A Loop-Free Interface-Based Fast Reroute Technique

Abstract

Nowadays, providing reliable network services is getting more and more important. However, traditional failure recovery methods in IP networks are typically reactive, therefore restoration often takes a long time. One of the most interesting solutions is interface-based fast rerouting, where not only the destination address but the incoming interface too is taken into consideration during forwarding packets in normal state and upon rerouting after a failure. Unfortunately, current methods are prone to form routing loops during the recovery process, which might make parts of the network unaffected by the failure unavailable. In this paper, we propose a new interface-based routing method, which always avoids loops at the price of a bit longer paths. We also present extensive simulation results to compare the traditional and our proposed algorithms.