OPNET IT Guru Analysis of MPLS

implementation benefits in WSN over IP for

6LoWPAN network nodes.

Contact Information
Wao Wamola
Email:ericwao@gmail.com

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Abstract
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is an emerging technology. It is highly supported by the fourth
and fifth generation networks. Its vital element is in its assurance to offer high internet connection speeds
with minimal delays. This paper analyses the link utilization between two networks of Wireless Sensor
Node (WSN), having 6LoWPAN as the end-to-end connection nodes. The networks are designed with
one using the MPLS technology, while the other using the traditional IP Network. The two networks are
modeled using OPNET IT Guru Edition 9.1. The three parameters as Traffic Received in bytes per
second, Packets end-to-end delay and Packets Delay Variation are generated and compared for the two
WSN network models. From the analysis of the results, one is able to draw conclusion that investing in
MPLS technology will ensure a stable network with high network throughput, high link utilization and
low latencies.

Keywords: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks),

6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low Power Personal Area Networks), Optimized Network Engineering
Tool (OPNET), and VPN(Virtual Private Networks)

Acknowledgement
I am grateful to my parents whose blessings have been abundantly and their unrelenting support
with encouragement that enabled me accomplishes this task.
I do also dedicate this thesis to my dear family members.
It is with great honor and privilege to thank my thesis supervisor. Who guided me with his
scholarly skills. Without his encouragement and guidance, this work would not been achievable.
I sincerely express my heartfelt gratitude to him.
I also thank my fellow collogues and friends for the team work and support, they extended to me
during this project.
Thank you all, I am forever indebted to you.

Table of Contents
Abstract........................................................................................................................ 4

Acknowledgement........................................................................................................... 5
List of Figure.................................................................................................................. 7
Acronyms...................................................................................................................... 8
1.0 Chapter One............................................................................................................ 10
1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................... 10
1.2 Research Background.............................................................................................. 10
1.3 The objectives of the project..................................................................................... 10
1.2 Rationale for the project........................................................................................... 10
Chapter Two................................................................................................................. 11
Literature Review....................................................................................................... 11
2.1 Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN).............................................................................. 11
2.2 The 6LoWPAN Node.............................................................................................. 12
2.3 MPLS Routing Technology....................................................................................... 15
3.0 Chapter Three.......................................................................................................... 17
3.1 Research Methodology............................................................................................ 17
3.2 The ethical consideration.......................................................................................... 17
3.3 Proposed Design Protocol and Components..................................................................18
3.3 Design Assumptions............................................................................................... 18
3.4 Simulation........................................................................................................... 19
3.5 OPNET Simulation................................................................................................. 19
3.6 Simulation Assumptions.......................................................................................... 20
4.0 Chapter Four............................................................................................................ 20
4.1 OPNET Simulation Implementation............................................................................20
4.1.1 MPLS Simulation Model............................................................................. 21
4.1.2 Conventional IP Simulation Model........................................................................22
4.2 Modeling of VoIP packets in MPLS and IP network........................................................23

5.0 Chapter Five............................................................................................................ 25

5.0 Comparison of Performance metrics............................................................................25
5.0 Diagrammatic Representation....................................................................................26
Chapter Six.................................................................................................................. 28
6.1 Conclusion and Recommendation............................................................................... 28
6.2 Future Study......................................................................................................... 29
Reference.................................................................................................................... 29

List of Figure
Figure 1- Interconnection between WSN and other external network
Figure 2- Comparison between IEEE 802.15.4 to other wireless technologies

Figure 3- The 6LoWPAN layered architecture

Figure 4- Sample Architecture of 6LoWPAN in a Mobile Telephony Network
Figure 5- MPLS-VPN network linking several client sites via a single Service Provider
Figure 6 - MPLS Simulation Model
Figure 7- Conventional IP Simulation Model
Figure 8 Application Definition object
Figure 9 Profile Definition object
Figure 10 Comparison for Traffic received in bps in MPLS and IP WSN model
Figure 11- Packets end-to-end delay comparison for MPLS and IP Model WSN model
Figure 12: Packet Delay variation comparison for MPLS and IP WSN network

Acronyms
MPLS

Multiprotocol Label Switching

TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol

IPv6

Internet Protocol version 4

LER

Label Edge Router

LSR

Label Switching Router

LSP

Label Switch Path

LDP

Label Distribution Protocol

FEC

Forward Equivalence Class

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol

QoS

Quality of Service

RTTP

Real Time Transport Protocol

CR-LDP

Constraint Based Label Distribution Protocol

CR-LSP

Constraint Based Label Switch Path

RSVP

Resource Reservation Protocol

OSPF

Open Shortest Path First

LIB

Label Information Base

VPN

Virtual Private Network

OSPF

Open Shortest Path First

BGP

WSN

Border Gateway Protocol

Wireless Sensor Networks

6LoWPAN IPv6 over Low Power Personal Area Networks

OPNET

Optimized Network Engineering Tool

1.0 Chapter One

1.1 Introduction
This project investigates the advantage of using MPLS as a routing protocol and a 6LoWPAN as
an end node for a Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). The project uses OPNET simulator to
model MPLS in a WSN to analyze network parameters as delay, throughput, ping statistics,
tracert, and latency.

1.2 Research Background

The MPLS is a connection- oriented packet networking technology. It enables many carriers to
converge their LTE networks to MPLS. MPLS technology has been considered to lower the
capital expenditure (CapEX) and operational expenses (OpEx) as compared to the traditional
time-division multiplexing (TDM) a circuit switched technology. Hence employing MPLS in a
Wireless Sensor Networks will see an organization reduce on these CapEX and OpEx cost. The
two MPLS standards are IP/MPLS and MPLS-TP (The Multiprotocol Label Switching-Transport
Profile). The Cisco systems have had a pusedowire-based MPLS being adopted for the transport
layer in OSI model for the network services.
The IPv6 over Low Power Personal Area Neworks (6LoWPAN) have enabled the WSN devices
to have seamless connection to the internet. The 6LoWPAN provides a gateway for the packets
to be IP addressable with an end to end connectivity.

1.3 The objectives of the project

The project aims to evaluate experimentally the advantages of using MPLS in Wireless Sensor
Network. From the experiment the network parameters network throughput, latency and etc.

1.2 Rationale for the project

The emergence of 4th generation networks have been designed to support packet switched
technology unlike the traditional circuit switched networks. These circuit switched networks uses

the Time Division Multiplexing routing technology which are not supported by the Long Term
Evolution generation network architecture currently being used by the Mobile telephony
providers. This makes the research viable as the new design of the WSN devices in the LTE
design supports the packet switched technology used in the MPLS routing technology.

Chapter Two
Literature Review
2.1 Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN)
WSN is a network of wireless nodes having capability of measuring physical variables. The
devices are embedded in nature, consisting of memory, sensors, microcontrollers, wireless
interface, batteries and a programmable interface (Becker 2014 11). The field of Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) has enabled the miniaturization of these nodes a capacity of less
than one centimeter cubic. The WSN ability to measure physical variables enables the
measurement of physical world variables in a virtual environment.
In order to maintain technical and economical feasibility, the WSN nodes manufacture takes
considerations of the critical resources like processing power, energy, and bandwidth available
for communication.
The integration of WSNs in IP network has made it possible to integrate data into a business
processes. This in itself forms the precursor to the universal acceptance of the WSNs. The
6LoWPAN internet gateway lying at the network layer in the IP layer, it has made it mode
feasible to feed IP packets into WSNs (Becker 2014 13).
The implementation of Internet Protocol Version 6(IPv6) in WSNs is made possible because of
other factors like interoperability of other IP standards, abundance tools like ping, tracer route,
and telnet for network management, and the security solutions like access controls and firewalls

that have been developed (Becker 14 2014).The diagram below shows the interconnection
between WSN and other external networks.

Figure 1- Interconnection between WSN and other external network

2.2 The 6LoWPAN Node

This is an IEEE 802.15.4 protocol accepted as a PHY and MAC layer protocol being used for
LoWPAN. It was created by IETF to define the applicability of IPv6 over IEEE 802.15.4 by
introducing an additional layer between network and data link layer, this is as illustrated in the
figure below (Sinniah, Suryady, Sarwar, Abbas 2013 2) The diagram below compares the IEEE
802.15.4 standard to other wireless technologies

Figure 2- Comparison between IEEE 802.15.4 to other wireless technologies

The protocol stack for the 6LoWPAN gateway in a layered architecture is as illustrated in the
diagram below,

Figure 3- The 6LoWPAN layered architecture

The IPv6 as low power over wireless personal area networks (LoWPAN) is a protocol gateways
used between the data link and the network layer in the IP model. The gateway acts as a router
whilst performing traffic filtration (Oleveira, Rodrigues, Macao, Nicolau, Wang, Shu 2013 2).
The 6LoWPAN system is built by integrating the IEEE802.15.4 with other standard internet
interface like Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and Ethernet, with the gateway having a dual stack as illustrated
in the diagram above (Sinniah, Suryady, Sarwar, Abbas 2013 4) .The protocol has three modules
namely 6LoWPAN (WSN) module providing hardware compliance, external interface module

defining the MAC and Physical interfaces, and Service Module

providing for IPv6 and

6LoWPAN packets handling.

The key components of 6LoWPAN gateways being the Node management consisting of periodic
logger, map table, node discovery, address translation and IPv6 predefined prefix. The other key
component is packet transition and handling being made up of packet transformation, packet
handler and remote addressing (Sinniah, Suryady, Sarwar, Abbas 2013 2).The diagram below
illustrates an example of 6LoWPAN network diagram.

Figure 4- Sample Architecture of 6LoWPAN in a Mobile Telephony Network

2.3 MPLS Routing Technology

This is packet-forwarding technology that makes use of labels in making the decisions in
forwarding the data (Cisco System 2008 2). Here the layer 3 header analysis is carried out only
once when the packets are entering the MPLS domain, but the label inspection aids in subsequent
packet forwarding. MPLS gives special and beneficial applications such as Traffic Engineering
(TE), Quality of Service (QoS), Virtual Private Networking (VPN), and Any Transport over
MPLS (AToM). In addition to the beneficial applications, MPLS also decrease the overhead
associated with packet forwarding in the core routers (Cisco System 2008 3).
The label is a short four-byte, fixed in length local significant identifier for deciding and
identifying a Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC) (Cisco System 2008 4). Hence a particular
label on a given packet represents the FEC assigned to that packet. The figure below shows a
FEC diagram.

The FEC has the following parts as illustrated in the above diagram:

Label: Gives the label unstructured value made up of 20 bits

Exp: Experimental Using 3 bits forming the Class of Service (CoS) field

S: Bottom of Stack made of 1 bit

TTL: Time to live made up of 8bits

The MPLS transports traffic using VLL, Pseudo wire, VPLS and IP VPNs. It uses Open Shortest
Path First (OSPF) as he Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) in supporting the setting up of its paths.
The MPLS high availability is ensured using faster path restoration and network re-convergence
in a time of 50ms. This end-to-end restoration of MPLS FRR ensures network resilience. This
high availability is important for mission-critical video, voice and data information. The MPLS
FRR ensures interruptions of these critical services are minimized during network failure. The
MPLS hence provide cold and hot-standby used for protecting active path. This is implemented
using Label Distribution Protocol and Nonstop services in VPLS and IP VPM (Cisco System
2009 2).
MPLS traffic engineering allows the best path to be selected in a network, to ensure optimization
of the bandwidth, while the Quality of Service by providing weighted queuing or strict priority
implanted in Cisco switched as VLANs.
MPLS also offers effective network management using simplified tools allowing for easier
configuration, problem isolation and resolution, network control, and support on new application
management.
The two standards for MPLS are the MPLS-TP and the IP/MPLS, the hybrid of the two called
the Pseudowire-based MPLS is adopted in transporting the network packets. The MPLS_TP
supports native transport models, supports QoS, whilst supporting the Operation, Administration
and Maintenance (OAM) mechanism of protection that is available in traditional technologies
(Cisco System 2009 2)
The MPLS-TP is a transport network with functions like Penultimate Hop Popping (PHP),
Label-Switched Paths (LSPs) merged, and the Equal Cost Multi Path (ECMP).

The diagram below illustrates an example of MPLS-VPN network,

Figure 5- MPLS-VPN network linking several client sites via a single Service Provider

3.0 Chapter Three

3.1 Research Methodology
This section analyses the project design, analyses the architecture of MPLS diagram in WSNs
designed using the OpNet simulator. The diagram is then simulated and the network parameters
like throughput, tracert route, network latency are measured.
The project is implemented using two diagrams, one applying the use of MPLS while the other
not. These two diagrams are analyzed for the network parameters above and a conclusion is
drawn on the effects of implementing a network using MPLS whether the core four objectives
like high availability, few interruption, quality of service(QoS) and operation, application and
maintenance(OAM) is realized.

3.2 The ethical consideration

The project is viable as it lays more emphasis to the benefits drawn from applying MPLS
technology is WSNs as opposed to the traditional TDM, this is because most of the current
Networking devices in the fourth generation are designed to used packet-switching routing

technology that does not gives fixed bandwidth, but a variable hence eliminating the wastage
associated with circuit switched technologies. The values of money, network resilience,
availability, quality of service and the ease operational maintenance derived from employing
MPLS technology makes this project beneficial.

3.3 Proposed Design Protocol and Components

The design is done for an MPLS VPN networks assuming that the customers site is having
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) or Routing Information Protocol (RIP). This configuration will
allow several sites to interconnect through a secure tunnel on the service providers network.
VPN is being associated to at least one VPN routing or forwarding occurrences (VRFs), with
each VRF having IP routing table. The routers used in the design have Multiprotocol BGP (MPBGP) that distributes the VPN routing information to its extended community.
The components used in the design are P, PE, C and CE routers. The P and PE Routers must be
Cisco series 7200 or higher running IOS release 12.3 that are capable of supporting MPLS VPN
configuration. The C and CE routers should have the ability of exchanging the routing
information with the PE routers. These letters P, PE, CE and C represents the different routers
and switches as elaborated below:

P- Providers core router

PE- Providers edge router

CE-Customers edge router

C-Customers router

3.3 Design Assumptions

The designing of the MPLS VPN for remote IP packets tunneling for different client sites in
remote sites assumes the following conditions are satisfied for the design objectives to be
realized.

A Cisco Router 2600 or higher having IOS release 12.3

The devices in use have default configuration as their initial state

The client site supports Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) or Routing Information Protocol
(RIP)

The end-to-end node for the WSN devices in the cloud are utilizing the 6LoWPAN IP
routing and addressing

3.4 Simulation
This is the process for creating abstract representation of an existing or a proposed system, so as
to predict the behavior or understand the controlling factors. Among the several simulation tools
like QualNET , Network Simulator, and OPNET, the proposed system design was subjected to
simulation using OPNET to help realize it strength and weakness of the system as pertain the
network parameters below:

The quality of service (QoS)

How Secure the system is

Optimal routing of packets

Network latency

Overlay between clients sites

Optimal routing targets

Ability for Service providers to make optimal use of network resources whilst complying
to the Quality of Service (QoS) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with the clients

3.5 OPNET Simulation

The main simulation task will involve analyzing the importance of MPLS in the VPN
networking that is making use of the 6LoWPAN as the end to end node connection for the WSN
devices that are making the internet cloud. The simulator will help compare the performance of
two network diagrams. One designed using MPLS while the other designed using other
technologies like IP routing. The following parameters will be compared for the two networks;

Traffic Received in bytes per second for MPLS vs. IP Network

Packets end-to-end delay for MPLS vs. IP Network

Packets Delay Variation for MPLS Vs. IP Network

To accomplish this task, data traffic is used across the two WSN networks; one designed using
MPLS while the other designed using traditional IP routing technology. The results obtain from
simulation are analyzed to determine the performance levels of the two network design.

3.6 Simulation Assumptions

The difficulty in prediction of the behavior of MPLS design in the WSN network because there
are many different implementation entities that play a key factor in the design. This varies when
modeling the network parameters. In this project we simulated different WSN networks one
design with MPLS using the BGP or RIP routing protocols, while the other is WSN network that
is modeled using traditional IP routing technologies.

4.0 Chapter Four

4.1 OPNET Simulation Implementation
The simulation for MPLS and traditional IP networks are employed in the OPNET IT Guru
Academic Edition 9.1. The simulation is setup into two main scenarios.

Scenario 1 consist of implementing WSN using MPLS as the routing technology

Scenario 2 consist of implementing WSN using traditional IP routing

Both the networks are simulated assuming that both are implemented using a common
topology.
4.1.1 MPLS Simulation Model

Figure 6 MPLS Simulation Model

The figure above shows MPLS network model consisting of the following network elements.

2 LER Client Routers

2 LSR MPLS Routers

2 Client Switches

3 Client workstations

1 File server

The LSR and LER routers are connected using PPP DS3 connectors, while the workstation and
switches connected by Ethernet 100BaseT.
In this scenario Voice over IP(VoIP) packet is transmitted across the network from the
workstation from the remote site to the other, and the parameters as Traffic Received in bytes
per second, Packets end-to-end delay and Packets Delay Variation are computed graphically from
the simulation results.
The VoIP packets are established in the simulation above by modeling the application and profile
definition utilities. The application definition is set to a definition is set to a default application
profile, while the profile definition is set to have telecom profile that has one voice over IP call
application. This is discussed more in the next sections.

4.1.2 Conventional IP Simulation Model

Figure 7- Conventional IP Simulation Model

The figure 7 above represents the conventional IP Simulation model. In this case the MPLS LSR
routers are replaced with the ordinary IP routers. The MPLS attribute is also replaced with IP
VPN attribute. Hence the packets are routed using OSPF protocol that does not take capacity
constraint into consideration. The VoIP packets are transmitted from Site A to B using the same
procedure as was in the MPLS scenario.

4.2 Modeling of VoIP packets in MPLS and IP network

In modeling an application in OPNET, an object called application definition is used. This
consists of preprogrammed applications that can be customized, depending on the customers

demand. Some of the application definitions attributes are email, file transfer, https, Voice over
IP just to mention a few.

Figure 8 Application Definition

The figure 8 above shows application definition attributes. In this model we have used voice over
IP call (PCM quality). The application definition is set to default to automatically load the
default service attribute defined in the profile definition.
The profile definition is then used to describe the behavior of the workstations. It describes the
start of the simulation, operation mode and the duration. In this case the simulation was set to

have exponential operation, serial operation mode and duration of 900 seconds as indicated in
the profile definition attribute below.

Figure 9- Profile Definition Object

The OPNET task of determining the VoIP traffic received in bps, packets end-to-end delay and
packet delay variation are determined by configuring the profile to add VoIP calls in fixed
interval, with the process repeated till the end of the simulation.
The first VoIP call is stabled at the 40 th second of the simulation, for every 2 seconds of VoIP
calls added to the simulation .Additional voice calls are then done by repeating till the end of the
simulation. This allows the VoIP traffics to be added continuously at a constant interval hence

determine network throughput in terms of traffic received in bps, end-to-end packet delay and
variation in packet delay for the two modeled networks.

5.0 Chapter Five

5.0 Comparison of Performance metrics
The results in the figures 10, 11 and 12 are the performance metrics resulting from the simulation
of the MPLS and the conventional IP Networks. From the graph of packet received in bytes per
second it can be observed that the MPLS received a higher number of packets in bps as
compared to the conventional IP network. The figure 10, also illustrates that the IP networks has
a higher packet end-to-end delay as compared to the network having MPLS. This shows the low
latency realized in a network that uses MPLS as the routing technology. Finally the figure 12
shows that non MPLS networks depicts a very high variation of packet delays, this has adverse
effect on the network performance, as opposed to MPLS networks that has a low variation in the
packet delays.

5.0 Diagrammatic Representation

Figure 10 Comparison for Traffic received in bps in MPLS and IP WSN model

Figure 11- Packets end-to-end delay comparison for MPLS and IP Model WSN model

Figure 12: Packet Delay variation comparison for MPLS and IP WSN network

Chapter Six
6.1 Conclusion and Recommendation
The main objective of this project was to determine the advantage of employing MPLS define in
a WSN networks by considering key network parameters as packet quantity transmitted, packet
end-to-end delay and the variation in the packet delay.
The project started with a literature review, then the design and implementation of design using
OPNET simulator.

The finding from the comparison metrics and the resultants diagrams help in answering the
research question earlier stated advantages of MPLS over other networks technologies for a
WSN network. From the results analysis, it can be seen that the benefit an organization will gain
by deploying MPLS network, is far much compared to other technologies. They stand to gain on
stable and faster network access, low latency and lower delay variation that often leads to packet
distortion
6.2 Future Study
This project work laid more emphasis on the performance of VoIP traffic between MPLS and
Conventional IP. The future work can be carried out to investigate the performance of MPLS
VoIP using signaling protocols CR-LDP and RSVP. This will rather be interesting as one will be
required to consider the codecs of the VoIP application. This will give rise to interesting
comparative metrics.

Reference
Alcatel Lucent(2009). IP/MPLS Networks for Highways. Infrastructures for highly available missioncritical communications
Cisco Systems(2008). MPLS FAQ For Beginners. Cisco Systems Inc.
Cisco Systems(2009). Understanding MPLS-TP and Its Benefits. Cisco System Inc. Publication

Becker M (2014) Services in Wireless Sensor Networks, Advanced Studies Mobile Research
Center
Oleveira et al.(2013).End-to-End Connectivity IPv6 over Wireless Sensor Networks accessed at
http://www.iariajournals.org/systems_and_measurements/
Sinniah G. et al. (2013). 6LoWPAN Gateway System for Wireless Sensor Networks and
Performance Analysis