In a
nationwide network such as the current Internet, it is very unlikely
that a single routing protocol will used for the whole network.
Rather, the network will be organized as a collection of "autonomous
systems". An autonomous system will in general be administered by a
single entity, or at least will have some reasonable degree of
technical and administrative control. Each autonomous system will
have its own routing technology.
- C. Hedrick; Routing Information Protocol;
RFC 1058; June 1988. |