A multi-path routing algorithm for IP networks based on flow optimisation

Intra-domain routing in the Internet normally uses a single shortest path to forward packets towards a specific destination with no knowledge of traffic demand. We present an intra-domain routing algorithm based on multi-commodity flow optimisation which enable load sensitive forwarding over multiple paths. It is neither constrained by weight-tuning of legacy routing protocols, such as OSPF, nor requires a totally new forwarding mechanism, such as MPLS. These characteristics are accomplished by aggregating the traffic flows destined for the same egress into one commodity in the optimisation and using a hash based forwarding mechanism. The aggregation also results in a reduction of computational complexity which makes the algorithm feasible for on-line load balancing. Another contribution is the optimisation objective function which allows precise tuning of the tradeoff between load balancing and total network efficiency.