Efficient techniques and tools for intra-domain traffic engineering

Intra-domain routing protocols are based on Shortest Path First (SPF) routing, where shortest paths are calculated between each pair of nodes (routers) using pre-assigned link weights, also referred to as link metric. These link weights can be modified by network administrators in accordance with the routing policies of the network operator. The operator's objective is usually to minimize traffic congestion or minimize total routing costs subject to the traffic demands and the protocol constraints. However, determining a link weight combination that meets a network operator's objectives is a difficult task. In this paper, we study the link weight optimization problem in intra-domain networks. This problem is proved to be NP-hard with hard protocol constraints, e.g., a flow is evenly distributed along the shortest paths between its origin and destination nodes. We present two fast heuristic approaches to generate efficient link metrics for intra-domain routing. Some promising experimental results are reported.