|  | 11.2 | Why Routing Protocols are Necessary
| 11.2.5 | Dynamic routing operations
The success of dynamic routing depends on two basic router functions: maintenance of a routing table timely distribution of knowledge, in the form of routing updates, to other routers Dynamic routing relies on a routing protocol to share knowledge among routers. A routing protocol defines the set of rules used by a router when it communicates with neighboring routers. For example, a routing protocol describes: how to send updates what knowledge is contained in these updates when to send this knowledge how to locate recipients of the updates