Shortest Multipath Routing using Labeled Distances

We present and verify SMLDR (Shortest Multipath Labeled Distance Routing), an on-demand loop free multipath routing protocol. It extends Labeled Distance Routing (LDR) to the multipath domain and enables loop freedom by maintaining the ordering of distance invariants. By modifying the route update conditions of LDR and by using the concept of limiting distance we demonstrate shortest multipath routing. Further we describe the fundamental multipath concepts for on-demand routing protocols and elucidate how SMLDR exercises each of these concepts in its routing mechanisms. The performance of SMLDR is compared against the performance of LDR, AODV and its multipath variant AOMDV. The simulation results corroborate the need for shortest multipath routing in terms of higher performance for the chosen metrics.