Recursive Loop-Free Alternates for full protection against transient link failures

In this paper, we propose a routing technique, “recursive Loop-Free Alternates (rLFAs)”, to alleviate packet loss due to transient link failures. The technique consists of a backup path calculation with corresponding re-routing scheme based on the Loop-Free Condition (LFC) as defined in the basic specification for IP Fast Re-Route (IPFRR). Under this routing strategy, nodes calculate backup paths by modifying the weights of links in the primary shortest path tree. If a failure occurs, the detecting node determines the number of recursions, which indicates the number of times packets must be forwarded along the alternate next hops to bypass the failed link. This technique guarantees full repair coverage for single link failures. We evaluate the performance of our proposed technique through simulations and show that the incurred overheads, the stretch of its pre-computed alternate paths, and the failure-state Maximum Link Utilisation (MLU) are minimal.