What is a C program for distance vector routing?

Mayanknegi
2 min readJan 7, 2024

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Distance vector routing is a method for routing networks that finds the shortest path between network nodes. To operate, every node’s routing table is continuously updated based on the information it gets from the nodes around it. This article will look at the C programming language’s distance vector routing program implementation.

Recognizing Distance Vector Routing

Before progressing to the program implementation, let’s quickly review how distance vector routing works. Distance vector routing techniques assume that nearby nodes communicate routing information to determine the optimal path to a destination. Every node in the network has a routing table that lists the expenses associated with connecting to other nodes.

As the algorithm runs through each network node, in turn, it updates the routing tables with the least expensive paths. This process is continued until the routing tables stabilize and converge. The routing tables are updated by exchanging data with neighboring nodes and comparing the expenses of different paths to a destination.

Functions

initialize_node: This method initializes a node using its ID and builds a blank routing table.

add_neighbor: This function adds a nearby node to the list of neighbors for the node that is supplied.

update_routing_table: This function updates a node’s routing table using information gathered from neighboring nodes. It selects the least expensive route after weighing the costs of several options to reach each location.

print_routing_table: This function shows the routing table for a given node.

main: The program’s principal goal. The distance vector routing method is used to build the network first, link the nodes, and continue running it until convergence.

Conclusion

In this article, we examined the C programming language’s implementation of a distance vector routing program. Using data structures and functions, the program depicts and modifies the routing tables of network nodes. Running the program will show you the convergence of the routing tables and the optimal routes found by the Distance Vector Routing algorithm. This method provides a solid foundation for further investigation and testing into routing.

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