RSVP authentication

RSVP authentication ensures integrity of RSVP messages, and prevents false resource reservation requests from occupying network resources.

With RSVP authentication, the sender uses the MD5 algorithm and the authentication key to calculate a message digest for an RSVP message, and inserts the digest to the RSVP message. When the receiver receives the message, it performs the same calculation and compares the result with the message digest. If they match, the receiver accepts the message. Otherwise, it drops the message.

By carrying a sequence number in a message, RSVP authentication can also prevent packet replay attacks. The device records the sequence number of a received RSVP message, and determines whether the subsequent messages are valid according to the recorded sequence number. If the sequence number of a subsequent message is within the valid range, the device accepts the message. Otherwise, it drops the message.