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If computer networks were cities, routing would be the interstates and freeways connecting them all, and vehicles would be the data packets traveling along those routes. Sometimes, it’s a long road trip that passes through multiple towns. Other times, it’s a jaunt to the next city over to retrieve an item. Regardless of how far you’re traveling, everyone wants to avoid rush-hour traffic, even if it means taking a detour.
Similarly, data routing seeks to find the most efficient path between the sending network–or departure city–and the destination without compromising the integrity of the data packet itself.
Data routing is the process of moving data between two locations, or nodes, using the most efficient pathway. It takes into account bandwidth, latency, and network health to determine and select the most efficient route for the data to utilize in its move from point 1 to point 2. This autonomous, highly scalable process is critical for database management, data analytics, and data streaming.
Data travels along networks in contained packets. Each packet contains a destination IP address, which identifies its intended end point. As each packet travels, it may encounter several routers along the way. These read the destination and send the packet on to the next point in the network along the most optimal pathway until it reaches its intended endpoint.
Data routing systems must ensure data integrity during transfer, monitor network traffic for optimized path selection, and perform load balancing to reduce network congestion. Their goal is to ensure network capacity is utilized as fully as possible without causing load delays or downtime for end-users.
As company networks and the amount of data processed grows, data routing becomes more critical and more complex for the company.
To break it down even further, here are the steps that occur as data is routed to its destination:
A node initiates communication across a network using HTTP protocols.
The sending device breaks a big chunk of information into small data packets for more efficient transmission. This process is called de-assembling and encapsulating the data payload.
Each data packet is labeled with the destination node’s IP address.
The sending device looks up the IP addresses of all the nodes that can transmit the packet to its destination and selects the shortest path.
The sending device transmits the packets down the chosen pipeline.
The packets go through multiple nodes en route to their destination. If the packets exceed the number of nodes defined as part of that route, they’re considered lost and the data is sent again.
The receiving node verifies the authenticity of the packets as they arrive.
Once all packets reach the destination and are verified, they reassemble into that chunk of information.
There are three types of data routing to be familiar with: static, dynamic, and default.
In this type, network routes are manually set via static tables. These may include fallback paths in case the initial link fails, but is generally only appropriate for small, intra-domain networks as static, predetermined pathways can cause significant traffic and time lag.
In this type, routers create and update runtime tables based on actual network conditions at the moment packets are received. This type of data routine automatically updates itself and can use either a distance-vector protocol, link-state protocol, or path-vector routing to determine pathways.
In distance-vector protocols, pathways are informed by distance metrics provided by the destination in real-time.
In link-state protocols, each destination provides a tree map that defines the pathways from it to other destinations.
In path-vector routing, one destination stands in for numerous other destinations to allow distance-vector routing to be more rapid and flexible.
Default is similar to dynamic routing, but differs in that a single gateway is set as the default pathway if no specific path is found. This is commonly used when a network has a single exit point. Default routing provides a “last resort” route for data packets that don’t match any specific route in the routing table. It ensures that packets are not dropped and can reach their intended destination.
To continue the example from above, if the first-choice static link is down,, a dynamic route could be the second choice. Administrative distance is a preconfigured parameter used in networks that run both routing methods. It is used to define the order to select routing methods. The preferred routing techniques are configured with low numbers, while less preferable routing techniques receive higher numbers. For example, a low number may be assigned to the static link over the rented connection, and a higher number would be assigned to dynamic routing.
A database is an organized collection of data, which is used to conduct the actions desired by the database manager.
For example, an online store contains a database where information about each product lives, as well as the financial processes to purchase a product. Thus, a database may send and receive packets of data continually as part of the regular operation of the ecommerce store.
Data routing is an integral part of the store’s operation as packets of information travel between the database and your mobile phone or home computer network. It is important for both the database's management and the store's operation, as insufficient routing can lead to lags in receiving data or even crash the network due to congestion.
Those outcomes then lead to customer dissatisfaction and cart abandonment, resulting in a net loss for the store. Or, if data packet integrity is compromised during routing, it can lead to incorrect orders, overcharges, or vulnerable customer data made available to identity thieves.
Because of this, databases must be flexible and robust enough to handle the secure sending and receiving, or transmission, of information between servers or parties. This is why careful consideration is given to database management solutions (DBMS). When choosing the right DBMS, the number, type, and configuration of routers play an important role in ensuring the network has enough pipelines or pathways to transmit information.
Data routing can occur within a network or across multiple networks of varying configurations, for example:
Sending an email
Initiating a print job over a wireless network
Streaming a video
Transferring assets on a banking app
Signing up for an email newsletter
Capturing point-in-time usability metrics for a website
Pulling profit margin data for a report
In fact, the majority of transactions a business conducts around a database involve data routing via networks. This is why it’s important that these transactions remain secure and speedy. The faster data can travel while retaining its integrity, the more real-time data you have at your fingertips.
From dynamic routing to complex event processing, Confluent offers real-time, cloud-based data streaming that reduces the complexity and cost of data integration. Power real-time apps with data streaming at scale and maximize your network’s data routing capabilities with Confluent.
Contact us to learn more about how Confluent solutions can connect, process, and govern changing, mission-critical data for all of your databases.