A Local Fast-Reroute mechanism for single node or link protection in hop-by-hop routed networks

Abstract

Network survivability has become one of the most important QoS (Quality of Service) parameters in IP network-based applications, particularly with regard to real-time multimedia applications. IP-based protection that enable recovery from failure in just a few milliseconds can provide greater network resilience than traditional routing recovery or other lower-layer recovery technologies. This paper proposes an IP protection scheme, called IP Local Fast-Reroute (IPLFRR), for single node or link protection. This scheme works in an intra-area routing domain, providing a simple and efficient solution to improve the survivability of IP networks. Unlike MPLS Fast-Reroute, which requires an extra MPLS layer and related protocols, the proposed scheme is applicable to a network employing conventional IP routing and forwarding. Moreover, our mechanism is capable of preventing service disruptions and packet loss caused by the transient loops that normally occur during reconvergence of the network following a failure. Because the backup next-hops are predetermined, service interruption can be limited to a few milliseconds, which is on par with the failure detection time. Simulation results show that IPLFRR is capable of improving network survivability, following the failure of a single node or link.