Route Control

Last Updated: August 18, 2011

Definition - What does Route Control mean?

Route control is a specialized type of network management that aims to improve Internet connectivity, and reduce bandwidth cost and overall internetwork operations.

Route control services are a suite of hardware- and software-based products and services all working together to improve overall Internet performance and fine-tune the use of available Internet bandwidth to achieve this at minimal cost. Route control is very successful in scenarios where a network or autonomous system is sourcing Internet bandwidth from multiple providers. Route control can aid in the selection of the most optimal path for data transmission.

Techopedia explains Route Control

Autonomous systems are large, enterprise-level networks with thousands of nodes that use bandwidth from multiple ISPs and have significant Internet traffic. These systems are so complex that if they are not properly configured, it can result in decreased Internet performance, high bandwidth consumption and traffic. To counteract this problem, a set of services is implemented to remove or reduce these concerns, known as routing control.

A routing control mechanism is composed of hardware and software, which monitors all the outgoing traffic through its connection with the Internet service providers (ISPs), and helps in selecting the best path for efficient delivery of the data. This switching is performed when the routing control calculates the performance and efficiency of all the ISPs and selects only those that have performed optimally in these areas. Route control devices are configured according to the criteria set by the company, and according to parameters like cost, performance and bandwidth.