Loop-free Distance Vector Routing to Avoid Count-to-infinity

The proposed Loop-free Distance Vector Routing (LFDVR) is a distributed dynamic routing, derived from the famous Bellman Ford’s Distance Vector Routing Algorithm (BFDVRA) which is widely used in the Internet and private intranets. Several routing protocols based on distance-vector algorithms have been proposed like Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Gateway-to-Gateway Protocol (GGP) and Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP). Though simple and conceptually elegant, the primary disadvantages of all these algorithms are routing loops, slow convergence and the wellknown Count-To-Infinity problem (CTIP). The solutions already proposed to overcome these problems like Split Horizon or Split Horizon with Poisoned Reverse are ad-hoc in nature and often fail. We have, in this paper, proposed an Loop-free Distance Vector Routing (LFDVR) protocol that avoids routing loops, totally solves the count-to-infinity problem and may use any type of metric including link delay. Avoidance of the routing loops and count-to-infinity problem by the LFDVR has been investigated, simulated and illustrated with two examples.