A hybrid genetic algorithm for routing optimization in IP networks utilizing bandwidth and delay metrics

We study routing optimization in the context of IP traffic engineering, which relies on conventional, destination-based routing protocols. We introduce different concepts of routing optimization and discuss their implications for traffic engineering. The specific focus is on routing technologies that utilize multiple metric types - in our case delay and bandwidth metrics - in order to derive the shortest paths towards every destination in the network. A novel hybrid genetic algorithm is presented, which allows the computation of an optimized set of link metrics, considering single as well as dual-metric protocols. Finally, the benefits of the two metric types for traffic engineering are demonstrated.