Cisco IP Routing: Packet Forwarding and Intra-domain Routing Protocols [Paperback]

Alex Zinin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0201604736 | ISBN-13: 978-0201604733 | Edition: 1

In this book, a leading expert on Cisco routing offers in-depth coverage of four key intra-domain protocols -- RIP, IGRP, OSPF, and EIGRP. Unlike other books on Cisco protocols, Alex Zinin shows you exactly what's happening inside your routers when you use these protocols -- so you can maximize your control over them, and leverage their full power. Cisco IP Routing demystifies even the most complex internals of Cisco IP routing with clear explanations, extensive visuals, and many real-world examples, configurations, and network designs. The heart of the book is its coverage of dynamic routing, starting with theory and then moving to the practical details of effective configuration. Alex Zinin also presents in-depth coverage of controlling routing by altering update flow, redistribution, and policy routing. For all network administrators, other Cisco networking professionals, and anyone preparing for Cisco's top-of-the-line CCIE exam.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

As a networking professional, you will find this practical guide an invaluable resource for understanding routing technologies and configuring and troubleshooting Cisco routers, as well as for studying for the CCIE exam. Cisco IP Routing presents the most thorough information available on the inner workings of Cisco routers. Focusing on intra-domain dynamic routing protocols, the book provides an in-depth understanding of IP routing and forwarding technologies, and their implementation within Cisco routers.

You will find essential background information on IP addressing, general routing and forwarding processes, and routing table maintenance. The book discusses packet forwarding and static routing, and details the specific mechanisms inside the dynamic routing protocols, covering both the distance vector and link-state routing protocols. Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), and Enhanced IGRP (EIGRP), Cisco's proprietary routing protocol, are covered in depth within the context of Cisco's implementation.

Specific topics covered include:

• Variable length subnet masks
• Classful and classless addressing and routing
• Routing and forwarding differences
• Static and dynamic routing
• Routing table structure and maintenance in Cisco routers
• Cisco packet switching mechanisms, including fast, optimum, distributed, NetFlow, and Cisco Express Forwarding
• Cisco load-sharing techniques
• The Bellman-Ford and Dijkstra algorithms
• RIP packet formats, input and outbound messaging, event processing, configuration commands, and more
• IGRP packet formats, input and outbound messaging, events processing, configuration commands, and more
• Comparison between ISIS and OSPF
• OSPF subprotocols and packet formats
• OSPF intra-area, inter-area and external routing
• OSPF flooding algorithm and link-state database synchronization
• LSA installation and SPF scheduling
• OSPF configuration and implementation in Cisco routers
• EIGRP operation and configuration
• EIGRP stub router feature

Numerous examples of logs from real Cisco routers illustrate the concepts presented and their practical application. Useful configuration examples are also presented. In addition, many of the chapters include a Frequently Asked Questions section that clarifies common misunderstandings and confusion about IP routing technologies and Cisco routers.

Comprehensive, yet detailed and accessible, Cisco IP Routing provides the inside information you need to be a truly proficient Cisco router networking professional.

0201604736B07242001

About the Author

Alex Zinin has many years' experience in networking design, installation, support, and training. He started his career as a consultant and instructor for AMT Group, providing technical support for tier-1 ISPs, and training hundreds of professionals. Later, Mr. Zinin worked as the routing protocol escalation engineer for the ISP team at Cisco Systems, working closely with routing protocol developers and presenting at a number of Cisco events. Currently, Mr. Zinin is the senior routing software architect at Nexsi Systems, providing technical leadership for development of the new generation of IP routing software. An acknowledged routing and OSPF expert, he has coached many professionals for the CCIE exam and is active in IETF working groups and Cisco events.

0201604736AB07242001

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Product Details

• Paperback: 656 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (November 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201604736
• ISBN-13: 978-0201604733
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #391,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing guide to the innards of Cisco routers, March 8, 2005

By 

Richard Bejtlich "TaoSecurity" (Metro Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco IP Routing: Packet Forwarding and Intra-domain Routing Protocols (Paperback)

With my CCNA exam date staring straight at me, I decided to finally read my copy of Alex Zinin's 'Cisco IP Routing.' This book clearly exceeds the level of knowledge to pass Cisco's entry level certification. It is aimed more at CCNPs or CCIEs who need a deeper understanding of Cisco routing. Nevertheless, I found the book's explanations of certain subjects to be absolutely outstanding, even for a CCNA candidate. I recommend anyone wishing to learn Cisco router operations read 'Cisco IP Routing.'

This book seeks to deliver the 'why' as well as the 'how' of Cisco routing. It was published in late 2001 and uses IOS 12.1 as its reference platform. This IOS version is recent enough to meet my expectations, so don't fear that the book may not apply to more recent Cisco software and hardware. Remember that the 2600 series router was introduced in January 1999, and the modular 2600XM series arrived only in May 2002.

The first compelling aspect of 'Cisco IP Routing' is its exceptionally well-written and thorough explanations of various routing topics. Although my understanding of the subject was improved by reading Todd Lammle's Sybex CCNA books, Alex Zinin's approach assisted me immensely. For example, he helped me understand that classful addressing offers basic subnetting, which 'was used in the real world long before VLSM [Variable-Length Subnet Masks] appeared' (p. 22). He made it clear on p. 52 that 'when multiple matching routes are available to the same destination, routers choose the longest matching route to forward the packets.' This allows specifying a default route that is only used when more specific routes do not match a given destination.

Beyond very insightful routing discussions, Alex makes his point using a variety of methods. In some cases he presents tables that compare protocols. Elsewhere he uses diagrams or figures. Throughout the book he demonstrates syntax and configuration, along with debugging messages showing how protocols work in real life. His innovative use of 'pseudo-code' shows how Cisco might represent protocol information within IOS itself. In many chapters he presents and answers frequently asked questions. These help to dispel myths readers may have concerning Cisco routers.

I cannot complain about any real aspect of this book. As a minor point, Alex's thorough examinations of routing packet headers should have been augmented by real packet traces. I would like to see a companion volume introduce topics like spanning tree, BGP, and other routing and switching issues. Readers looking for such coverage now might like Radia Perlman's 'Interconnections, 2nd Ed' and Iljitsch van Beijnum's 'BGP.'

If you want to truly learn what your Cisco router does when it makes forwarding decisions, you must read 'Cisco IP Routing.' I have not seen any other books so powerfully expose the inner workings of these critical systems.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book! Highly recommended!, January 4, 2002

By 

Rick Graziani (Santa Cruz, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco IP Routing: Packet Forwarding and Intra-domain Routing Protocols (Paperback)

This book is a must for anyone interested in more than just what routing protocols do and how to configure them. Zinin's book covers material not found in other books focusing on the inner workings of Cisco routers and intra-domain routing protocols. This book gives the reader a real understanding of how IGPs function and how Cisco routers process them. After reading this book you will have a real understanding of routing, far beyond just how to configure and implement routing protocols. This book not only covers router configuration, but routing theory, subsystems, data structures, event processing, input processing, algorithms, and more. This is not just another book on routing protocols! After reading this book, you will understand routing as only a few people do.

The book uses a lot of algorithms and pseudocode to help explain the routing processes and router operations. I would not recommend this book for someone who does not already have a good understanding of routing protocols (I would suggest Doyle's, Routing TCP/IP Volume I). But for those looking for more detailed information and explanations of how a router operates and for a real understanding of intra-domain routing protocols, then this book is essential reading!

If you liked Doyle's Routing TCP/IP Volume I book and ready for more great information on routing, then I highly recommend this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for serious Cisco understanding., April 23, 2002

By 

Howard C. Berkowitz (Cape Cod, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco IP Routing: Packet Forwarding and Intra-domain Routing Protocols (Paperback)

As an author of networking design books, I've chosen to focus on the application of protocols rather than their internals, but have always wished I had a resource to which I could refer people that needed to know about specific implementations. RFCs are not always quite the right information source, especially when certain features are implementer choices anyway. For the first time, I now have somewhere to refer these people.

This book goes into the same sort of depth on the Cisco router control plane (i.e., routing protocols, routing table) that the Inside Cisco IOS Software Architecture book does on the operating system and forwarding. It's the first published (admittedly pseudocode) descriptions of the actual data structures of the various routing tables, the logic of the routines updating it, and the actual logic of redistribution. Highly recommended.

I suspect this will answer a lot of the "why" questions about redistribution and the like, if you lack, like most people, a background in protocol development and can make good guesses!

Alex is a colleague in the IETF and other groups, and actually has more credentials than shown on the book. He's recently been named co-director of the IETF Routing Area, as well as being active in individual IETF groups and the Internet Research Task Force routing group.