3Com Switch 8800 Configuration Guide Chapter 20 Integrated IS-IS Configuration
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Chapter 20 Integrated IS-IS Configuration

20.1 Introduction to Integrated IS-IS

Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) intra-domain routing information
exchange protocol is designed by the international organization for standardization
(ISO) for connection-less network protocol (CLNP). This protocol is a dynamic routing
protocol. To let this protocol support IP routing, IETF expands and modifies IS-IS in
RFC1195, applying the protocol to TCP/IP and OSI. The modified IS-IS is called
Integrated IS-IS or Dual IS-IS.
IS-IS is a link state protocol, which uses shortest path first (SPF) algorithm. IS-IS and
the OSPF protocol are similar in many aspects. As an interior gateway protocol (IGP),
IS-IS is applied inside an AS.

20.1.1 Terms of IS-IS Routing Protocol

I. Terms of IS-IS routing protocol
z Intermediate System (IS). IS equals a router of TCP/IP. It is the basic unit in IS-IS
protocol used for propagating routing information and generating routes. In the
following text, the IS shares the same meaning with the router.
z End System (ES). It equals the host system of TCP/IP. ES does not process the
IS-IS routing protocol, and therefore it can be ignored in the IS-IS protocol.
z Routing Domain (RD). A group of ISs exchange routing information with the same
routing protocol in a routing domain.
z Area. Area is the division unit in the routing domain.
z Link State DataBase (LSDB). All the link states in the network form the LSDB. In
an IS, at least one LSDB is available. The IS uses the SPF algorithm and the
LSDB to generate its own routes.
z Link State Protocol Data Unit (LSPDU). In the IS-IS, each IS will generate an LSP
which contains all the link state information of the IS. Each IS collects all the LSPs
in the local area to generate its own LSDB.
z Network Protocol Data Unit (NPDU). It is the network layer packets of OSI and
equals the IP packet of TCP/IP.
z Designated IS (DIS). It is the elected router on the broadcast network.
z Network Service Access Point (NSAP) is the network layer address of OSI. It
identifies an abstract network service access point and describes the very network
address structure for the OSI model.