The definitive guide to optimizing large-scale IP routing operation and managing network growth Build scalability into new designs and optimize existing, overly complex networks with design best practices presented in this book Learn from real-world case studies leveraging the authors' vast design and support experience Understand the latest routing protocol enhancements and design practices for cutting-edge technologies such as high availability, security, MPLS, and VPNs Optimal Routing Design provides the tools and techniques-- learned through years of experience with network design and deployment--to build a large-scale, or scalable, IP routed network. The book uses an easy-to-read approach accessible to novice network designers while presenting invaluable, hard-to-find insight that will appeal to more advanced-level professionals. Beginning with an overview of design fundamentals, the authors discuss the tradeoffs between various competing points of network design, the concepts of hierarchical network design, redistribution, and addressing and summarization. This first section provides techniques to work around real-world problems. A checklist of questions and design goals provides a useful tool for network design evaluation. Part two details specifics on deploying interior gateway protocols, including EIGRP, OSPF, and IS-IS, in real-world networks. Updated sections include coverage of new features and deployment techniques and more. A chapter on BGP covers using BGP in large-scale networks and to connect to outside domains, such as the Internet. Part three starts with a discussion of designing highly available networks from a routing perspective, continues with coverage of routing security, and concludes with a chapter on MPLS. Appendices include updated information on the fundamentals of OSPF, IS-IS, EIGRP, and BGP. Real-world case studies drawn from the authors' vast network design experience are included throughout the book. Alvaro Retana, CCIE No. 1609, is the manager of Routing DNA, a core IP routing team within Cisco. He is a widely acknowledged expert in routing and routing protocols and has many years experience working in large-scale networks. Don Slice, CCIE No. 1929, is a technical lead, EIGRP development team at Cisco, responsible for creating features and fixing defects in the protocol. He has 29 years experience in networking, with emphasis on large networks. Russ White, CCIE No. 2653, is a technical lead, Routing DNA. He is an acknowledged expert in routing and routing protocols, and an author of many networking books and articles. He has 15+ years experience in real-world scaling techniques.