Multi-constrained Routing Algorithm: A Networking Evaluation

IP networks may face issues to support the offered workload due to the increasing number of Internet users, the steady influx of new Internet applications, which require stringent QoS, and applications needing big data transmission. QoS routing can be viewed as an attractive approach to tackle this issue. However, most of the QoS routing solutions are not evaluated in a realistic framework. In this paper we propose a networking evaluation of multi-constrained routing to assess the potential benefit of QoS routing protocol. To do this, we converted a multi-constrained routing algorithm into a protocol, and implemented it in the simulator NS2. Our results indicate that if the monitoring tool of a network can not sustain frequent link-state announcements, the benefits coming from implementing a QoS routing are quite low. On the other hand, if the network is equipped with an adequate measurement tool, then QoS routing can be worth implementing, and the routing based only the available bandwidth at each link arises as the best option (no need to consider the end-to-end delay constraint, nor the loss rate constraint).