Meaning – The term Interior Gateway Protocol, refers to a protocol used to propagate network reachability and routing information within an autonomous system.
This routing information can then be used to route network-layer protocols like IP.
Interior gateway protocols can be divided into two categories: distance-vector routing protocols and link-state routing protocols. Specific examples of IGPs include Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS), and Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP).
By contrast, exterior gateway protocols are used to exchange routing information between autonomous systems and rely on IGPs to resolve routes within an autonomous system.
Example of usage – “An interior gateway protocol (IGP) is a dynamic route update protocol used between routers that run on TCP/IP hosts within a single autonomous system. The routers use this protocol to exchange information about IP routes.”
