In routing, what does the term 'convergence' refer to?

The term 'convergence' in routing specifically refers to the time it takes for all routers within a network to have the same routing information after a change occurs in the routing topology. This is a crucial aspect of dynamic routing protocols, as it impacts the overall stability and efficiency of the network.

When a network change, such as the failure of a link or the addition of a new route, occurs, routers need to communicate and share their updated routing information. Convergence ensures that all routers recognize this change and update their routing tables accordingly, which prevents routing loops, ensures consistent data paths, and maintains network performance.

Understanding convergence is vital for network administrators, as faster convergence times generally lead to more resilient and reliable networks. In contrast, options regarding router setup completion, the time taken to share updates, or the ability to handle larger networks do not capture the essence of convergence concerning the uniformity of routing information across all routers.