Hello Stuart.
Here is the diagram that Rene has in his lesson:
A virtual link has been created between the L0 interface of R1 and the Fa1/0 interface of R2.
The OSPF packets between the two ends of the virtual link are not multicast packets. (Note the two ends of the virtual link are the L0 interface of R1 and the Fa1/0 interface of R2). LSAs that are sent over the virtual link are actually tunnelled packets between 192.168.23.2 and 1.1.1.1, based on the network diagram in the lesson. However, the LSA packets as they continue their journey from R2 to R3, the ARE multicast packets just like any ordinary OSPF LSAs.
Secondly, yes, data packets traverse the whole network normally independent of any virtual links.
Concerning your second question: [quote=“stuart.w.gall, post:46, topic:942”]
when we have area 0 - 1 - 2 arrangement. The ABR between areas 1 and 2 has a virtual link to area 0.Does the area 2 ABR send type 3 LSAs into area 1? and are the area 1 routers happy to send packets direct to area 2 ?
[/quote]
According to Cisco, an ABR is a router with at least ONE interface in area 0 and at least ONE interface in another area. In other words, there is no such thing as an ABR between area 1 and 2. One of the areas has to be area 0.
Practially, an OSPF router configured as an ABR, without a connection to area 0, will route traffic within and even between its connected areas. However, it won’t share one area’s routing information with another area’s OSPF neighbors without an area 0.
Your third question,
From the point of view of the routers, this is the same as having two ABRs link between area 0 and area 1 without a virtual link. In this case type 3 LSAs will be injected into area 1 from both R1 and R2, however, the LSAs will be different based on the destinations that exist in each of the two “parts” of area 0.
Area 1 routers must not assume area 0 is continuous.
So the ABRs must not send LSAs learnt over the virtual link into the transit area ?
Area 1 routers don’t care if area 0 is contiguous or not. They are not aware of how the areas interconnect, weather they connect via virtual link or not. ABRs in area 1 will advertise the type 3 LSAs that the receive from each discontiguous part of the area 0 thus informing the routers in area 1 of the correct route to the destinations within each “part” of area 0.
I hope this has been helpful!
Laz