RED-f routing protocol for complex networks

In this paper, we address routing in complex networks. Routing traffic across a network requires finding best possible paths between sources and destinations. When data traffic changes dynamically, a path that was optimal in the past may not be the best for the next packet. Adapting to traffic changes and finding optimal paths dynamically are challenging tasks. They become more demanding in large and complex networks. In optical burst switching (OBS) networks, two optical bursts contending for the same link need resolution mechanisms other than queueing. Deflection routing protocols are used to override routing tables and “deflect” one of the bursts to a free link. Instead of deflecting bursts at an immediate point of contention, the proposed Random Early Deflection (RED-f) routing protocol triggers deflection ahead of time and, thus, offers additional routing paths and lowers the burst loss rate due to contention. Simulations demonstrate that RED-f enabled nodes in a scale-free complex network reduce burst loss rate by exchanging control information with only few other network nodes.