Backpressure on the Backbone: A Lightweight, Non-Intrusive Traffic Engineering Approach

The present study proposes a novel collaborative traffic engineering scheme for networks of autonomous systems (ASes). Backpressure routing principles are used for deriving priority routing rules that optimally stabilize a network, while maximizing its throughput under latency considerations. The routing rules are deployed to the network following simple software-defined networking principles. The proposed scheme requires minimal, infrequent interaction with a central controller, limiting its imposed workload. Furthermore, it respects the internal structure of the ASes and their existing peering relations. In addition, it co-exists smoothly with underlying distance vector-based routing schemes. The proposed scheme combines simplicity with substantial gains in served transit traffic volume, as shown by simulations in realistic setups and proven via mathematical analysis.