Which protocol utilizes Areas to optimize routing performance?

The protocol that utilizes Areas to optimize routing performance is OSPF (Open Shortest Path First). OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that is widely used in large enterprise networks. One of its key features is its ability to segment the network into different Areas. This segmentation allows for a more efficient distribution of routing information.

The use of Areas in OSPF helps to control the size of the routing tables and the amount of routing traffic that occurs within the network. By organizing routers into Areas, OSPF can limit the flooding of link-state advertisements (LSAs) to only those routers within the same Area. This minimizes unnecessary updates and keeps the routing information more manageable, which in turn leads to faster convergence and improved overall performance.

Unlike OSPF, RIP (Routing Information Protocol) does not use Areas; it employs a simpler, distance-vector routing methodology, which can lead to larger routing tables and higher convergence times in larger networks. EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) does utilize a hierarchical structure, but it does not employ Areas in the same way that OSPF does. BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is primarily used for routing between autonomous systems and does not utilize Areas either, focusing instead on path vector routing