LSA types
OSPF advertises routing information in Link State Advertisements (LSAs). The following LSAs are commonly used:
Router LSA—Type-1 LSA, originated by all routers and flooded throughout a single area only. This LSA describes the collected states of the router's interfaces to an area.
Network LSA—Type-2 LSA, originated for broadcast and NBMA networks by the designated router, and flooded throughout a single area only. This LSA contains the list of routers connected to the network.
Network Summary LSA—Type-3 LSA, originated by Area Border Routers (ABRs), and flooded throughout the LSA's associated area. Each summary-LSA describes a route to a destination outside the area, yet still inside the AS (an inter-area route).
ASBR Summary LSA—Type-4 LSA, originated by ABRs and flooded throughout the LSA's associated area. Type 4 summary-LSAs describe routes to Autonomous System Boundary Router (ASBR).
AS External LSA—Type-5 LSA, originated by ASBRs, and flooded throughout the AS (except stub and NSSA areas). Each AS-external-LSA describes a route to another AS.
NSSA LSA—Type-7 LSA, as defined in RFC 1587, originated by ASBRs in NSSAs and flooded throughout a single NSSA. NSSA LSAs describe routes to other ASs.
Opaque LSA—A proposed type of LSA. Its format consists of a standard LSA header and application specific information. Opaque LSAs are used by the OSPF protocol or by some applications to distribute information into the OSPF routing domain. The opaque LSA includes Type 9, Type 10, and Type 11. The Type 9 opaque LSA is flooded into the local subnet, the Type 10 is flooded into the local area, and the Type 11 is flooded throughout the AS.