Department of Computing
BSc (Hons) Computer Networks and Security
ASSIGNMENT
Level:
Module:
Assignment:
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Submission deadline: :
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6 (Full-time equivalent Year 3)
COM651 Managing Networks
Routing protocol design
20th July 2023 before 10 a.m.
25 hours
Nigel Houlden
Vic Grout
To be completed by student:
I certify that, other than where collaboration has been explicitly
permitted, this work is the result of my individual effort and
that all sources for materials have been acknowledged. I also
confirm that I have read and understood the codes of practice
on plagiarism contained within the Glyndwr Academic
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name on an electronically submitted version, I am agreeing to
be dealt with accordingly in any case of suspected unfair
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To be completed by the lecturer:
Summary of specific feedback on this work:
Summary of advice for improvement of future work:
Detailed comments follow, either on separate sheets or annotated to student’s work …
Grade/Mark:
Assignment Brief
The selection of an appropriate Routing Protocol is an important management decision; it must fit with the network design
and be scalable. To give you a deeper insight into why the choice of Routing protocol is important, you are tasked with
designing your own.
For this assignment, you are to design a theoretical routing protocol. During your lectures, you will have covered how
many of the more common Routing Protocols calculate ‘cost’, use metrics, and how frequently they pass updates. Your
final design, although theoretical, must work with the Internet Protocol (IP): either IPv4, IPv6, or both.
You must consider the factors above and others that you think are relevant when designing your Routing Protocol. Your
submission should be a 3000 (10%) word report. Tables, references, and diagrams will not be included in the word
count.
The submission must be via Moodle in Microsoft Word format.
Example (non-exhaustive)
kb

 k 
C   k1b  2  k3d  5 
256  l

 r  k 4 
[1]
Equation [1] gives the cost calculation for EIGRP, indicating the K values and which metrics they influence, your Routing
Protocol must have a cost calculation. The calculation you produce will obviously include metric(s) values, you must
justify why you have made these selections.
Figures 1 and 2 show the packet format and the internal packet route format for EIGRP, the structure of figure 2 is a
Type, Length, Value (TLV) that fits in to the EIGRP packet format. Table 1 gives the description of each field in the EIGRP
packet format. Your design should have similar figures showing the structure of a routing packet.
Version (8)
Opcode (8)
Flags (32)
Sequence Number (32)
Acknowledgment Number (32)
Checksum (16)
Autonomous System Number (32)
Type (16)
Length (16)
Value (32)
Other Type, Length and Value (TLV’s)
Figure 1 EIGRP Packet Format
Next Hop (32)
Delay (32)
Bandwidth (32)
Reliability (8)
Prefix Length (8)
MTU (24)
Load (8)
Hop Count (8)
Reserved (16)
Destination (8 / 16 / 24 / 32)
Figure 2 EIGRP IP Internal Route Packet Format
Field
Version
Opcode
Checksum
Flags
Sequence &
Acknowledge
Type / Length /
Value
Description
Identifies the EIGRP process version
Identifies the EIGRP packet type update (0x01), Query (0x03), Reply (0x04), Hello (0x05). It
determines the TLVs that follow the EIGRP header.
The checksum of the entire EIGRP packet, excluding the IP header.
1st LSB bit (0x00000001) – Initial bit, used to indicate the first set of routing updates upon
establishing a new neighbor relationship.
2nd LSB bit (0x00000002) conditional receive bit, used in the Cisco proprietary reliable multicast
protocol – Reliable Transport Protocol (RTP).
Used by RTP for reliable EIGRP message exchange.
TLVs are comprised of a 16-bit Type field, a 16-bit Length field, and a variable number of fields
depending on the type of TLV.
General TLVs:
0x0001 – EIGRP parameters – K values and hold time. Size of 12 bytes.
0x0002 – Message Digest 5 (MD5) authentication data. Size of 40 bytes.
0x0003 – Sequence. Used by RTP.
0x0004 – Software versions – IOS and EIGRP Release Versions Size 8 bytes.
0x0005 – Next Multicast Sequence. Used by RTP.
0x0006 – EIGRP stub parameters.
IP TLVs:
0x0102 – IP internal route. Size of 28 bytes.
0x0103 – IP external route. Size of 48 bytes.
Table 1Description of EIGRP Packet Structure
Your design should have originality, justification, simplicity, and a packet structure.
Guidance
Students are encouraged to make a prompt start on assignment work and are given appropriate support to do so. All
material submitted for review by the cut-off date above will receive formative feedback allowing the work to be developed
and improved. Any guidance given after the cut-off date above may, depending on its level and nature, be taken into
account in the grading criteria that follow.
Also note that, although it will be fairly easy, to come up with a cost/objective metric/function and packet structure, higher
marks will only be gained for properly assessing and justifying your choices.
Grading Criteria
A grade C will be awarded for a report that shows awareness of essential routing requirements, possibly achieved
with significant guidance after the review cut-off.
A grade B will be awarded for a report that shows improved awareness of, and insight into, routing protocol
technologies, showing originality, possibly achieved with some guidance after the review cut-off. There will
be some justification for the solutions offered.
A B+ grade will be awarded for a report that shows significant awareness of, and insight into, relevant routing
technologies, including strategies for future development of the Routing protocol, achieved with minimal
guidance after the review cut-off. There will be good justification for the solutions offered.
An A grade will be awarded for a design showing everything from a B+ grade criteria plus integration with current
routing technology, achieved with no guidance after the review cut-off. There will be convincing justifications for
the solutions offered.
Learning Outcomes
1. Evaluate network provision and compare solutions KS1 –KS10
2. Apply appropriate modelling, simulation and optimisation techniques in networks.
planning. KS1, KS4, KS6, KS7, KS10
4. Make informed judgments relating to diverse networking algorithms KS1,KS4, KS6,
KS7,KS10
5. Compare and contrast existing and emerging networking technologies KS1 –KS10