Advantages and Disadvantages of Link-State

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Link-state routing protocols have several advantages and disadvantages compared to distance vector routing protocols. This article will discuss these advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of link-state

  • Fast Network Convergence—Fast network convergence is the main advantage of the link state routing protocol. On receiving an LSP, link state routing protocols immediately flood the LSP out of all interfaces without any changes except for the interface from which the LSP was received.
  • Topological Map—Link state routing creates the network topology using a topological map or SPF tree. Using the SPF tree, each router can determine the shortest path to each network separately.
  • Hierarchical Design—Link state routing protocols use multiple areas and create a hierarchical design for the network areas. The multiple areas allow better route summarization.
  • Event-driven Updates– After the initial flooding of LSPs, the LSPs are sent only when there is a change in the topology and contain only the information regarding that change. The LSP contains only the information about the affected link. The link state never sends periodic updates.

Disadvantages of Link State

The Link-state also has some disadvantages compared to distance vector routing protocols:

  • Memory Requirements—The link state routing protocol creates and maintains a database and SPF tree, which require more memory than a distance vector protocol.
  • Processing Requirements—Link state routing protocols require more CPU processing because the SPF algorithm requires more CPU time than distance-vector algorithms, like Bellman-Ford. After all, link-state protocols build a complete map of the topology.
  • Bandwidth Requirements–The link state routing protocol floods the link-state packet during initial startup and at events like network breakdown and network topology changes, affecting the network’s available bandwidth. If the network is not stable, it also creates issues with the bandwidth.

Also, Read Link State Operation – Exclusive Explanation