5/10/2021 Computer Network | Distance Vector Routing Algorithm - javatpoint

Distance Vector Routing Algorithm

The Distance vector algorithm is iterative, asynchronous and
distributed.

Distributed: It is distributed in that each node receives

information from one or more of its directly attached neighbors,
performs calculation and then distributes the result back to its
neighbors.

Iterative: It is iterative in that its process continues until no

more information is available to be exchanged between
neighbors.

Asynchronous: It does not require that all of its nodes

operate in the lock step with each other.

The Distance vector algorithm is a dynamic algorithm.

It is mainly used in ARPANET, and RIP.

Each router maintains a distance table known as Vector.

Three Keys to understand the working of

Distance Vector Routing Algorithm:

Knowledge about the whole network: Each router shares its

knowledge through the entire network. The Router sends its collected
knowledge about the network to its neighbors.

Routing only to neighbors: The router sends its knowledge about

the network to only those routers which have direct links. The router
sends whatever it has about the network through the ports. The
information is received by the router and uses the information to
update its own routing table.

Information sharing at regular intervals: Within 30 seconds, the

router sends the information to the neighboring routers.

Distance Vector Routing Algorithm

Let dx(y) be the cost of the least-cost path from node x to node y. The least

costs are related by Bellman-Ford equation,

dx(y) = minv{c(x,v) + dv(y)}

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Where the minv is the equation taken for all x neighbors. After traveling
from x to v, if we consider the least-cost path from v to y, the path cost will
be c(x,v)+dv(y). The least cost from x to y is the minimum of c(x,v)+dv(y)

taken over all neighbors.

With the Distance Vector Routing algorithm, the node x contains the
following routing information:

For each neighbor v, the cost c(x,v) is the path cost from x to directly
attached neighbor, v.

The distance vector x, i.e., Dx = [ Dx(y) : y in N ], containing its cost

to all destinations, y, in N.

The distance vector of each of its neighbors, i.e., Dv = [ Dv(y) : y in N

] for each neighbor v of x.

Distance vector routing is an asynchronous algorithm in which node x sends

the copy of its distance vector to all its neighbors. When node x receives the
new distance vector from one of its neighboring vector, v, it saves the
distance vector of v and uses the Bellman-Ford equation to update its own
distance vector. The equation is given below:

dx(y) = minv{ c(x,v) + dv(y)} for each node y in N

The node x has updated its own distance vector table by using the above
equation and sends its updated table to all its neighbors so that they can
update their own distance vectors.

Algorithm

At each node x,

Initialization

for all destinations y in N:

Dx(y) = c(x,y) // If y is not a neighbor then c(x,y) = ∞

for each neighbor w

Dw(y) = ? for all destination y in N.

for each neighbor w

send distance vector Dx = [ Dx(y) : y in N ] to w

loop
wait(until I receive any distance vector from some neighbor w)
for each y in N:
Dx(y) = minv{c(x,v)+Dv(y)}

If Dx(y) is changed for any destination y ⇧

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5/10/2021 Computer Network | Distance Vector Routing Algorithm - javatpoint

Send distance vector Dx = [ Dx(y) : y in N ] to all neighbors

forever

Note: In Distance vector algorithm, node x update its table when it either
see any cost change in one directly linked nodes or receives any vector
update from some neighbor.

Let's understand through an example:

Sharing Information

In the above figure, each cloud represents the network, and the
number inside the cloud represents the network ID.

All the LANs are connected by routers, and they are represented in
boxes labeled as A, B, C, D, E, F.

Distance vector routing algorithm simplifies the routing process by

assuming the cost of every link is one unit. Therefore, the efficiency
of transmission can be measured by the number of links to reach the
destination.

In Distance vector routing, the cost is based on hop count.

In the above figure, we observe that the router sends the knowledge to the
immediate neighbors. The neighbors add this knowledge to their own
knowledge and sends the updated table to their own neighbors. In this way,
routers get its own information plus the new information about the
neighbors.

Routing Table
Two process occurs:

Creating the Table

Updating the Table

Creating the Table

Initially, the routing table is created for each router that contains atleast
three types of information such as Network ID, the cost and the next hop.
⇧

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5/10/2021 Computer Network | Distance Vector Routing Algorithm - javatpoint

NET ID: The Network ID defines the final destination of the packet.

Cost: The cost is the number of hops that packet must take to get
there.

Next hop: It is the router to which the packet must be delivered.

In the above figure, the original routing tables are shown of all the
routers. In a routing table, the first column represents the network
ID, the second column represents the cost of the link, and the third
column is empty.

These routing tables are sent to all the neighbors.

For Example:

A sends its routing table to B, F & E.

B sends its routing table to A & C.

C sends its routing table to B & D.

D sends its routing table to E & C.

E sends its routing table to A & D.

F sends its routing table to A.

Updating the Table

When A receives a routing table from B, then it uses its information to

update the table.

The routing table of B shows how the packets can move to the
networks 1 and 4.

The B is a neighbor to the A router, the packets from A to B can reach

in one hop. So, 1 is added to all the costs given in the B's table and
the sum will be the cost to reach a particular network.

After adjustment, A then combines this table with its own table to
create a combined table.

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The combined table may contain some duplicate data. In the above
figure, the combined table of router A contains the duplicate data, so
it keeps only those data which has the lowest cost. For example, A
can send the data to network 1 in two ways. The first, which uses no
next router, so it costs one hop. The second requires two hops (A to
B, then B to Network 1). The first option has the lowest cost,
therefore it is kept and the second one is dropped.

The process of creating the routing table continues for all routers.
Every router receives the information from the neighbors, and update
the routing table.

Final routing tables of all the routers are given below:

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