Brocade FastIron Ethernet Switch Layer 3 Routing Configuration Guide - Manual (Page 245)

OSPF is built upon a hierarchy of network components. The highest level of the hierarchy is the
Autonomous System (AS) . An autonomous system is defined as a number of networks, all of which
share the same routing and administration characteristics.
An AS can be divided into multiple areas. Each area represents a collection of contiguous networks and
hosts. Areas limit the area to which link-state advertisements are broadcast, thereby limiting the amount
of flooding that occurs within the network. An area is represented in OSPF by either an IP address or a
number.
You can further limit the broadcast area of flooding by defining an area range. The area range allows
you to assign an aggregate value to a range of IP addresses. This aggregate value becomes the
address that is advertised instead all of the individual addresses it represents being advertised. You can
assign up to 32 ranges in an OSPF area.
An OSPF router can be a member of multiple areas. Routers with membership in multiple areas are
known as Area Border Routers (ABRs) . Each ABR maintains a separate topological database for each
area the router is in. Each topological database contains all of the LSA databases for each router within
a given area. The routers within the same area have identical topological databases. The ABR is
responsible for forwarding routing information or changes between its border areas.
An Autonomous System Boundary Router (ASBR) is a router that is running multiple protocols and
serves as a gateway to routers outside an area and those operating with different protocols. The ASBR
is able to import and translate different protocol routes into OSPF through a process known as
redistribution .
OSPFv2
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