1. Design a plan to integrate the different routing protocols into a new network design for Genome4U’s lab.

The previously stated topology represents the network of the research lab. The different Cisco switches shown represent the different VLANs that can be designed for the various project teams in the lab. Router-EIGRP routers, as shown in the figure above, are the internal routers of the research lab network. Router-EIGRP/OSPF and Router-EIGRP/RIP are the routers that are at the Fund raising office interface and the Biology lab interface. The file servers are where the data files of the volunteers will be kept. The figure above represents an overview of the internetwork routing of the Research and Biology Labs and the Fund Raising Office.
The Router EIGRP/RIP is responsible for route redistribution between EIGRP network and RIP network and also between the research lab and biology lab. Likewise, Router OSPF/RIP redistributes routes between the biology lab and the fundraising office. Redistribution between EIGRP and OSPF is required by the fringe router of the Fund Raising Office and the Research Lab.
2. What information will you redistribute between routing protocols?
When there is a network with multiple routing protocols present, the must be a process of route redistribution. The dissimilar segments of the network will learn routes based on the protocol that is configured within them. Route redistribution aids spreading this knowledge in a way that it is comprehended by other segments of the network as well. There must also be a redistribution of routes learned by EIGRP to RIP in a way that it is comprehendible to RIP and vice versa. For this, a default-metric or definitive metric specifically for each redistribution, would meet the need. 3. Identify the problems you expect to encounter (with different metrics, security, etc.) when you redistribute.
Different routing protocols have different metrics based on when they form the routing table and determine the best path. As an example, RIP uses hop-count; EIGRP uses a composite metric based on bandwidth, delay, MTU etc. If the desire is to redistribute routes among them then there has to be a customary way of recognizing the path’s cost. For this, either a specific metric is defined per redistribution or a standard default metric is used.
There is a problem of routing loops, inefficient routing and convergence issues. If a router which runs two different protocols on its interfaces learns route for a destination from both the protocols, one should be chosen. This cannot be determined based on metrics. Administrative distance should be used. This, however, causes a problem of loop formation and later can cause network discontinuity.
Different routing protocols can follow different addressing schemes. Some might be using classful based and others classless. This creates a problem in summarizing routes amid different protocol network segments. 4. Explain how you will overcome the problems.
It is clear that if administrative distance is used to determine best routes, the problem of different metrics is solved. But, even administrative distance has a problem of routing loops and inefficient routing. To overcome those problems, the following configurations can be made:
- Routers that handle redistribution should be configured to maintain and conserve only the best administrative distance routes. This would prevent potential looping. There should be a focus on preferred redistribution.
In case of increasing complications, switch to BGP/IBGP for inter-domain routing. It provides a more theoretical and ingenious approach to route redistribution and is more advantageous for inter-domain networking on a large scale. 5. Explain how you will provide Internet access.
To connect the research lab to the internet, there must be a router configured for inter-domain networking. As can be seen in the figure, the router has been configured for both EIGRP (Lab protocol) and University’s protocol (RIP). This will have the networking available in the lab and university. The router has to be in area to the router which has summarized the default route of that university network. The Research lab will also have to have a default router configured which will be the router which connects the lab to university network. This will increase routing efficiency while interaction with internet. (See the figure below)