Routeing

Routeing is the act of determining a path from a starting point to a destination by evaluating available routes and applying criteria such as distance, time, cost, safety, and reliability. The spelling routeing is common in some varieties of English and is often treated as equivalent to routing, although many technical writers prefer routing in modern usage. Routeing decisions can be made by people or by automated systems that optimize paths in complex networks, transportation systems, or logistics networks.

In computer networks and telecommunications, routeing (routing) describes the process of forwarding data packets toward their destinations. Routers use routing tables and protocols, which may be static or dynamic, to choose next hops. Dynamic routeing protocols such as RIP, OSPF, IS-IS, and BGP react to topology changes, link failures, and policy constraints to maintain efficient paths. Routeing decisions consider metrics like hop count, bandwidth, delay, and reliability, and may incorporate quality of service and security requirements to avoid congestion and loops.

In transportation and logistics, routeing involves planning and selecting routes for vehicles, ships, aircraft, and trains. Routeing aims to minimize travel time or distance, reduce fuel consumption, respect regulatory constraints, and balance demand with capacity. Modern routeing leverages geographic information systems, optimization algorithms, and real-time data such as traffic and weather to adjust itineraries and dispatch schedules.

Historically, routeing has been used in military, postal, and shipping operations to designate safe or efficient corridors and to coordinate movement over large areas. The term is related to, but distinct from, routing in engineering and computer science, and its precise usage depends on regional and disciplinary conventions.