An Algorithm for Computing the Best-Performing Path in a Computer Network

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of transmitting a given amount of data along a single path from the sending end node to the receiving end node in a directed network so that the performance of transmission is best. The performance of the transmission along a path is described in terms of an expression defined as performance reliability (PR). PR is a function of each link’s reliability, capacity, and delay. A path is said to be a best-performing path (BPP) if the performance reliability of this path is maximum among all the available paths between the two specified nodes. The algorithm developed for selecting the best-performing path uses Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm. The proposed algorithm is more suitable for store-andforward data transmission. The best-performing path selection is an important precomputation in developing routing protocols considering reliability, capacity and delay.