In most of the situations, packets require multiple hops to make a journey towards the destination. Routing is one of the most complex and crucial aspects of packet switched network design.
Desirable Properties of Routing Algorithms:-
- Correctness and Simplicity
- Robustness : Ability of the network to deliver packets via some route even in the face of failures.
- Stability : The algorithm should converge to equilibrium fast in the face of changing conditions in the network.
- Fairness and Optimality
- Efficiency : Minimum overhead.
Design Parameters of Routing Algorithms :
- Performance Criteria : Number of hops, Cost(Send packet with high bandwidth path as cost is less) , Delay(Size of Queue) , Throughput time(Number of packets delivered/time).
- Decision Time : When to decide to route a packet? Per-Packet(Datagram) or Per-session(Virtual-Circuit).
- Decision Place : Who will decide about routing? Each Node(distributed), Central Node (centralized),Originated Node (source) .
- Network Information Source: None , Local, Adjacent node, Nodes along route , All nodes.
- Network Information Update Time : Continuous, Periodic, Major Load Change , Topology Change.
Routing Strategies :
- Fixed Routing
- Flooding
- Dynamic Routing
- Random Routing
- Flow-based Routing
Fixed Routing –
- A route is selected for each source and destination pair of node in the network.
- The route is fixed ; changes only if the topology of the network changes.
Fixed Routing : Example (1)
Figure – A simple packet switching network with six nodes (routers)
Figure – Central routing table based on least cost path algorithm
- A Central routing matrix is created based on the least-cost path which is stored in the network control center
- The matrix, shows for each source-destination of the route , the identity of the next node on the route.
- Drawback: If the network control center fails, then everything will collapse. Hence it is not reliable.
Fixed Routing : Example (2)
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Figure – Routing table stored in different nodes of the network
- Routing Table is created for each node. This is called a distributed routing algorithm
- Routing table can be created using least-min path or min-hop reach method. Two famous path algorithms
- Dijkstra Algorithm
- Bellman Ford Algorithm
Advantages –
- Simple
- Works well in reliable network with stable load in reliable network
- Same for virtual circuit and datagram
Disadvantages –
- Lack of flexibility
- Doesn’t react to failure or network congestion
Flooding –
- Requires no network information like topology, load condition ,cost of diff. paths
- Every incoming packet to a node is sent out on every outgoing like except the one it arrived on.
- For Example in above figure
- A incoming packet to (1) is sent out to (2),(3)
- from (2) is sent to (6),(4) and from (3) it is sent to (4),(5)
- from (4) it is sent to (6),(5),(3) , from (6) it is sent to (2),(4),(5),from (5) it is sent to (4),(3)
Characteristics –
- All possible routes between Source and Destination is tried. A packet will always get through if path exists
- As all routes are tried, there will be atleast one route which is the shortest
- All nodes directly or indirectly connected are visited
Limitations –
- Flooding generates vast number of duplicate pakects
- Suitable damping mechanism must be used
Hop-Count –
- A hop counter may be contained in the packet header which is decremented at each hop.
with the packet being discarded when the counter becomes zero - The sender initializes the hop counter. If no estimate is known, it is set to the full diameter of the subnet.
- Keep track of the packets which are responsible for flooding using a sequence number. Avoid sending them out a second time.
Selective Flooding: Routers do not send every incoming packet out on every line, only on those lines that go in approximately in the direction of the destination.
Advantages of Flooding :
- Highly Robust, emergency or immediate messages can be sent (eg military applications)
- Set up route in virtual circuit
- Flooding always chooses the shortest path
- Broadcast messages to all the nodes
Reference –
Data and Computer Communications
Read next article – Routing Protocols Set 1 (Distance Vector Routing)
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