Analysis of Optimal Routing Protocol for an Inter-Campus Private Cloud Network System

Abstract

With the need for resources sharing and the integration of cost-effective IT solution across tertiary institution in Nigeria, the need for an inter-campus private cloud network is presented in this project. The inter-campus private cloud network provides a platform for sharing resources across campuses instead of replicating such resources which are in many cases underutilized. This work presents the optimal routing protocol for an inter-campus private cloud network system that connects 5 campuses together within Owerri city in Nigeria. A star-star hybrid network topology was adopted in this project work and was modelled using Packet Tracer simulator. The network was simulated using the three main routing protocols namely RIP (routing information protocol), OSPF (open shortest path first) and EIGRP (enhanced interior gateway routing protocol) which were tested and compared to determine the routing protocol with the shortest convergence time. The connection time of the three routing protocols used on the exchange point network was run at a TTL value of 24 and packet size of 32 bytes. The RIP provided a convergence time that is within 3 and 4 seconds, with slightly varied spikes of not up to 10 seconds, OSPF and EIGRP also tries to maintain a time of between 3 and 4 seconds but is plagued with so many spikes of up 20 seconds for EIGRP and 17seconds for OSPF. The results showed that with a routing protocol like RIP, connections between the campuses via the exchange point will converge faster. As a result, RIP routing protocol was adopted as the optimal routing protocol to be used for the network configuration due to its better convergence time.