Link-state routing protocol

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Link-state routing protocols are one of the two main classes of routing protocols used in packet switching networks for computer communications, the others being distance-vector routing protocols. [1] Examples of link-state routing protocols include Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS). [2]

Contents

The link-state protocol is performed by every switching node in the network (i.e., nodes which are prepared to forward packets; in the Internet, these are called routers). [3] The basic concept of link-state routing is that every node constructs a map of the connectivity to the network in the form of a graph, showing which nodes are connected to which other nodes. [4] Each node then independently calculates the next best logical path from it to every possible destination in the network. [5] Each collection of best paths will then form each node's routing table. [6]

This contrasts with distance-vector routing protocols, which work by having each node share its routing table with its neighbors, in a link-state protocol, the only information passed between nodes is connectivity related. [7] Link-state algorithms are sometimes characterized informally as each router "telling the world about its neighbors." [8]

Overview

In link-state routing protocols, each router possesses information about the complete network topology. Each router then independently calculates the best next hop from it for every possible destination in the network using local information of the topology. The collection of best next hops forms the routing table.

This contrasts with distance-vector routing protocols, which work by having each node share its routing table with its neighbours. In a link-state protocol, the only information passed between the nodes is the information used to construct the connectivity maps.

History

What is believed to be the first adaptive routing network of computers, using link-state routing, was designed and implemented during 1976–1977 by a team from Plessey Radar led by Bernard J Harris; the project was for "Wavell"  a system of computer command and control for the British Army.[ citation needed ] The first link-state routing concept was published in 1979 by John M. McQuillan (then at Bolt, Beranek and Newman) as a mechanism that would calculate routes more quickly when network conditions changed and thus lead to more stable routing. [9] [10] [11]

The technique was later adapted for use in the contemporary link-state routing protocols IS-IS and OSPF. Cisco literature refers to Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) as a "hybrid" protocol, [12] despite the fact it distributes routing tables instead of topology maps. However, it does synchronize routing tables at start-up as OSPF does and sends specific updates only when topology changes occur.

In 2004, Radia Perlman proposed using link-state routing for layer 2 frame forwarding with devices called routing bridges, or Rbridges. The Internet Engineering Task Force has standardized the Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) protocol to accomplish this. [13]

More recently, this hierarchical technique was applied to wireless mesh networks using the Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR). Where a connection can have varying quality, the quality of a connection can be used to select better connections. This is used in some ad hoc routing protocols that use radio frequency transmission.[ citation needed ]

Distributing maps

The first main stage in the link-state algorithm is to give a map of the network to every node. This is done with several subsidiary steps. First, each node needs to determine what other ports it is connected to over fully working links; it does this using reachability protocol that it runs periodically and separately with each of its directly connected neighbours.

Each node periodically (and in case of connectivity changes) sends a short message, the link-state advertisement, which:

This message is sent to all the nodes on a network. As a necessary precursor, each node in the network remembers, for every one of its neighbors, the sequence number of the last link-state message which it received from that node. When a link-state advertisement is received at a node, the node looks up the sequence number it has stored for the source of that link-state message; if this message is newer (i.e., has a higher sequence number), it is saved, the sequence number is updated, and a copy is sent in turn to each of that node's neighbors. This procedure rapidly gets a copy of the latest version of each node's link-state advertisement to every node in the network.

The complete set produces the graph for the map of the network. The link-state message giving information about the neighbors is recomputed and then flooded throughout the network whenever there is a change in the connectivity between the node and its neighbors, e.g., when a link fails.

Calculating the routing table

The second main stage in the link-state algorithm is to produce routing tables by inspecting the maps. Each node independently runs an algorithm over the map to determine the shortest path from itself to every other node in the network; generally, some variant of Dijkstra's algorithm is used. A node maintains two data structures: a tree containing nodes which are "done", and a list of candidates. The algorithm starts with both structures empty; it then adds to the first one the node itself. The variant of a greedy algorithm then repetitively does the following:

The two steps are repeated as long as there are any nodes left in the candidate list. (When there are none, all the nodes in the network will have been added to the tree.) This procedure ends with the tree containing all the nodes in the network. For any given destination node, the best path for that destination is the node which is the first step from the root node, down the branch in the shortest-path tree which leads toward the desired destination node.

Algorithm optimizations

Whenever a change in the connectivity map happens, it is necessary to recompute the shortest-path tree and then recreate the routing table. BBN Technologies discovered how to compute only that part of the tree which could have been affected by a given change in the map.[ citation needed ]

Topology reduction

In some cases, it is reasonable to reduce the number of nodes that generate LSA messages. For this reason, a topology reduction strategy can be applied, in which only a subset of the network nodes generate LSA messages. Two widely studied approaches for topology reduction are multipoint relays that are at the base of the Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) but have also been proposed for OSPF [14] and connected dominating sets that were again proposed for OSPF. [15]

Fisheye State Routing

With Fisheye State Routing (FSR), the LSA are sent with different time-to-live values to restrict their diffusion and limit the overhead due to control messages. The same concept is used also in the Hazy Sighted Link State Routing Protocol.

Failure modes

If all the nodes are not working from exactly the same map, routing loops can form. These are situations in which, in the simplest form, two neighboring nodes each think the other is the best path to a given destination. Any packet headed to that destination arriving at either node will loop between the two, hence the name. Routing loops involving more than two nodes are also possible.

This can occur since each node computes its shortest-path tree and its routing table without interacting in any way with any other nodes. If two nodes start with different maps, it is possible to have scenarios in which routing loops are created. In certain circumstances, differential loops may be enabled within a multi-cloud environment. Variable access nodes across the interface protocol may also bypass the simultaneous access node problem. [16]

The Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) is a link-state routing protocol optimized for mobile ad hoc networks (which can also be used on other wireless ad hoc networks). [17] OLSR is proactive and uses hello and topology control messages to disseminate link-state information into the mobile ad hoc network. Using hello messages, each node discovers two-hop neighbor information and elects a set of multipoint relays (MPRs). MPRs make OLSR distinct from other link-state routing protocols. Individual nodes use the topology information to compute next-hop paths regarding all nodes in the network using shortest-hop forwarding paths.

See also

Related Research Articles

Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and computer networks, such as the Internet.

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol for Internet Protocol (IP) networks. It uses a link state routing (LSR) algorithm and falls into the group of interior gateway protocols (IGPs), operating within a single autonomous system (AS).

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) is an advanced distance-vector routing protocol that is used on a computer network for automating routing decisions and configuration. The protocol was designed by Cisco Systems as a proprietary protocol, available only on Cisco routers. In 2013, Cisco permitted other vendors to freely implement a limited version of EIGRP with some of its associated features such as High Availability (HA), while withholding other EIGRP features such as EIGRP stub, needed for DMVPN and large-scale campus deployment. Information needed for implementation was published with informational status as RFC 7868 in 2016, which did not advance to Internet Standards Track level, and allowed Cisco to retain control of the EIGRP protocol.

A distance-vector routing protocol in data networks determines the best route for data packets based on distance. Distance-vector routing protocols measure the distance by the number of routers a packet has to pass; one router counts as one hop. Some distance-vector protocols also take into account network latency and other factors that influence traffic on a given route. To determine the best route across a network, routers using a distance-vector protocol exchange information with one another, usually routing tables plus hop counts for destination networks and possibly other traffic information. Distance-vector routing protocols also require that a router inform its neighbours of network topology changes periodically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesh networking</span> Network with multiple links between nodes

A mesh network is a local area network topology in which the infrastructure nodes connect directly, dynamically and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperate with one another to efficiently route data to and from clients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Optimized Link State Routing Protocol</span> IP routing protocol optimized for mobile ad hoc networks

The Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) is an IP routing protocol optimized for mobile ad hoc networks, which can also be used on other wireless ad hoc networks. OLSR is a proactive link-state routing protocol, which uses hello and topology control (TC) messages to discover and then disseminate link state information throughout the mobile ad hoc network. Individual nodes use this topology information to compute next hop destinations for all nodes in the network using shortest hop forwarding paths.

The OrderOne MANET Routing Protocol is an algorithm for computers communicating by digital radio in a mesh network to find each other, and send messages to each other along a reasonably efficient path. It was designed for, and promoted as working with wireless mesh networks.

A path-vector routing protocol is a network routing protocol which maintains the path information that gets updated dynamically. Updates that have looped through the network and returned to the same node are easily detected and discarded. This algorithm is sometimes used in Bellman–Ford routing algorithms to avoid "Count to Infinity" problems.

The Hazy-Sighted Link State Routing Protocol (HSLS) is a wireless mesh network routing protocol being developed by the CUWiN Foundation. This is an algorithm allowing computers communicating via digital radio in a mesh network to forward messages to computers that are out of reach of direct radio contact. Its network overhead is theoretically optimal, utilizing both proactive and reactive link-state routing to limit network updates in space and time. Its inventors believe it is a more efficient protocol to route wired networks as well. HSLS was invented by researchers at BBN Technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flooding (computer networking)</span> Simple routing algorithm sending incoming packets to all other links than the sender

Flooding is used in computer network routing algorithms in which every incoming packet is sent through every outgoing link except the one it arrived on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.A.T.M.A.N.</span> Routing protocol for multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks

The Better Approach to Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (B.A.T.M.A.N.) is a routing protocol for multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks which is under development by the German "Freifunk" community and intended to replace the Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) as OLSR did not meet the performance requirements of large-scale mesh deployments.

A routing protocol specifies how routers communicate with each other to distribute information that enables them to select paths between nodes on a computer network. Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet; data packets are forwarded through the networks of the internet from router to router until they reach their destination computer. Routing algorithms determine the specific choice of route. Each router has a prior knowledge only of networks attached to it directly. A routing protocol shares this information first among immediate neighbors, and then throughout the network. This way, routers gain knowledge of the topology of the network. The ability of routing protocols to dynamically adjust to changing conditions such as disabled connections and components and route data around obstructions is what gives the Internet its fault tolerance and high availability.

The Wireless Routing Protocol (WRP) is a proactive unicast routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).

Routing in delay-tolerant networking concerns itself with the ability to transport, or route, data from a source to a destination, which is a fundamental ability all communication networks must have. Delay- and disruption-tolerant networks (DTNs) are characterized by their lack of connectivity, resulting in a lack of instantaneous end-to-end paths. In these challenging environments, popular ad hoc routing protocols such as AODV and DSR fail to establish routes. This is due to these protocols trying to first establish a complete route and then, after the route has been established, forward the actual data. However, when instantaneous end-to-end paths are difficult or impossible to establish, routing protocols must take to a "store and forward" approach, where data is incrementally moved and stored throughout the network in hopes that it will eventually reach its destination. A common technique used to maximize the probability of a message being successfully transferred is to replicate many copies of the message in hopes that one will succeed in reaching its destination.

Topology control is a technique used in distributed computing to alter the underlying network to reduce the cost of distributed algorithms if run over the resulting graphs. It is a basic technique in distributed algorithms. For instance, a (minimum) spanning tree is used as a backbone to reduce the cost of broadcast from O(m) to O(n), where m and n are the number of edges and vertices in the graph, respectively.

The Private Network-to-Network Interface (PNNI) is a link-state routing protocol used in Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks. PNNI is similar to the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) used for IP routing.

IEEE 802.1aq is an amendment to the IEEE 802.1Q networking standard which adds support for Shortest Path Bridging (SPB). This technology is intended to simplify the creation and configuration of Ethernet networks while enabling multipath routing.

IP routing is the application of routing methodologies to IP networks. This involves not only protocols and technologies but includes the policies of the worldwide organization and configuration of Internet infrastructure. In each IP network node, IP routing involves the determination of a suitable path for a network packet from a source to its destination in an IP network. The process uses static configuration rules or dynamically obtained from routing protocols to select specific packet forwarding methods to direct traffic to the next available intermediate network node one hop closer to the desired final destination, a total path potentially spanning multiple computer networks.

Fisheye State Routing (FSR) is a proposal for an implicit hierarchical routing protocol targeted to ad hoc networks. The basic principles of FSR are shared with other proactive, link-state routing protocols. In proactive link-state protocols every network node constantly updates a topology map that makes it possible to compute the shortest path to any destination in the network. The originality of FSR is inspired by the "fisheye" technique to reduce the size of information required to represent graphical data: The eye of a fish captures with high detail the pixels near the focal point, while the detail decreases as the distance from the focal point increases.

References

  1. "Unicast Routing - Link State Routing". GeeksforGeeks. 2018-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  2. lec10-lsrouting.pdf (princeton.edu) https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/spring23/cos461/lectures/lec10-lsrouting.pdf
  3. lecture6.pptx (umich.edu) https://www.eecs.umich.edu/courses/eecs489/w10/winter10/lectures/lecture6_2.pdf
  4. 123sp15-lec14.pdf (ucsd.edu) https://cseweb.ucsd.edu/classes/sp15/cse123-a/lectures/123sp15-lec14.pdf
  5. link state protocol.pdf (fauser.edu) http://nuovolabs.fauser.edu/~valeria/materiale-didattico/sistemi-quinta/link%20state%20protocol.pdf
  6. "9.6: Link-State Routing-Update Algorithm". Engineering LibreTexts. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  7. 5-routing-part2.pdf (washington.edu) https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse461/22sp/slides/5-routing-part2.pdf
  8. Library, Broadband (2018-08-31). "A Closer Look at Routing |" . Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  9. John M. McQuillan, Isaac Richer and Eric C. Rosen, ARPANet Routing Algorithm Improvements, BBN Report No. 3803, Cambridge, April 1978
  10. John M. McQuillan, Isaac Richer and Eric C. Rosen, The New Routing Algorithm for the ARPANet, IEEE Trans. on Comm., 28(5), pp. 711–719, 1980
  11. Bolat, Dorris M. "Route4Me" . Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  12. "Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Configuration Guide for Firepower Device Manager, Version 7.1 - Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) [Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense]". Cisco. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  13. Eastlake 3Rd, Donald E.; Senevirathne, Tissa; Ghanwani, Anoop; Dutt, Dinesh; Banerjee, Ayan (May 2014), Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) Use of IS-IS, doi:10.17487/RFC7176, RFC   7176 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. Nguyen, Dang-Quan; Clausen, Thomas H.; Jacquet, Philippe; Baccelli, Emmanuel (February 2009). "OSPF Multipoint Relay (MPR) Extension for Ad Hoc Networks". doi: 10.17487/RFC5449 .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. Ogier, Richard; Spagnolo, Phil (August 2009). "Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Extension of OSPF Using Connected Dominating Set (CDS) Flooding". doi:10.17487/RFC5614.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. Wójcik, R (2016). "A survey on methods to provide interdomain multipath transmissions". Computer Networks. 108: 233–259. doi:10.1016/j.comnet.2016.08.028.
  17. RFC 3626

Further reading