(
Open
Shortest
Path
First) A routing protocol that determines the best path for routing IP traffic over a TCP/IP network based on distance between nodes and several quality parameters. Evolving from the IS-IS protocol, OSPF is an interior gateway protocol (IGP) that is designed to work within an autonomous system. OSPF is also a link state protocol that provides less router-to-router update traffic than the RIP protocol (distance vector protocol) that it was designed to replace. See
RIP,
routing protocol and
terminology.