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How do you summarize routes in OSPF at an ABR?

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With area <id> range on the ABR, where <id> is the area that contains the specific routes. The ABR then sends one Type 3 for the range into the other areas instead of one per subnet, as long as at least one component route exists. IOS also installs a discard route to Null0 for the summary on the ABR.

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Example

Area 1 holds 10.1.0.0/24 to 10.1.15.0/24. R2 is the ABR between area 0 and area 1.

Cisco IOS
router ospf 1
 area 1 range 10.1.0.0 255.255.240.0

On R2:

Output
R2# show ip route ospf | include Null0
O        10.1.0.0/20 is a summary, 00:03:12, Null0

In area 0 every router now sees one O IA 10.1.0.0/20 instead of sixteen /24s.

What you gain and lose

  • Gain: smaller tables in other areas, and a flap of one /24 in area 1 no longer changes anything outside it.
  • Lose: detail. Traffic may take a longer path through the wrong ABR if two ABRs both advertise the summary and only one has a good path to a given subnet.

Options

  • area 1 range 10.1.0.0 255.255.240.0 not-advertise hides the range entirely. It is a crude filter.
  • area 1 range ... cost 50 sets the cost of the summary.

Limits

You can only summarize at an ABR or an ASBR. Inside an area every router must have the full LSDB.

Traps

  • Using summary-address on an ABR for internal routes. That command is for external routes on an ASBR.
  • Trying to summarize on an internal router.
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