Administrative Domains and Routing Domains: A model for routing in the Internet

Administrative Domains and Routing Domains A Model for Routing in the Internet 1) Status of this Memo This RFC proposes a model for describing routing within the Internet. The model is an adaptation of the "OSI Routeing Framework" [1]. This memo does not specify an Internet standard. Comments are welcome. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. 2) Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank Guy Almes of Rice University for his contributions and insight. 3) Overview The "core" model of Autonomous Systems [2] formed the basis for the routing model used in the Internet. Due to massive growth and topology changes, the "core" model no longer is in harmony with the reality of today's Internet. Indeed, this situation was foreseen at the outset: "Ultimately, however, the internet may consist of a number of co-equal autonomous systems, any of which may be used...as a transport medium for traffic originating in any system and destined for any system. When this more complex configuration comes into being, it will be inappropriate to regard any one autonomous system as a "core" system" [2]. Furthermore, the Autonomous System concept has been outgrown in certain parts of the Internet, in which the complexity of regional routing has exceeded the limits of the definition of Autonomous Systems. A model which can provide a better match to the Internet can be found in the "OSI Routeing Framework" [1]. This framework proposes a structure of Routing Domains within Administrative Domains. This paper is intended to briefly describe this framework, to outline how this model better fits the reality of Hares & Katz [Page 1]