Always acyclic distributed path computation

Distributed routing algorithms may give rise to transient loops during path recomputation, which can pose significant stability problems in high-speed networks. We present a new algorithm, Distributed Path Computation with Intermediate Variables (DIV), which can be combined with any distributed routing algorithm to guarantee that the directed graph induced by the routing decisions remains acyclic at all times. The key contribution of DIV, besides its ability to operate with any routing algorithm, is an update mechanism using simple message exchanges between neighboring nodes that guarantees loop-freedom at all times. DIV provably outperforms existing loop-prevention algorithms in several key metrics such as frequency of synchronous updates and the ability to maintain paths during transitions. Simulation results quantifying these gains in the context of shortest path routing are presented. In addition, DIV's universal applicability is illustrated by studying its use with a routing that operates according to a nonshortest path objective. Specifically, the routing seeks robustness against failures by maximizing the number of next-hops available at each node for each destination.

[1]  Stewart Bryant,et al.  IP Fast Reroute Framework , 2010, RFC.

[2]  John Moy,et al.  OSPF Version 2 , 1998, RFC.

[3]  Olivier Bonaventure,et al.  Avoiding transient loops during IGP convergence in IP networks , 2005, Proceedings IEEE 24th Annual Joint Conference of the IEEE Computer and Communications Societies..

[4]  Cengiz Alaettinoglu,et al.  Towards Milli-Second IGP Convergence , 2000 .

[5]  Dimitri P. Bertsekas,et al.  Data networks (2nd ed.) , 1992 .

[6]  Jon G. Riecke,et al.  Stability issues in OSPF routing , 2001, SIGCOMM 2001.

[7]  Dimitri P. Bertsekas,et al.  Distributed Algorithms for Generating Loop-Free Routes in Networks with Frequently Changing Topology , 1981, IEEE Trans. Commun..

[8]  Chen-Nee Chuah,et al.  Proactive vs reactive approaches to failure resilient routing , 2004, IEEE INFOCOM 2004.

[9]  Dimitri P. Bertsekas,et al.  Data Networks , 1986 .

[10]  Y. Ohba.  Issues on loop prevention in MPLS networks , 1999, IEEE Commun. Mag..

[11]  Albert,et al.  Emergence of scaling in random networks , 1999, Science.

[12]  Albert G. Greenberg,et al.  Experience in black-box OSPF measurement , 2001, IMW '01.

[13]  Chen-Nee Chuah,et al.  Failure Inferencing Based Fast Rerouting for Handling Transient Link and Node Failures , 2006, INFOCOM.

[14]  Stein Gjessing.  Implementation of two Resilience Mechanisms using Multi Topology Routing and Stub Routers , 2006, Advanced Int'l Conference on Telecommunications and Int'l Conference on Internet and Web Applications and Services (AICT-ICIW'06).

[15]  Gary Scott Malkin,et al.  RIP Version 2 , 1998, RFC.

[16]  Mikkel Thorup,et al.  Internet traffic engineering by optimizing OSPF weights , 2000, Proceedings IEEE INFOCOM 2000. Conference on Computer Communications. Nineteenth Annual Joint Conference of the IEEE Computer and Communications Societies (Cat. No.00CH37064).

[17]  Adrian Segall,et al.  A Failsafe Distributed Routing Protocol , 1979, IEEE Trans. Commun..

[18]  J. J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves,et al.  Dynamics of distributed shortest-path routing algorithms , 1991, SIGCOMM '91.

[19]  J. J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves,et al.  A simple approximation to minimum-delay routing , 1999, SIGCOMM '99.

[20]  Jeffrey M. Jaffe,et al.  A Responsive Distributed Routing Algorithm for Computer Networks , 1982, ICDCS.

[21]  J. J. Garcia-Lunes-Aceves.  Loop-free routing using diffusing computations , 1993 .

[22]  M. S. Corson,et al.  A highly adaptive distributed routing algorithm for mobile wireless networks , 1997, Proceedings of INFOCOM '97.

[23]  Nick Feamster,et al.  The case for separating routing from routers , 2004, FDNA '04.

[24]  A. Udaya Shankar,et al.  Transient and steady-state performance of routing protocols: distance-vector versus link-state , 1992 .

[25]  Stein Gjessing,et al.  Fast IP Network Recovery Using Multiple Routing Configurations , 2006, Proceedings IEEE INFOCOM 2006. 25TH IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications.

[26]  Edsger W. Dijkstra,et al.  Termination Detection for Diffusing Computations , 1980, Inf. Process. Lett..

[27]  Pierre A. Humblet,et al.  Another adaptive distributed shortest path algorithm , 1991, IEEE Trans. Commun..

[28]  Alan L. Cox,et al.  On Count-to-Infinity Induced Forwarding Loops Ethernet Networks , 2006, Proceedings IEEE INFOCOM 2006. 25TH IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications.

[29]  J. J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves,et al.  MDVA: a distance-vector multipath routing protocol , 2001, Proceedings IEEE INFOCOM 2001. Conference on Computer Communications. Twentieth Annual Joint Conference of the IEEE Computer and Communications Society (Cat. No.01CH37213).

[30]  J. J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves,et al.  EIGRP--A Fast Routing Protocol based on Distance Vectors , 1994 .