Spreading Computations for Loop-Free Multipath Routing in Computer Networks

Loop-free routing approaches based on distance information combine a Local Ordering Condition (LOC) with a distributed reordering computation (DRC). The LOC allows routers to determine whether they can independently change next hops to destinations without creating a routing loop, and the DRC permits routers re-establish their ordering relative to a destination when the LOC is not satisfied. A new type of DRC called Spreading Computations is shown to be inherently more efficient than DRCs used in existing loop-free routing protocols. A new routing algorithm based on spreading computations is presented and compared with OSPF, DSDV, and RIPv2 using the ns-3 simulator. The results show that using spreading computations results in faster convergence speeds after link or router recoveries or failures.