A Link Status-Based Multipath Scheduling Scheme on Network Nodes

Abstract

Traditional internet protocol (IP) networks, adhering to a “best-effort” service model, typically utilize shortest-path routing for data transmission. Nevertheless, this methodology encounters limitations, especially considering the increasing demands for both high reliability and high bandwidth. These demands reveal shortcomings in this routing strategy, notably its inefficient bandwidth utilization and fault recovery capabilities. The method of multipath transmission has been extensively researched as a solution to these challenges. With the emergence of innovative Internet architectures, notably information-centric networking (ICN), network nodes have gained enhanced capabilities, opening new avenues for multipath transmission design. This paper introduces a multipath scheduling approach for network nodes, capitalizing on the advanced features of these modern nodes. It reimagines the conventional next-hop node as a group of potential next-hop nodes based on both global and local routing strategies and assigns traffic shares to each node within this group for balanced traffic distribution. Network nodes are configured to periodically review and adjust traffic shares according to the link statuses. If scheduling cannot be completed within the set, feedback is sent to upstream nodes. Simulations demonstrate that this approach effectively leverages network path variety, improves bandwidth usage and throughput, and minimizes average data transmission time.