What is a characteristic of a Link-state protocol like OSPF?

A characteristic of a Link-state protocol like OSPF is that it only sends updates when topology changes occur. This approach is integral to how Link-state protocols operate, as they maintain a complete and consistent view of the network topology across all routers. When a change occurs, such as a new link being added or an existing link failing, OSPF routers generate Link State Advertisements (LSAs) to announce the change to their neighbors.

Unlike distance-vector protocols, which periodically send their entire routing table to all neighbors, OSPF is more efficient because it minimizes unnecessary traffic by only propagating the relevant changes. This selective update mechanism helps reduce network overhead and contributes to faster convergence times, as routers can quickly recompute their routing paths based on the new information.

The design focus on sending updates only when necessary is one of the pivotal features that distinguish Link-state protocols from their distance-vector counterparts, facilitating higher scalability and performance in larger networks.