Preface

This book is an expansion of a PowerPoint presentation I have used for years in design meetings for IP carrier and service provider networks, comparing and contrasting OSPF and IS-IS. The PowerPoint presentation in turn grew from numerous informal chalk talks I had done for years before that, to address the concerns of engineers who had worked extensively with OSPF but had little or no experience with IS-IS and therefore wondered whether that protocol might be a better fit for their network.

With the growth of large-scale networks, the demand for information on OSPF and IS-ISand how they comparecontinues to increase. To enhance the ability of engineers to access, retain, and reference this information, creating a book was a logical next step in the evolution of my live presentations and seminars. The information in this book certainly reflects the questions, concerns, and challenges that audiences have consistently articulated. I trust readers will find their own business and technical interests addressed herein.