BGP States

Initiates a TCP connection to its configured BGP peers.

Listens for incoming TCP connections.
IDLE ConnectRetry timer starts (120 seconds — cannot be changed).

Waits for the TCP connection to complete.

If TCP is successful:
Sends an OPEN message to its peers.
Changes the state to OpenSent and clears the CR timer.
If TCP is unsuccessful:
ConnectRetry timer is reset.
Connect BGP goes into the Active state.

The BGP speaker tries to acquire its peer by initiating another TCP connection.
If TCP is successful:
ConnectRetry timer is cleared.
Sends an OPEN message to peer and changes state to OpenSent.
If TCP is unsuccessful:
ConnectRetry timer is reset.
Active BGP goes into Idle state.

Waits to receive an OPEN message from its peer and verifies all the fields. The message contains the BGP version, AS number, fold
If successful:
BGP starts sending keepalives and sets its hold and keepalive timers.
If unsuccessful:
ConnectRetry timer is reset.
OpenSent BGP goes into Idle state.

BGP waits to receive keepalives from its peer.

If successful:
State is changed to established.
If unsuccessful:
ConnectRetry timer is reset.
OpenConfirm BGP goes into Idle state.

Exchange of update, notification, and keepalive messages take place with the peer.
Established Each update or keepalive results in hold time reset. Default keepalive is 60 seconds, and the hold time is 180 seconds.