OSPF tana goyan bayan cibiyoyin sadarwa masu rikitarwa tare da magudanar da yawa, gami da magudanar ajiya, don daidaita nauyin zirga-zirga a kan hanyoyin haɗi da yawa zuwa wasu ƙananan hanyoyin sadarwa. Magudanar da ke makwabtaka a cikin yankin watsa shirye-shirye ɗaya ko a kowane ƙarshen hanyar haɗi suna sadarwa tare da juna ta hanyar yarjejeniyar OSPF. Masu ba da hanya tsakanin hanyoyin sadarwa suna kafa maƙwabta lokacin da suka gano juna. Wannan ganowa an fara ne lokacin da mai ba da hanya tsakanin hanyoyin sadarwa ya gano kansa a cikin yarjejeniyar Hello. Bayan tabbatarwa, wannan yana kafa yanayi biyu da kuma mafi mahimmancin dangantaka. Masu ba da hanya tsakanin hanyoyin sadarwa a cikin hanyar sadarwa ta Ethernet ko Relay Frame sun zaɓi na'ura mai ba da hanya tsakanin hanyoyin sadarwa (DR) da kuma na'ura mai ba da hanya tsakanin hanyoyin sadarwa (DRB) wanda ke aiki a matsayin cibiyar sadarwa don rage zirga-zirga tsakanin masu ba da hanya tsakanin hanyoyin sadarwa. OSPF yana amfani da hanyoyin unicast da multicast don aika fakitin watsa "Hello" da sabuntawa na jihar Tambaya: Lokacin da aka fara hanyar sadarwa a
yana gano kansa a cikin yarjejeniyar Hello yarjejeniya