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In this internetwork, we focus on the route towards `2001:db8::1234/48` which is advertised by `AS1`. Let us also assume that `AS3` (resp. `AS4`) prefers, e.g. for economic reasons, a route learned from `AS4` (`AS3`) over a route learned from `AS1`. When `AS1` sends `U(2001:db8::1234/48,AS1)` to `AS3` and `AS4`, three sequences of exchanges of BGP messages are possible :
`AS3` sends first `U(2001:db8:1234/48,AS3:AS1)` to `AS4`. `AS4` has learned two routes towards `2001:db8:1234/48`. It runs its BGP decision process and selects the route via `AS3` and does not advertise a route to `AS3`
`AS4` first sends `U(2001:db8:1234/48,AS4:AS1)` to `AS3`. `AS3` has learned two routes towards `2001:db8:1234/48`. It runs its BGP decision process and selects the route via `AS4` and does not advertise a route to `AS4`
`AS3` sends `U(2001:db8:1234/48,AS3:AS1)` to `AS4` and, at the same time, `AS4` sends `U(2001:db8:1234/48,AS4:AS1)`. `AS3` prefers the route via `AS4` and thus sends `W(2001:db8:1234/48)` to `AS4`. In the mean time, `AS4` prefers the route via `AS3` and thus sends `W(2001:db8:1234/48)` to `AS3`. Upon reception of the `BGP Withdraws`, `AS3` and `AS4` only know the direct route towards `2001:db8:1234/48`. `AS3` (resp. `AS4`) sends `U(2001:db8:1234/48,AS3:AS1)` (resp. `U(2001:db8:1234/48,AS4:AS1)`) to `AS4` (resp. `AS3`). `AS3` and `AS4` could in theory continue to exchange BGP messages for ever. In practice, one of them sends one message faster than the other and BGP converges.
The example above has shown that the routes selected by BGP routers may sometimes depend on the ordering of the BGP messages that are exchanged. Other similar scenarios may be found in :rfc:`4264`.
From an operational perspective, the above configuration is annoying since the network operators cannot easily predict which paths are chosen. Unfortunately, there are even more annoying BGP configurations. For example, let us consider the configuration below which is often named `Bad Gadget` [GW1999]_
The bad gadget internetwork
In this internetwork, there are four ASes. `AS0` advertises one route towards one prefix and we only analyze the routes towards this prefix. The routing preferences of `AS1`, `AS3` and `AS4` are the following :
`AS1` prefers the path `AS3:AS0` over all other paths
`AS3` prefers the path `AS4:AS0` over all other paths
`AS4` prefers the path `AS1:AS0` over all other paths
`AS0` sends `U(p,AS0)` to `AS1`, `AS3` and `AS4`. As this is the only route known by `AS1`, `AS3` and `AS4` towards `p`, they all select the direct path. Let us now consider one possible exchange of BGP messages :
`AS1` sends `U(p, AS1:AS0)` to `AS3` and `AS4`. `AS4` selects the path via `AS1` since this is its preferred path. `AS3` still uses the direct path.
`AS4` advertises `U(p,AS4:AS1:AS0)` to `AS3`.
`AS3` sends `U(p, AS3:AS0)` to `AS1` and `AS4`. `AS1` selects the path via `AS3` since this is its preferred path. `AS4` still uses the path via `AS1`.
As `AS1` has changed its path, it sends `U(p,AS1:AS3:AS0)` to `AS4` and `W(p)` to `AS3` since its new path is via `AS3`. `AS4` switches back to the direct path.
`AS4` sends `U(p,AS4:AS0)` to `AS1` and `AS3`. `AS3` prefers the path via `AS4`.
`AS3` sends `U(p,AS3:AS4:AS0)` to `AS1` and `W(p)` to `AS4`. `AS1` switches back to the direct path and we are back at the first step.
This example shows that the convergence of BGP is unfortunately not always guaranteed as some interdomain routing policies may interfere with each other in complex ways. [GW1999]_ have shown that checking for global convergence is either NP-complete or NP-hard. See [GSW2002]_ for a more detailed discussion.
Fortunately, there are some operational guidelines [GR2001]_ [GGR2001]_ that can guarantee BGP convergence in the global Internet. To ensure that BGP will converge, these guidelines consider that there are two types of peering relationships : `customer->provider` and `shared-cost`. In this case, BGP convergence is guaranteed provided that the following conditions are fulfilled :