Filter
Top Products
Configuring OSPF OSPF Overview
OmniSwitch 6800/6850/9000 Advanced Routing Configuration Guide December 2007 page 1-11
Not-So-Stubby-Areas
NSSA, or not-so-stubby area, is an extension to the base OSPF specification and is defined in RFC 1587.
An NSSA is similar to a stub area in many ways: AS-external LSAs are not flooded into an NSSA and
virtual links are not allowed in an NSSA. The primary difference is that selected external routing informa-
tion can be imported into an NSSA and then redistributed into the rest of the OSPF routing domain. These
routes are imported into the NSSA using a new LSA type: Type-7 LSA. Type-7 LSAs are flooded within
the NSSA and are translated at the NSSA boundary into AS-external LSAs so as to convey the external
routing information to other areas.
NSSAs enable routers with limited resources to participate in OSPF routing while also allowing the import
of a selected number of external routes into the area. For example, an area which connects to a small
external routing domain running RIP may be configured as an NSSA. This will allow the import of RIP
routes into this area and the rest of the OSPF routing domain and at the same time, prevent the flooding of
other external routing information (learned, for example, through RIP) into this area.
All routers in an NSSA must have their OSPF area defined as an NSSA. To configure otherwise will
ensure that the router will be unsuccessful in establishing an adjacent in the OSPF domain.
Totally Stubby Areas
In Totally Stubby Areas the ABR advertises a default route to the routers in the totally stubby area but
does not advertise any inter-area or external LSAs. As a result, routers in a totally stubby area know only
the routes for destination networks in the stub area and have a default route for any other destination
outside the stub.
Note. Virtual links cannot be configured through totally stubby areas.
The router memory is saved when using stub area networks by filtering Type 4 and 5 LSAs. This concept
has been extended with Totally Stubby Areas by filtering Type 3 LSAs (Network Summary LSA) in addi-
tion to Type 4 and 5 with the exception of one single Type 3 LSA used to advertise a default route within
the area.
The following is an example of a simple totally stubby configuration with Router B being an ABR
between the backbone area 0 and the stub area 1. Router A is in area 1.1.1.1, totally stubby area:
Totally Stubby Area Example
Note. See “Configuring a Totally Stubby Area” on page 1-19 for information on configuring Totally
Stubby Areas.
Router A Router B
OSPF Area 0
192.168.12.1
OSPF Area 1
Totally Stubby
192.168.12.2
192.168.50.0/24