Stepwise Assertional Design of Distance-Vector Routing Algorithms

Abstract

There are many kinds of distance-vector algorithms for adaptive routing in wide-area computer networks, ranging from the classical Distributed Bellman-Ford to several recent algorithms that have better performance. However, these algorithms have very complicated behaviors and their analyses in the literature has been incomplete (and operational). In this paper, we present a stepwise assertional design of a recently proposed distance-vector algorithm. Our design starts with the Distributed Bellman-Ford and goes through two intermediate algorithms. The properties established for each algorithm hold for the succeeding algorithms. The algorithms analyzed here are representative of various internetwork routing protocols. (Also cross-referenced as UMIACS-TR-92-39.1)