I wasn't too thrilled about being accused of OS politics when I was
genuinely concerned about deploying a software router based on things
I've heard in passing or read about here previously. It *is* nice to
know that someone found out that FreeBSD 7 hates OSPF - since I actually
use OSPF - and that would have tormented me for a while had I gone that
route.
Nonononono ... QUAGGA hates FreeBSD 7, and therefore Quagga OSPF does
not work on FreeBSD 7. OpenOSPFD has worked like a CHAMP. Any issues
I have with OpenOSPFD are related to it not being Quagga, or as flexible
as Quagga, but I have had >0< issues with OpenOSPFD's reliability. With
only a relatively short period to judge it, I'll note, but still, easy
to install, easy to deploy...
Easily enough that I'm having semi-serious thoughts ...
The problem appears to be related to FreeBSD having made changes to the
multicast API to become RFC-compliant. Quagga has a bunch of workarounds
for various forms of brokenness present in Linux, etc., and my reading
suggests that Quagga is doing the wrong thing.
Quite frankly, this, and the loopback implosion OpenOSPFD caused when we
misconfigured it, are the worst things I've heard about software routing
this year. Unlike most Cisco or Juniper issues, it's not a "reboot the
router" or "that'll be fixed 'soon'" type of thing. You're free to open
up the hood and experiment yourself.
If your Cisco OSPF wasn't working, and Cisco didn't show any signs of
fixing it, it's a little more difficult to just pop the top and drop a
different routing protocol engine in.
Sorry for any misinterpretation.
... JG