Autonomous Systems
This guide provides an introduction to the rapidly evolving field of autonomous systems. It covers the fundamentals of self-driving technology, including the components of autonomous systems, the algorithms used to control them, and the challenges associated with their implementation
An autonomous system (AS) is a collection of connected Internet Protocol (IP) routing prefixes under the control of one or more network operators on behalf of a single administrative entity or domain, that presents a common and clearly defined routing policy to the Internet. Each AS is assigned an autonomous system number (ASN), for use in Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routing. ASNs are assigned to local Internet registries (LIRs) and end-user organizations by their respective regional Internet registries (RIRs), which in turn receive blocks of ASNs for reassignment from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The IANA also maintains a registry of ASNs which are reserved for private use.