CONMUTACIN Y RUTEO II

Clase 13. Multiprotocol Label

Switching
Alberto Arellano A. Ing. Msc.
aarellano@espoch.edu.ec
CCNA CCNP - CCSP

MPLS Introduction
Motivation
MPLS Basics
Components and Protocols
Operation
Protocol Stack Architecture
Advantages and Disadvantages

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

but there are disadvantages

Motivation (cont.)
IP Routing disadvantages
Connectionless
- e.g. no QoS
Each router has to make independent forwarding
decisions based on the IP-address
Large IP Header
- At least 20 bytes
Routing in Network Layer
- Slower than Switching
Usually designed to obtain shortest path
- Do not take into account additional metrics

Host A
Router 1
Destino

Ruta

200.1.2.0

Directo

200.15.16.0

Directo

201.8.9.0

200.15.16.4

Destino

Ruta

200.15.16.0

Directo

Destino

Ruta

200.1.2.0

200.15.16.3

201.8.9.0

Directo

Defecto

200.15.16.4

201.10.11.0

Directo

200.1.2.0

Host B Datos
200.15.16.30

Host B Datos
201.10.11.20

Host B Datos

200.15.16.3

Red 1
200.1.2.0

201.8.9.4

Host B

200.15.16.0 201.8.9.4

201.10.11.0 200.15.16.4

200.1.2.1

Router 3

En cada
nodo se
repite el
clculo

Red 2
200.15.16.0

201.8.9.8

200.15.16.4
201.8.9.4
Host B Datos

201.10.11.3
Host B Datos

Red 3
201.8.9.0

Host B Datos

Router 2
Destino

Ruta

200.15.16.0

Directo

201.8.9.0

Directo

200.1.2.0

200.15.16.3

201.10.11.0 201.8.9.8

Red 4
201.10.11.0

Todo
es por
Software

Basado en el
anlisis de la
cabecera del
paquete y del
resultado de
ejecutar un
algoritmo de
enrutamiento.

Motivation (cont.)
ATM
connection oriented
- Supports QoS
fast packet switching with fixed length
packets (cells)
integration of different traffic types
(voice, data, video)

but there are also disadvantages

Motivation (cont.)
ATM disadvantages
Complex
Expensive
Not widely adopted

Motivation (cont.)
Idea: Combine the forwarding
algorithm used in ATM with IP.

MPLS Introduction
Motivation
MPLS Basics
Components and Protocols
Operation
Protocol Stack Architecture
Advantages and Disadvantages

MPLS Evolution

Evolved in 1996 to full IETF standard, covering over

130 RFCs

Key application initially were Layer-3 VPNs, followed by

Traffic Engineering (TE), and Layer-2 VPNs
Optimize MPLS for
packet transport
Optimize MPLS for video
Complete base MPLS portfolio
Bring MPLS to Market

First L3VPNs
Deployed

Cisco ships
MPLS

1997 1998

1999

First MPLS TE
Deployments

2000

Large Scale
L2VPN
Deployments

First L2VPN
Deployments

2001

2002

Large Scale
L3VPN
Deployments

2003 2004

2005

Large Scale
MPLS TE
Deployments

2006

2007 2008

First MPLS
Transport Profile
Deployments

2009

2010 2011

2012

2013

2014
10

What is MPLS?

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

MPLS Basics (cont.)

MPLS Characteristics
Mechanisms to manage traffic flows of
various granularities (Flow Management)
Is independent of Layer-2 and Layer-3
protocols
Maps IP-addresses to fixed length labels
Interfaces to existing routing protocols
(IS-IS, OSPF, BGP)
Supports ATM, Frame-Relay and Ethernet

MPLS Technology Framework

MPLS Introduction
Motivation
MPLS Basics
MPLS Components and Protocols
MPLS Operation
MPLS Protocol Stack Architecture
Advantages and Disadvantages

MPLS Network Overview

Label Edge Router - LER

Resides at the edge of an MPLS network and
assigns and removes the labels from the
packets.
Support multiple ports connected to dissimilar
networks (such as frame relay, ATM, and
Ethernet).

Label Switching Router - LSR

Is a high speed router in the core on an MPLS
network.
ATM switches can be used as LSRs without
changing their hardware. Label switching is
equivalent to VP/VC switching.

MPLS Label
Generic label format

MPLS Label
PPP
(Lneas dedicadas)

Cabecera
PPP

Pila de etiquetas
MPLS

LANs (802.2)

Cabecera
MAC

Cabecera
LLC

Cabecera IP

Pila de etiquetas
MPLS

Datos

Cola PPP

Cabecera IP

Datos

Cola MAC

Campo VPI/VCI

ATM

Etiqueta MPLS
Superior

Resto de
etiquetas MPLS

Cabecera IP

Datos

Resto de
etiquetas MPLS

Cabecera IP

Datos

Cabecera ATM
Campo DLCI

Frame Relay

Etiqueta MPLS
Superior
Cabecera Frame Relay

20

Cola
Frame Relay

MPLS Label Operations

Forward Equivalence Class - FEC

Is a representation of a group of
packets that share the same
requirements for their transport.
The assignment of a particular packet
to a particular FEC is done just once
(when the packet enters the network).

Forward Equivalence Class - FEC

LSR

LSR
LER

LER

LSP
IP1

IP1
IP1

#L1

IP1

#L2

IP1

#L3

IP2

#L1

IP2

#L2

IP2

#L3

IP2

IP2

Packets are destined for different address prefixes,

but can be mapped to common path

FEC = A subset of packets that are all treated the same way by a
router
The concept of FECs provides for a great deal of flexibility and
scalability
In conventional routing, a packet is assigned to a FEC at each hop
(i.e. L3 look-up), in MPLS it is only done once at the network ingress

Label-Switched Paths - LSPs

A path is established before the data transmission
starts.
A path is a representation of a FEC.

LSP Details
MPLS provides two options to set up an LSP
hop-by-hop routing
Each LSR independently selects the next hop for
a given FEC. LSRs support any available routing
protocols (OSPF, IS-IS).
explicit routing
Is similar to source routing. The ingress LSR
specifies the list of nodes through which the
packet traverses.

The LSP setup for an FEC is unidirectional.

The return traffic must take another LSP!

LSP Details

Label Distribution Protocols

Overview of Hop-by-hop & Explicit
Label Distribution Protocol (LDP)
Constraint-based Routing LDP (CRLDP)
Extensions to RSVP
Extensions to BGP

Label Distribution Protocol - LDP

An application layer protocol for the
distribution of label binding
information to LSRs.
It is used to map FECs to labels, which,
in turn, create LSPs.
LDP sessions are established between
LDP peers in the MPLS network (not
necessarily adjacent).
Sometimes employs OSPF or BGP.

Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) - Purpose

Label distribution ensures that adjacent routers have
a common view of FEC <-> label bindings

Step 3: LSR inserts label

value into forwarding base

Step 2: LSR communicates

binding to adjacent LSR

Step 1: LSR creates binding

between FEC and label value

Common understanding of which FEC the label is referring to!

Label distribution can either piggyback on top of an existing routing protocol,
or a dedicated label distribution protocol (LDP) can be created

Traffic Engineering
In MPLS, traffic engineering is inherently provided
using explicitly routed paths.
The LSPs are created independently, specifying
different paths that are based on user-defined
policies. However, this may require extensive
operator intervention.
RSVP-TE and CR-LDP are two possible approaches
to supply dynamic traffic engineering and QoS in
MPLS.

VPN MODELS

MPLS VPN L2

MPLS VPN L3

MPLS QoS

MPLS CONFIGURATION

LER_1

LSR

LER_2

MPLS CONFIGURATION

LSR

MPLS CONFIGURATION

MPLS EXAMPLE 1

OSPF 10

MPLS EXAMPLE 2