A unified approach to loop-free routing using distance vectors or link states

We present a unified approach for the dynamic computation of shortest paths in a computer network using either distance vectors or link states. We describe a distributed algorithm that provides loop-free paths at every instant and extends or improves algorithms introduced previously by Chandy and Misra, Jaffe and Moss, Merlin and Segall, and the author. Our approach treats the problem of distributed shortest-path routing as one of diffusing computations, which was first proposed by Dijkstra and Scholten. We verify the loop-freedom of the new algorithm, and also demonstrate that it converges to the correct routing entries a finite time after an arbitrary sequence of topological changes. We analyze the complexity of the new algorithm when distance vectors and link states are used, and show that using distance vectors is better insofar as routing overhead is concerned.