A new look at fault-tolerant network routing

Abstract

We model a communication network as a graph in which a processor is a node and a communication link is an edge. A routing for such a network is a fixed path, or route, between each pair of nodes. Given a network with a predefined routing, we study the effects of faulty components on the routing. Of particular interest is the number of routes along which a message must travel between any two non-faulty nodes. This problem is analyzed for specific families of graphs and for classes of routings. We also give some bounds for general versions of the problem. Finally, we conclude with one of the most important contributions of this paper, a list of interesting and apparently difficult open problems. © 1987.