Beware of unpredictable OSPF to OSPF Mutual Redistribution

Just as it may be necessary to run multiple OSPF processes, It may also be necessary to redistribute routes between them. What happens when two OSPF processes redistribute routes to each other? The results can be quite surprising.

As shown in illustration, R1 runs two OSPF processes. R1 learns a network 10.0.0.0/24 from both routing processes. From OSPF 1 (left) R1 learns it as an inter-area route. From OSPF 2 (right) R1 learns it as an External route. Which direction would R1 prefer?

A simple test demonstrates show results can be unpredictable. By shutting down the interface towards OSPF 1 and turn it back on, R1 prefers E1 route to reach 10.0.0.0/24 via OSPF 2. Subsequently, by resetting the interface towards OSPF 2, R1 prefers inter-area route to reach 10.0.0.0/24 via OSPF 1.

OSPF’s preference of intra-area over inter-area over external applies to routes learned via the same process only; it does not apply to routes learned from multiple OSPF processes.

So what determines preference between routing processes? It’s Admin Distance. Since the default AD for OSPF processes are the same, thus the unpredictable results. Therefore the results can be “swung” by resetting interfaces.

When Administrative Distances are equal, the process that first installs the route in the routing table wins, regardless of metric and type.

How to make it deterministic? The key is obviously around AD. But to apply AD properly as a solution, the desired behavior must be clearly defined. First, identify potentially overlapping networks, that is, networks that can be advertised by both processes. Next, how should the network behave for those networks?

If all overlapping networks should prefer one process, for example, OSPF 1 inter-area should be preferred over OSPF 2 E1, then AD of OSPF 2 can be increased:

router ospf 2

distance ospf external 120

The diagram illustrates the result of the fix, routes from OSPF 1 will now be preferred due to deterministic AD.

If the desired behavior is specific to networks, then AD must be selectively adjusted using filter list. And AD may need to be adjusted on both OSPF processes to arrive at the specific preference for specific networks.

The end results should always be deterministic and predictable, verified using tests in normal and failure scenarios.

As a side note, Before Cisco bug ID CSCdw10987 (integrated in Cisco IOS Software Releases 12.2(07.04)S, 12.2(07.04)T, and later), the last process to make an shortest path first algorithm (SPF) would have won, and the two processes overwrite other routes in the routing table. Now, if a route is installed via one process, it is not overwritten by another OSPF process with the same administrative domain (AD), unless the route is first deleted from the routing table by the process that initially installed the route in the routing table.