An Evaluation of Network Performance through the Integration of SRv6 and MPTCP

The exponential growth in networked systems, such as entertainment streaming services, has necessitated advancements in network performance. Traditional singlepath routing often results in bottlenecks and inefficiencies, whereas multipath routing can significantly enhance bandwidth utilization and accommodate diverse user demands. This study explores the integration of SRv6 (Segment Routing over IPv6) with MPTCP (Multipath TCP) to leverage multiple network routes concurrently. SRv6 offers a scalable routing architecture by embedding routing information within IPv6 headers, while MPTCP distributes traffic across multiple paths, enhancing both network performance and reliability. We conducted experiments using two network topologies: a synthetic topology with 7 nodes and 11 links, and the Internet2 OS3E topology with 34 nodes and 42 links. Throughput measurements were taken under four scenarios: single-path TCP without SRv6, single-path TCP with SRv6, MPTCP without SRv6, and MPTCP with SRv6. The experimental results confirmed that the integration of SRv6 with MPTCP achieved the expected improvements in network performance, demonstrating enhanced throughput and better resource utilization compared to single-path TCP configurations. The implications of this research indicate that SRv6 and MPTCP integration enhances throughput, network reliability, and efficiency. This approach provides additional perspective for further scalable solutions that can be applied across various network topologies, and addressing modern network demands. However, this research also identifies potential challenges such as throughput fluctuations when SRv6 and MPTCP are combined, which may affect the performance of realtime applications. Future research should explore these challenges to optimize the integration of SRv6 and MPTCP.