask, metrics, forwarding address,
      external route tag and path type as the type-7 LSA.  The
      advertising router field will be the router ID of this area border
      router.

      As with all newly originated type-5 LSAs, a type-5 LSA that is the
      result of a type-7 to type-5 translation (type-7 range or default
      case) is flooded to all attached type-5 capable areas.

4.2 Flushing Translated Type-7 LSAs

   If a NSSA border router has translated a type-7 LSA to a type-5 LSA that
   should no longer be translated, the type-5 LSA should be flushed (set to
   MaxAge and flooded).  The translated type-5 LSA should be flushed
   whenever the routing table entry that caused the translation changes so
   that either the routing table entry is unreachable or the entry's
   associated LSA is not a type-7 with the P-bit set and a non-zero
   forwarding address.

   If a NSSA border router is translating type-7 LSA's into type-5 LSA's and
   
        NSSATranslateState = elected

   and a new router links advertisement arrives in the NSSA with bit Nt set,
   then it should flush any of its type-5 LSAs originating from translated
   type-7 LSAs and readvertise its router links advertisement into the NSSA
   with bit Nt clear.

   This flushing keeps the number of type-7 translators at the minimum
   number configured, either explicitly or by default.  Since the default
   translator election process only occurs in the absence of a translator,
   should a router with a higher router ID join the NSSA border router set
   it will not necessarily assume translator duties.  Indeed, a previously
   default elected translator should continue to perform translation duties
   until supplanted by an NSSA border router whose Nt bit is set to true.
   Such an event might happen due to by setting the NSSATranslateState to


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 16]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


   enabled or a topological rejoining of a partitioned NSSA.  This behavior
   reduces the flushing of translated type-7 LSA's in the AS.

   Any change in the membership of the NSSA border router set or the setting
   of their Nt bits resulting from updated router links advertisements
   should force a NSSA border router whose NSSATranslateState is not set to
   recheck and possibly elect or disable its type-7 translation status.

5.0 Acknowledgments

   This document was produced by the OSPF Working Group, chaired by John
   Moy.

   In addition, the comments of the following individuals are also
   acknowledged:

                  Phani Jajjarvarpu  cisco
                  Dino Farinacci     cisco
                  Jeff Honig         Cornell University
                  John Moy           Proteon, Inc.
                  Doug Williams      IBM

6.0 References

   [1] Moy, J., "OSPF Version 2", RFC 1583, Proteon, Inc., March 1994.

   [2] Moy, J., "Multicast Extensions to OSPF", RFC 1584, Proteon, Inc.,
       Proteon, Inc., March 1994.

7.0 Security Considerations

   Security issues are not discussed in this memo.



















Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 17]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


8.0 Authors' Addresses

   This update uses much of the original text from RFC 1587 authored by

   Rob Coltun
   Fore Systems
   6905 Rockledge Drive
   Suite 800
   Bethesada, Maryland 20817

   Phone: (301) 571-2521
   EMail: rcoltun@fore.com


   Vince Fuller
   BBN Planet
   3801 East Bayshore Road
   Palo Alto, California 94303

   Phone: (415) 528-7227
   EMail: vaf@wr.BBNPlanet.com


   New Sections, edits and revisions are authored by

   Pat Murphy
   US Geological Survey
   345 Middlefield Road
   Menlo Park, California 94560
   
   Phone: (415) 329-4044
   EMail: pmurphy@usgs.gov

   in support of the new features suggested by Pat Murphy.


















Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 18]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


Appendix A: Type-7 Packet Format

          0                                32
          -----------------------------------
          |                | OPTS   |   7   |
          |                ------------------
          |        Link-State Header        |
          |                                 |
          -----------------------------------
          | Network Mask                    |
          -----------------------------------  ______
          |E| Tos  |        metric          |  .
          -----------------------------------  .  repeated for each TOS
          | Forwarding Address              |  .
          -----------------------------------  .
          | External Route Tag              |  ______
          -----------------------------------

   The definitions of the link-state ID, network mask, metrics and
   external route tag are the same as the definitions for the type-5
   LSAs (see A.4.5 in the OSPF specification) except for:

               The Forwarding Address

   If the network between the NSSA AS boundary router and the adjacent
   AS is advertised into OSPF as an internal OSPF route, the forwarding
   address should be the next hop address but if the intervening network
   is not advertised into OSPF as an internal OSPF route, the forwarding
   address should be any one of the router's active OSPF interface
   addresses.





















Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 19]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


Appendix B: The Options Field

   The OSPF options field is present in OSPF Hello packets, Database
   Description packets and all link-state advertisements.  See appendix
   A.2 in the OSPF specification for a description of option field.  Six
   bits are assigned but only two (the E-bit and the N/P bit) are
   described completely in this section.

                   --------------------------------------
                   | * | * | DC | EA | N/P | MC | E | T |
                   --------------------------------------

                       The Type-7 LSA options field


             E-bit:  Type-5 AS external link advertisements are not
                     flooded into/through OSPF stub areas and NSSAs.
                     The E-bit ensures that all members of a stub area
                     agree on that area configuration.  The E-bit is
                     meaningful only in OSPF Hello packets.  When the
                     E-bit is reset in the Hello packet sent out a
                     particular interface, it means that the router
                     will neither send nor receive type-5 AS external
                     link state advertisements on that interface (in
                     other words, the interface connects to a stub
                     area or NSSArea).  Two routers will not become 
                     neighbors unless they agree on the state of the 
                     E-bit.

             N-bit:  The N-bit describes the router's NSSArea
                     capability.  The N-bit is used only in Hello
                     packets and ensures that all members of a NSSArea
                     agree on that area's configuration.  When the
                     N-bit is set in the Hello packet and sent out a
                     particular interface, it means that the router
                     will send and receive type-7 LSAs on that
                     interface.  Two routers will not form an adjacency
                     unless they agree on the state of the N-bit.  If
                     the N-bit is set in the options field, the E-bit
                     must be reset.

             P-bit:  The P-bit is used only in the type-7 LSA header.
                     It flags the NSSA border router to translate
                     the type-7 LSA into a type-5 LSA.







Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 20]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997

Appendix C: Router-LSAs

   Router-LSAs are the Type 1 LSAs.  Each router in an area originates a
   router-LSA. The LSA describes the state and cost of the router's links
   (i.e., interfaces) to the area. All of the router's links to the area
   must be described in a single router-LSA. For details concerning the
   construction	of router-LSAs,	see the OSPF Specification, Section 12.4.1.


	0		    1			2		    3
	0 1 2 3	4 5 6 7	8 9 0 1	2 3 4 5	6 7 8 9	0 1 2 3	4 5 6 7	8 9 0 1
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |	    LS age	       |     Options   |       1       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			Link State ID			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |		     Advertising Router			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |		     LS	sequence number			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |	 LS checksum	       |	     length	       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |    0  Nt|V|E|B|	0      |	    # links	       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			  Link ID			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			 Link Data			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |     Type      |     # TOS     |	TOS 0 metric	       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |      TOS      |	0      |	    metric	       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			      ...			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |      TOS      |	0      |	    metric	       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			  Link ID			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			 Link Data			       |
       +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
       |			      ...			       |


    In router-LSAs, the	Link State ID field is set to the router's OSPF
    Router ID.	The T-bit is set in the	LSA's Option field if and only
    if the router is able to calculate a separate set of routes	for each
    IP TOS.  Router-LSAs are flooded throughout	a single area only.




Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 21]

Internet Draft		     OSPF Version 2		  September 1996


    bit	V
	When set, the router is	an endpoint of one or more fully
	adjacent virtual links having the described area as Transit area
	(V is for virtual link endpoint).

    bit	E
	When set, the router is	an AS boundary router (E is for
	external).

    bit	B
	When set, the router is	an area	border router (B is for	border).

    bit	Nt
	When set, the router is	a NSSA border router which translates type-7
        LSAs into type-5 LSAs (Nt is for NSSA translation).

   The remainder of the router links specification is as defined in the OSPF
   Specification, Section A.4.2






























Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 22]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


Appendix D:  Configuration Parameters

   Appendix C.2 in the OSPF specification lists the area parameters.  The
   area ID, list of address ranges for type-3 summary routes and
   authentication type remain unchanged.  Section 3.2 of this document lists
   the configuration parameters for type-7 address ranges.  The following
   parameter is added to the NSSArea data structure:

   NSSATranslateState 
       This parameter indicates whether or not an NSSA Border router is
       performing NSSA translation of type-7 LSAs into type-5 LSAs and
       flooding the translated type-5 LSAs into the AS.  If the parameter is
       set to "enabled", translation is always performed.  If the parameter
       is set to "elected", it means translation is being performed because
       the router was chosen during the default election process. If the
       parameter is set to "disabled" the NSSA border router is not
       currently performing type-7 translation.  "disabled" is the default
       setting.  (See Section 4.1.)

   For NSSAs the external capabilities of the area must be set to accept
   type-7 external routes.  Additionally there must be a way of
   configuring the NSSA border router to send a default route into the
   NSSArea using a specific metric (type 1 or type 2 and the actual cost).































Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 23]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


Appendix E: Differences from RFC 1587

   This section documents the differences between this	memo and RFC
   1587.  All differences are backward-compatible.  Implementations of
   this memo and of RFC 1587 will interoperate.

   E.1 Enhancements to OSPF summary LSAs.                      .

       The flooding of backbone summary LSAs (type-3 LSAs) into the NSSA
       is now optional.  In RFC 1587 the flooding of backbone summary
       LSAs was mandated in order to guarantee inter-area routes are
       preferred over external routes.  The current recommended default
       behavior is to flood summary LSAs.

       See sections 2.2 and 3.4 for details.

   E.2 Changes to the type-7 AS external routing calculation.

       The type-7 external route calculation has been revised.  Most
       notably:

         o The path preference defined in OSPF Section 16.4.1 has been
           included.

         o A type-7 default route with the P-bit clear will not be installed
           on a NSSA border router which connects multiple non-backbone
           areas.  This protects the default routing of other OSPF Areas as
           well as any ISP agreements of the originating NSSArea.

         o The type-7 AS external route calculation may now compute
           type-5 external paths.

       See Section 3.5 for details.

   E.3 Changes to translating type-7 LSAs into type-5 LSAs

       NSSA border routers which perform the translation are now optionally
       configurable, with more than one allowed.  This allows the network
       designer to choose the most cost effective intra-AS route for NSSA
       type-7 aggregates propagated into the AS.  Furthermore, since
       different NSSA border routers may install different sets of type-7
       LSA routes, the cost effectiveness of non-aggregated type-7
       propagation may also be maximized.

       All installed type-7 LSA's including those originated by the NSSA
       border router are processed for translation.  This allows the
       NSSA border router to propagate and/or aggregate locally
       originated type-7s utilizing the type-5 translation process. 
       NSSA RFC 1587 required locally originated type-7 LSAs be paired


Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 24]

Internet Draft              OSPF NSSA Option                  April 1997


       with locally originated type-5 LSAs for the external path to be
       seen by the AS (Note that locally originated type-7s are skipped
       during the external route calculation).

       The default translator election process occurs only in the absence of
       a translator amongst the NSSA border router set.

       See Section 4.1 for details.

   E.4 Changes to flushing translated type-7 LSAs

       A NSSA border router which was elected by the default selection
       process of RFC 1587, terminates its translation duties and flushes
       its translated type-7 LSAs from the AS when another translator
       presents itself in the NSSA.  This keeps the number of translators at
       a minimum.

       See Section 4.2 for details.


































Coltun, Fuller & Murphy                                        [Page 25]