In the OSPF Exstart state, which router becomes the Slave?

In the OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) protocol, the Exstart state is the stage where routers begin the process of establishing a master/slave relationship for the purpose of exchanging database descriptions. In this state, routers negotiate which one will be the master and which one will be the slave based on their router IDs.

The router that has the lower router ID is designated as the slave. This is a critical aspect of OSPF's operation as it allows for structured and orderly communication between routers during the adjacency formation process. By establishing one router as the master and the other as the slave, OSPF ensures that there is a clear leader in the synchronization of the database descriptions, which helps avoid potential conflicts or confusion that could arise if both routers tried to send data simultaneously.

This method of determining the slave based on the router ID adds consistency and reliability to OSPF operations. Hence, the correct selection is the router with the lower router ID, as this establishes its role in the OSPF neighbor relationship during the Exstart state.