[ih] The story of BGP?

[Scott Brim]

On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 6:20 PM, Louis Mamakos <louie at transsys.com> wrote:
> Some other random thoughts..
>
> I think one of the drivers for a replacement for EGP was the arrival of the NSFNET, and the need to support a topology that wasn't the mostly-strict hierarchy that was rooted in the single set of core routers on the ARPANET.  The NSFNET backbone along with the various NSF sponsored regional networks as well as other research networks were quite a challenge to glue together, with somewhat ill-defined borders between networks and IGP domains that spanned multiple networks and their administrators.  A better tool was desperately needed.

One of the most entertaining moments in my history of IETF involvement
was when Hans-Werner Braun and I explained NSFNet and ARPAnet routing
interworking.  Everything was still hierarchical so we did it all with
RIP and a lot of following default routes.  Dave Clark slapped his
forehead.  Jon Postel just shook his head.  Yes we needed something
like BGP but that took a few years.

Scott