Border Gateway Protocol (BGP): A Boon to Internet Application and ISPs

Abstract: The internet today runs on a complex routing protocol called Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). BGP is unique compared to other routing protocols. BGP is a rich protocol that has many ways to sustain nodes or network failures as well as change in network topology, a boon to �internetwork� or �the internet�. In this paper, we present to you the fringe benefits that the Border Gateway Protocol offers over Internal Gateway Protocol (IGP). We discuss the major fringe benefits offered by BGP: Multihoming and Scalability, and methods of achieving the same. We also shed light on iBGP and eBGP, BGP attributes Autonomous system (AS), Autonomous System Number (ASN) and BGP route selection process.

Keywords: Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), BGP is unique, to �internetwork�, Internal Gateway Protocol (IGP), Multihoming, Scalability, iBGP, eBGP, BGP attributes, Autonomous system (AS), Autonomous System Number (ASN), BGP route selection process.