Lecture 9:

Distance Vector Routing

Kyle Jamieson
COS 461: Computer Networks
 Outline

• Routing Problem Definition

• Definitions: Hosts, Routers, Interfaces, Subnets
• Shortest-Path Routing
• Routing Tables
• Distance Vector Algorithm
• Pathologies: Bouncing and Counting to Infinity
• Optimizations: Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• War Story: Synchronization of Routing Messages
 The Routing Problem
D
• Each router has several
interfaces to links
• Each router has unique node ID
• Packets stamped with
destination node ID
• Router must choose next hop
for received packet ?
• Routing protocol: S ?
communication to accumulate
state for use in forwarding
decisions
• Routes change with topology
 Routing on Changing Networks

• Links may be cut

• Routers or their interfaces may fail
• Hazard: traffic loops
– Amplify traffic; severely congest links
– TTL will eventually drop packets, but
typically only after congestion
• Hazard: disconnection
– Any routing algorithm will take time to
converge to correct routes after
link(s) break
 Hosts, Routers, Interfaces, Subnets

• Host: at least one interface, sometimes

multiple ones
• Host: runs applications
• Router: typically doesn’t run applications
• Router: has multiple interfaces, routes
packets among them
• Each interface has unique IP address (true
both for hosts and routers)
• Subnet: typically a single Ethernet
broadcast domain, shared by hosts and
routers
 Hosts, Routers, Interfaces, Subnets

Host

Interface
(address A)

Subnet 1

Interface
(address B) Router Interface
(address C)

Subnet 2

Interface
(address D)
Host
 Address Aggregation

• Each Internet host (interface) has unique 32-bit

IP address
• Must every router in entire Internet know about
every other router?
• No; interfaces on same subnet share address
prefix
– e.g., 128.16.64.30, 128.16.64.92 on same subnet
• IP routing destination is subnet’s prefix; not
single 32-bit IP address
 Shortest-Path Routing
• View network as graph
– Routers are vertices, links are edges
– Link metrics are edge weights
Shortest paths problem:
– What path between two vertices offers minimal
sum of edge weights?
• Classic algorithms find single-source shortest
paths when entire graph known centrally
– Dijkstra’s Algorithm, Bellman-Ford Algorithm
• In Internet, each router only knows its own
interfaces’ addresses; no central knowledge
of entire graph
 Outline
• Routing Problem Definition
• Definitions: Hosts, Routers, Interfaces,
Subnets
• Shortest-Path Routing
• Routing Tables
• Distance Vector Algorithm
• Pathologies: Bouncing and Counting to
Infinity
• Optimizations: Split Horizon and Poison
Reverse
• War Story: Synchronization of Routing
Messages
 Routing Tables
• Destination field: subnet ID (address prefix)
• Interface field: which interface of router on
which to forward to reach destination
• Metric field: total cost to reach that destination

• Administrator assigns metrics to interfaces

• Startup: initialize table to contain one entry for
each interface’s subnet

Destination Interface Metric

A 0 0
B 1 0
 Routing Tables: Forwarding

• Packet arrives for destination D

• Search for D in destination field of routing table
– if found, forward on interface number in table
entry
– if not found, drop packet; no route known
 Basic Distance Vector Algorithm
(Failures Not Yet Considered)
• Periodically, send all routing table entries
(destination and metric fields) to all
immediate neighbor routers
• Upon receipt of routing table entry for
destination D with metric m on interface i:
m += metric for interface i
r = lookup(D) in routing table
if (r = “not found”) then
newr = new routing table entry
newr.D = D; newr.m = m; newr.i = i
add newr to table
else if (m < r.m) then
r.m = m; r.i = i
 Distance Vector: Example
• Consider simple network where all nodes are
routers, addresses are simply single letters
• Initial routing tables when routers first
start:
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A local 0 B local 0
0 2
Dst Metric A1 B
0 1
A 0 0
1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1
D 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
 Distance Vector: Iteration 1
• Routers incorporate received announcements:
Dst I/f Metric
B local 0
Dst I/f Metric
A 0 1
A local 0
C 2 1
B 1 1
E 1 1
D 0 1
0 2
A1 B Dst I/f Metric
0 1 C local 0
0
1 C B 0 1
E 1 1
0 1 1
D 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
C 2 1
 Distance Vector: Iteration 2
• Routers incorporate received announcements:
Dst I/f Metric
Dst I/f Metric
B local 0
A local 0
A 0 1
B 1 1
C 2 1
D 0 1
E 1 1
E 0 2
D 1 2 Dst I/f Metric
C 1 2 0 2
A1 B C local 0
0 1 B 0 1
0
1 C E 1 1

0 1 1 A 0 2

D 0E 2 D 1 2

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 1 2
 Distance Vector: Iteration 2
• Routers incorporate received announcements:
Dst I/f Metric
Dst I/f Metric
B local 0
A local 0
A 0 1
B 1 1
C 2 1
D 0 1
E 1 1
E 0 2
D 1 2 Dst I/f Metric
C 1 2 0 2
A1 B C local 0
0 1 B 0 1
0
1 C E 1 1

0 1 1 A 0 2

D 0E 2 D 1 2

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 1 2
 Link Failure (I)

Dst I/f Metric

Dst I/f Metric
B local 0
A local 0
A 0 1
B 1 1
C 2 1
D 0 1
E 1 1
E 0 2
D 1 2
C 1 2 ! 0 2
Dst I/f Metric

A1 B C local 0
0 ! 1 0 B 0 1
1 C E 1 1
0 1 1 A 0 2
D 0E 2 D 1 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 1 2
 Link Failure (II)
Dst I/f Metric
A local 0
B 1 Inf Dst I/f Metric
D 0 1 B local 0
E 0 2 A 0 Inf
C 1 Inf C 2 1
E 1 1
Dst Metric
D 1 2
A 0 ! 0 2
B Inf A1 B
D 1
0 ! 1 0
Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
E 2
1 C B 0 1
C Inf 0 1 1 E 1 1
D 0E 2 A 0 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric D 1 2
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 1 2
 DV Algorithm, Revised

• Upon receipt of routing table entry for

destination D with metric m on interface i:
m += metric for interface i
r = lookup(D) in routing table
if (r = “not found”) then
newr = new routing table entry
newr.D = D; newr.m = m; newr.i = i
add newr to table
else if (i == r.i) then
r.m = m
else if (m < r.m) then
r.m = m; r.i = i
 Link Failure (III)
A1
0

0 1
D
Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A 1 D local 0 D local 0
B Inf A 0 1 A 0 1
D 2 + E 1 1 E 1 1
E 3 B 1 2 (no B 1 2
C Inf C 1 2
change) C 1 2
 Link Failure (IV)
Dst I/f Metric
A local 0
Dst Metric
B 1 Inf Dst I/f Metric
B 0
D 0 1 B local 0
A Inf
E 0 2 A 0 Inf
C 1
C 1 Inf C 2 1
E 1
D 2 E 1 1
D 1 2 Dst I/f Metric
0 2
A1 B C local 0
0 1 0 B 0 1
1 C E 1 1
0 1 1 A 0 2
D 0E 2 D 1 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 1 2
 Link Failure (V)
0 2
B
1

1
0E 2
Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
B 1 E local 0 E local 0
A Inf D 0 1 D 0 1
C 2 + B 1 1 B 1 1
E 2 C 2 1 C 2 1
D 3 A 1 2 A 1 Inf
 Link Failure (VI)
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A local 0 B local 0
B 1 Inf A 0 Inf
D 0 1 C 2 1
E 0 2 E 1 1
C 1 Inf D 1 2 Dst I/f Metric
C local 0
0 2
A1 B B 0 1
0 1 0 E 1 1
1 C A 0 Inf
0 1 1 D 1 2
D 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 1 Inf
 Link Failure (VII)
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A local 0 B local 0
B 0 3 A 0 Inf
D 0 1 C 2 1
E 0 2 E 1 1
C 0 3 D 1 2 Dst I/f Metric
C local 0
0 2
A1 B B 0 1
0 1 0 E 1 1
1 C A 0 Inf
0 1 1 D 1 2
D 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 0 2
 Link Failure (VIII)
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A local 0 B local 0
B 0 3 A 1 3
D 0 1 C 2 1
E 0 2 E 1 1
C 0 3 D 1 2 Dst I/f Metric
C local 0
0 2
A1 B B 0 1
0 1 E 1 1
0
1 C A 1 3

0 1 1 D 1 2

D 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 0 2
 Outline
• Routing Problem Definition
• Definitions: Hosts, Routers, Interfaces,
Subnets
• Shortest-Path Routing
• Routing Tables
• Distance Vector Algorithm
• Pathologies: Bouncing and Counting to Infinity
• Optimizations: Split Horizon and Poison
Reverse
• War Story: Synchronization of Routing
Messages
 Bouncing (I)
• Consider same network, (C, E) has
metric 10; all others 1

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 2 C 2 1
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 3 C 1 2
 Bouncing (II)
• Suppose A advertises its table first…

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 2 C 2 Inf
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 3 C 1 2
 Bouncing (III)
• Suppose A advertises its table first…
• …and B advertises its table next…

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 2 C 0 3
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 3 C 1 2
 Bouncing (IV)
• Suppose A advertises its table first…
• …and B advertises its table next…
• Loop between A and B for destination C!
• If C now advertises its table, E will ignore cost 10
route!

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 4 C 0 3
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 3 C 1 4
 Bouncing (V)
• Suppose A and E advertise next…

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 4 C 0 5
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 5 C 1 4
 Bouncing (VI)
• Suppose A and E advertise next…
• …and B advertises next

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 6 C 0 5
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 5 C 1 6
 Bouncing (VII)
• Suppose A and E advertise next…
• …and B advertises next...
• …and A advertises next…

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 6 C 0 7
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 5 C 1 6
 Bouncing (VIII)
• Long, painful convergence process, details dependent
on message ordering
• Transient loops
• Eventually, converged state:

Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric

C 1 12 C 1 11
0 2
A1 1 B
0 1 0
1 1 1 C Dst
C
I/f
local
Metric
0
0 1 1 10
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
C 1 11 C 2 10
 Outline
• Routing Problem Definition
• Definitions: Hosts, Routers, Interfaces,
Subnets
• Shortest-Path Routing
• Routing Tables
• Distance Vector Algorithm
• Pathologies: Bouncing and Counting to Infinity
• Optimizations: Split Horizon and Poison
Reverse
• War Story: Synchronization of Routing
Messages
 Counting to Infinity (I)
• Converged after link (A, B) breaks
• Suppose (D, E) now breaks
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A local 0 B local 0
B 0 3 A 1 3
D 0 1 C 2 1
E 0 2 E 1 1 Dst I/f Metric
C 0 3 D 1 2 C local 0
0 2
A1 B
0 1 1 0
B 0 1

1 1 1 C E
A
1
1
1
3
0 1 1 1 D 1 2
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 E local 0
A 0 1 D 0 1
E 1 1 B 1 1
B 1 2 C 2 1
C 1 2 A 0 2
 Counting to Infinity (II)
• Network partitioned
• Focus on {A, D} partition
Dst
A
I/f
local
Metric
0
• Suppose sequence of events:
B 0 3 – D notices link failure
D 0 1 – A advertises its routing table
• Loop for {B, C, E} between A
E 0 2

and D!
C 0 3
A1
0
1 • How long will loop persist?
0 1
D
Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A 1 D local 0 D local 0
B 4
D 2
+ A 0 1 A 0 1
E 1 Inf E 0 3
E 3 B 1 Inf B 0 4
C 4 C 1 Inf C 0 4
 Counting to Infinity (III)
Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A local 0 A local 0 A local 0
B 0 5 B 0 7 B 0 Inf
D 0 1 D 0 1 … D 0 1
E 0 4 E 0 6 E 0 Inf
A1 C 0 5 C 0 7 C 0 Inf
0
1
0 1
D Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
D local 0 D local 0 D local 0
A 0 1 A 0 1 A 0 1
E 0 3 E 0 5
… E 0 Inf
B 0 4 B 0 6 B 0 Inf
C 0 4 C 0 6 C 0 Inf

• Each advertisement increments metrics for

partitioned destinations by one
• Loop persists until count reaches infinity!
 Outline
• Routing Problem Definition
• Definitions: Hosts, Routers, Interfaces,
Subnets
• Shortest-Path Routing
• Routing Tables
• Distance Vector Algorithm
• Pathologies: Bouncing and Counting to
Infinity
• Optimizations: Split Horizon and Poison
Reverse
• War Story: Synchronization of Routing
Messages
 Split Horizon
• Bouncing and counting to infinity cause slow
convergence, create loops
• Consider link (A, B), destination D
• A’s next hop toward D is B
• Split Horizon: clearly, B should never choose A as
next hop toward D
– Intuition: A should never announce to B a path
with short distance to D!
 Split Horizon with Poison Reverse

• Again, consider link (A, B), destination D

• A’s next hop toward D is B

• More generally: routers should announce different

routing tables to different neighbors
• Split horizon: don’t announce route for destination D
on interface used as next hop toward D!
• Poison Reverse (optional): A announces to B its
distance to D is infinity!
 Example:
Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• Same example as
Dst
A
I/f
local
Metric
0
counting to infinity:
B 0 3 {A, D} partitioned
D 0 1
• D detects link break,
E
C
0
0
2
3
A announces first
A1 • No loop, immediate
convergence after
0
1
0 1
one advertisement!
D
Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric Dst I/f Metric
A 1 D local 0 D local 0
B Inf
D Inf
+ A 0 1 A 0 1
E 1 Inf E 1 Inf
E Inf B 1 Inf B 1 Inf
C Inf C 1 Inf C 1 Inf
 Limitations:
Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• Consider same example, but {B, C, E} partition
• Link (A, B) already failed, routing has converged
• Now link (D, E) fails
• Consider only destination D
Dst I/f Metric
D 1 2
0 2
A1 B
0 1 1 0 Dst I/f Metric
1 1 1 C D 1 2
0 1 1 1
D 1 0E 2
Dst I/f Metric
D 0 1
 Limitations (II):
Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• E notices failed link, updates local table

Dst I/f Metric

D 1 2
0 2
B
1 1 0 Dst I/f Metric
1 1 C D 1 2
1 1
0E 2
Dst I/f Metric
D 0 Inf
 Limitations (III):
Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• E advertises its new table
– Suppose advertisement reaches B, but not C

Dst I/f Metric

D 1 Inf
0 2
B
1 1 0 Dst I/f Metric
1 1 C D 1 2
1 1
0E 2
Dst I/f Metric
D 0 Inf
 Limitations (IV):
Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• C advertises its table, with split horizon and
poison reverse

Dst I/f Metric Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric

D 1 Inf + D 3 D 2 3

0 2
B
1 1 0 Dst I/f Metric
1 1 C D 1 2
1 1
0E 2
Dst I/f Metric Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric
D 0 Inf + D Inf D 0 Inf
 Limitations (V):
Split Horizon and Poison Reverse
• B advertises its routing table, with split horizon
and poison reverse
• For destination D, loop {C à E à B à C}!
– resolved only by counting to infinity
Dst I/f Metric
D 2 3

0 2
B
1 1 0 Dst I/f Metric Dst Metric

1 1 C D 1 2
+ D Inf
Dst
D
I/f
1
Metric
2
1 1
0E 2

Dst I/f Metric Dst Metric Dst I/f Metric

D 0 Inf
+ D 4 D 1 4
 Outline
• Routing Problem Definition
• Definitions: Hosts, Routers, Interfaces,
Subnets
• Shortest-Path Routing
• Routing Tables
• Distance Vector Algorithm
• Pathologies: Bouncing and Counting to Infinity
• Optimizations: Split Horizon and Poison
Reverse
• War Story: Synchronization of Routing
Messages
 Symptom: Periodic Severe Packet Loss

• 1992: Every 30 seconds, for several seconds on

end, 50 to 85% of packets passing through group
of Internet routers dropped!
• RIP, a distance vector routing protocol, sends
updates every 30 seconds
• Could distance vector routing be the culprit?
 Timers and DV Route Updates

• When a timer expires, router

prepares update packets containing
current table
• If update packets arrive from
neighbor while preparing own
update packets, process them
before sending own update packets
• Send own update packets
• Reset timer interval [P – r, P + r]
– P: desired update interval
– r: uniform random jitter component
 Emergent Behavior:
Synchronization of Route Updates
• Initially, routers all send updates at
random times
• “Collision”: update from B arrives at A
while A is preparing its own update
– Timer not reset until A finishes sending
update
– Result: longer period between updates by A
– So higher probability update arrives from
some other router C before timer reset

• If triggered update arrives from some

other router before timer expires, A
immediately prepares and sends update,
without waiting for timer to expire

• Result: routers eventually all

synchronize to send all updates at same
time!
Avoiding Routing Update Synchronization

• Floyd and Jacobson: random jitter should be 50%

of update interval to avoid synchronization
– in [P – r, P + r] model, P = 30 à r = 15
– update interval random in [15, 45] seconds
 Summary: Distance Vector Routing

• DV algorithm: periodically dump

routing table contents to neighbors
• Convergence: after topology
change, point when routing tables
stop changing
• Pro:
– simple
– finds correct routes after topology
changes
• Con:
– bouncing, counting to infinity cause
loops
– slow to converge after some topology
changes
– split horizon, poison reverse only
partial solutions