Evolution of IP Fast-Reroute Strategies

Due to increasing requirements related to quality of service and network dependability, several IP Fast-Reroute mechanisms have been designed to limit the consequences of one or more simultaneous failures in routed computer and communication networks. However, the existing mechanisms vary in terms of the underlying concept, the maximum number of handled failures in the network, the employed signaling methods, and the operation mode. In this paper, a high-level overview of the main common features and conceptual differences of the selected IP Fast-Reroute solutions and other related mechanisms is presented and discussed, as the first step towards a more extensive and in-depth analysis. In addition, future research directions are proposed in the context of the selected challenges identified in existing networks.