However, there is text in the RFC 2453 that states that RIP can use this message to request specific networks also. It also states that such a request can only be made by a diagonistic software and cannot be used for routing. My doubt is, how can a diagnostic software, use the services of RIP for doing that?
This allows a remote node to obtain the routing table information from a remote router in a simple manner.
I assume (please correct me if i am wrong) that the RIP requests are only then, used for requesting the entire routing tables, and nothing else. The 'diagnostics' story sounds too far fetched to me!
Sorry, no. The thinking at the time was that this was a good way to debug routing problems. Of course, this was in the pre-traceroute days. Tony