6

 

   If the number of AS numbers in the AS_PATH attribute is less than the
   number of AS numbers in the AS4_PATH attribute, then the AS4_PATH
   attribute SHALL be ignored, and the AS_PATH attribute SHALL be taken
   as the AS path information.

   If the number of AS numbers in the AS_PATH attribute is larger than
   or equal to the number of AS numbers in the AS4_PATH attribute, then
   the AS path information SHALL be constructed by taking as many AS
   numbers and path segments as necessary from the leading part of the
   AS_PATH attribute, and then prepending them to the AS4_PATH attribute
   so that the AS path information has an identical number of AS numbers
   as the AS_PATH attribute.  Note that a valid AS_CONFED_SEQUENCE or
   AS_CONFED_SET path segment SHALL be prepended if it is either the
   leading path segment or adjacent to a path segment that is prepended.

5.  Handling BGP Communities

   As specified in [RFC1997], when the high-order two-octets of the
   community attribute is neither 0x0000 nor 0xffff, these two octets
   encode the Autonomous System number.  Quite clearly this would not
   work for BGP speakers that use 4-octets Autonomous System numbers.
   Such BGP speakers should use the Four-octet AS Specific Extended
   Communities [AS-EXT-COM] instead.