Introduction to Multi Protocol

Label Switching (MPLS)

Presented By:
Tripti Batra, AM (NW)
Gagan Aggarwal, AM (SW)

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 1

 Agenda

Motivation behind MPLS

Basics

Components and Protocols

Operations

Network Management Centre (NMC)

Security

Billing

Operators providing MPLS Services

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

2
 Motivation

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 3

 Motivation

IP
– The first defined and used protocol
– De facto the only protocol for global
Internet working

………but there are disadvantages

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

4
 Motivation (Contd...)
• Connectionless
• Large IP Header to process

• Slower than switching

• Usually designed to follow shortest path

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

5
 Motivation (Contd…)

ATM
– Connection Oriented (supports QoS)
– Fast packet switching with fixed length
packets
– Integration of different prioritized traffic
in real time because of guaranteed
delivery

………but there are disadvantages

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

6
 Motivation (Contd...)

ATM Disadvantages

Complexity

Expensive

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

7
 Motivation (Contd...)
 IDEA
Combine the features of Layer 2 and Layer 3

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

8
 MPLS Definition
Multi Protocol :
Indifferent towards protocol used at Layer 2

Label
Labels instead of IP addresses for processing

Switching:
Routing at the speed of Switching

MPLS is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)-specified framework

that provides efficient forwarding, routing and switching of traffic flow
through the network.
As data, video, and voice networks are converging on one platform, the
need for Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a natural progression.
September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS
9
 BASICS OF MPLS

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 10

 MPLS Basics

Multi Protocol Label Switching is arranged between
Layer 2 and Layer 3

Layer 3
IP MPLS
Layer 2
ATM, Ethernet
Layer 1
SDH, CSMA

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

11
 MPLS Basics (Contd…)

 Flow Management

 Independent of Layer-2 protocols

 Maps IP-addresses to fixed length label

 Interfaces to existing routing protocols

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

12
 MPLS Promises

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 13

 MPLS Promises

Improves packet-forwarding performance in
the network

Supports QoS and CoS for service
differentiation

Improves network scalability

Integrates IP and ATM in the network

Builds interoperable networks providing multi
vendor interoperatibility

Reduces the complexity of network
operations

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

14
 Leased Line Network
Lucknow

Mumbai

Pune Delhi

Leased line Network

Bangalore Kolkotta

Ernakulam Chennai
Hyderabad

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

15
 MPLS Network
Ahmedabad

Lucknow

Mumbai

Delhi
Pune

MPLS Network
Bangalore
Kolkotta

Ernakulam Chennai

Hyderabad
Router
Links
September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS
16
 Components and Protocols

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 17

 MPLS Components
 Label
- Identifies the path a packet should traverse

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

18
 MPLS Components (Contd…)

LSP
LER

LSR LSR

LER
September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS
19
 MPLS Components (Contd…)
 Label Edge Router (LER)
- Operates at the edge of the access network
& MPLS network
- Responsible for assignment and removal of
labels
- Supports Multiple Protocols connected to
dissimilar networks (such as frame relay, ATM,
and Ethernet)

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

20
 MPLS Components (Contd…)
 Label Switching Router (LSR)
- High Speed Router that operates in the core of
MPLS network
 Label Switched Path (LSP)
- Path formed from source to destination
- Two options to set up an LSP:
a) hop-by-hop routing
b) explicit routing

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

21
 MPLS Components (Contd…)
 Forward Equivalence Class (FEC)
- Group of packets that share the same
requirement
- A path is a representation of a FEC
 Label Distribution Protocol (LDP)
- IETF defined protocol for explicit signaling and
management

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

22
 MPLS Components
 Label Information Base (LIB)
-Table maintained by the Routers
-Contents of the table specify the mapping
between a label and an FEC
Example of LIB Table:
Incoming Port Outgoing Port
Input Port Output Port
Label Label

1 3 3 6

2 9 1 7

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

23
 MPLS Operations

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 24

 MPLS Operations

Steps Involved:
– label creation and distribution
– table creation at each router
– label-switched path creation
– label insertion/ table lookup/forwarding

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

25
 MPLS Operations

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

26
 Network Management
Centre

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 27

 Network Management Centre
(NMC)

Network management plays a vital role in
monitoring and controlling an MPLS
network for Redundancy and Reliability.

NMC controls the following factors:

LSP usage-Congestion Control

Label distribution

Creation of VPNs

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

28
 MPLS Features

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 29

 MPLS Features
 Traffic Engineering
 Efficient Link Utilization

 Class of Service (CoS)

Differentiated types of service across an MPLS
network.

 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

A VPN is a private connection over an shared network

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

30
 Security

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 31

 Security

MPLS networks provide separation of
address and traffic
 Packets from one VPN do not inadvertently go to
another VPN

Malicious spoofing is impossible

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

32
 Security (Contd...)

Provider Edge/Customer Edge Router Relationship

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

33
 MPLS Costing

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS 34

 Factors affecting Costing

BW required

Number of MPLS Ports required

Period of hiring of ports

Uptime Requirement (SLA)

Prioritized Traffic (Class of Service)

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

35
 How Cost Effective is MPLS?
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Point to Point MPLS VPN

Just for 10 sites the cost factor is 1/8th of Leased

Lines.
September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS
36
 Tariff Chart (*BSNL port charges)
Class of Bandwidth 64K 128K 1Mbps 2Mbps
Service
Gold 99 % 0.77L 1.38L 5.84L 12.32L
Silver 50% 0.58L 1.04L 4.38L 9.24L
Best 25% 0.38L 0.69L 2.92L 6.16L
effort

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

37
 MPLS Operators

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

38
 MPLS Operators

 Service Providers:
 BSNL, Tata Tele Services, Bharti Telecom,
Reliance Infocomm……

 Hardware Suppliers:
 Cisco, Juniper, Nortel, Alcatel, Huawei…..

September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS

39
September 7, 2006 Introduction to MPLS
40