  Most studies on path-vector routing stability have been conducted empirically
by means of ad-hoc analysis of BGP data traces. None of them consider prior
specification of an analytic method including the use of stability measurement
metrics for the systematic analysis of BGP traces and associated
meta-processing for determining the local state of the routing system. In this
paper, we define a set of metrics that characterize the local stability
properties of path-vector routing such as BGP (Border Gateway Protocol). By
means of these stability metrics, we propose a method to analyze the effects of
BGP policy- and protocol-induced instability on local routers.
