EIR: Edge-aware inter-domain routing protocol for the future mobile internet

Abstract

This work describes a clean-slate inter-domain routing protocol designed to meet the needs of the future mobile Internet. In particular, we describe the edge-aware inter-domain routing (EIR) protocol which provides new abstractions, such as aggregated-nodes (aNodes) and virtual-links (vLinks) for expressing network topologies and edge network properties necessary to address mobility related routing scenarios which are inadequately supported by the border gateway protocol (BGP) in use today. Specific use-cases addressed by EIR include emerging mobility service scenarios such as multi-homing across WiFi and cellular, multipath routing over several access networks, and anycast access from mobile devices to replicated cloud services. It is shown that EIR can be used to realize efficient routing strategies for the mobility use-cases under consideration, while also providing support for a range of inter-domain routing policies currently associated with BGP. Simulation results for protocol overhead are presented for a global-scale CAIDA topology, leading to an identification of parameters necessary to obtain a good balance between overhead and routing table convergence time. A Click-based proof-of-concept implementation of EIR on the ORBIT testbed is described and used to validate performance and functionality for selected mobility use-cases, including mobile data services with open WiFi access points and mobile platforms such as buses operating in an urban area.