BGP4: Inter-Domain Routing in the Internet: Inter-Domain Routing in the Internet

Since its introduction in 1993, the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) has been used extensively to allow network routers to optimize the transmission of Internet Protocol (IP) packets across the Internet. As Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and corporations seek to make their network infrastructures faster and more reliable, more administrators need to get acquainted with BGP (now in version 4). John Stewart's BGP4: Inter-Domain Routing on the Internet provides a short, authoritative guide to how Internet routing works generally, along with the specifics of the BGP4 protocol.

Early sections introduce the IP protocol, the foundation of the Internet, including a concise description of IP header structure. Routing basics are also discussed, including External Gateway Protocols (EGPs) and Interior Gateway Protocols (IGPs). The book presents protocols used to determine routing efficiency, including distance-vector and linking-state routing protocols.

Next, Stewart covers the Bridging Control Protocol (BGP) itself and includes discussion of BCP sessions and the message types used to send routing information between routers in BGP. A particular strength of this text is that it explains networking infrastructure with clear examples of hypothetical configurations for your ISP or organization, all using BGP. The author explains both single homing and multihoming (both with a single ISP and multiple ISPs) and explains the strategies that BGP uses to filter routing information efficiently. The book closes with new extensions to BGP, including the notion of BGP communities.

This handy introduction to one of the most important--and slightly mysterious--Internet protocols is a must for any networking professional who deals with Internet routing. --Richard Dragan