In BGP, what do we call the process of determining the best route among multiple options?

The process of determining the best route among multiple options in BGP is referred to as route selection. This process involves evaluating various attributes of the BGP routes that have been advertised, such as AS path, next hop, multi-exit discriminator (MED), local preference, and other metrics. By analyzing these attributes, BGP can make informed decisions about which route to prefer when multiple routes to the same destination exist.

Route selection is critical for efficient network operations, as it helps establish the most optimal path for data to travel across networks. By effectively implementing route selection, BGP ensures that routing decisions are based on policy criteria, performance metrics, and administrative preferences, ultimately leading to improved network reliability and performance.