This project evaluates the limitations of traditional routing protocols—such as RIP, OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP—and introduces SHARP, a novel routing architecture. SHARP is specifically engineered to address the critical challenges of modern networks, including slow convergence times, excessive control message flooding, and security vulnerabilities like route hijacking.
By bridging the gap between link-state reliability and hierarchical scalability, SHARP provides a robust framework for large-scale, dynamic network environments.
- 3-Tier Hierarchical Architecture: Organizes the network into Local Zones, Regional Backbones, and a Global Core to efficiently limit the scope of link-state flooding.
- Composite Routing Metric: Replaces static metrics with a dynamic cost function evaluating Delay, Congestion, Hop Count, and Security Score.
- Instant Failure Recovery: Integrates precomputed backup paths into the Link-State Database (LSDB) for immediate localized rerouting during link failures.
- Route Proof Authentication (RPA): Employs cryptographic signatures, route origin certificates, and sequence numbers to actively reject spoofed or tampered routing updates.
- Event-Driven Updates: Triggers network updates only upon topology changes or congestion thresholds, rather than relying on periodic full-table broadcasts.
The protocol was rigorously tested against OSPF using a Python and NetworkX simulation environment. Performance was evaluated across Local Zone, Inter Zone, and Cross Region scenarios under dynamic congestion and backbone failure conditions.
Key Results vs. OSPF:
- Convergence Time: Achieved approximately 98% faster reconvergence following a backbone link failure.
- Routing Overhead: Reduced control overhead by over 90% due to localized updates and aggregated zone routing.
- Packet Loss & RTT: Maintained significantly lower packet loss and more stable Round Trip Times (RTT) by utilizing immediate backup path activation.
| Name | Index |
|---|---|
| A.H.D. Karunanyaka | 230321P |
| H.H. Palihena | 230458P |
| N.P.P. Piyumal | 230493R |
| M.N.N. Shehan | 230613M |