TRAFFIC ENGINEERING WITH

MULTIPROTOCOL LABEL

SWITCHING TECHNOLOGY

PROJECT INDEX: PRJ 073

BY

F17/1778/2006

WANJALA ELVIS

SUPERVISOR: DR. WEKESA

EXAMINER: DR. MANG’OLI

DATE: 26TH MAY, 2011

EEE UoN

OBJECTIVES

• To study and understand Multiprotocol

Label Switching (MPLS) technology.

• To study and understand the deployment of

MPLS for Traffic Engineering in relations

to resource utilization.

• To demonstrate, using simulation or

otherwise, Traffic Engineering with MPLS

(MPLS TE) using a case study.

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MULTIPROTOCOL LABEL

SWITCHING (MPLS)

• MPLS is a method of assigning labels to

data units (packets/frames/cells) and

switching the labelled data units across an

MPLS network through an explicit path.

• The explicit routes are formed on the basis

of the available resources in the network

and not necessarily the shortest path.

• Multiprotocol implies that MPLS is

independent of layer 3, layer 2 and layer 1

protocols.

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MPLS LABEL

• The MPLS Label is a 4 byte header that

encapsulates the IP header, VPI/VCI field of

ATM header, or DLCI field of Frame Relay

header.

• The MPLS label is as shown.

Label Exp. S TTL

4 Bytes

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MPLS OPERATION

LABEL SWITCHING

data

LER LERLSRLSR

IP Forwarding IP Forwarding

datadatalabel datalabel datalabel

PopPush SwapSwap

Label Switched Path

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LABEL DISTRIBUTION

LER1 LSR1 LER2

Data Plane

Data traffic flows Downstream

Label allocation flows Upstream

Data flow Data flow

Control Plane

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MPLS BENEFITS

• MPLS creates a unified all-protocol

infrastructure.

• MPLS creates a better IP/ATM integration.

• MPLS creates optimum traffic flow through

MPLS VPN.

• MPLS ensures maximum resource

utilization through MPLS TE.

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TRAFFIC ENGINEERING WITH

MPLS (MPLS TE)• Traffic Engineering (TE) is controlling

traffic through a network.

• TE improves the utilization of the resources

available in a given network.

• Thus TE avoids the congestion of some

parts of the network while others are

underutilized.

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TE WITH IPEEE UoN

A

C

B

IP IGP routing: Destination-based least-cost routing

Under-utilized alternate path

Path for A to C traffic

Path for B to C traffic

TE WITH MPLS TE

A

C

B

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MPLS TE OPERATION

There are three main stages in MPLS TE

operation.

Path calculation using Constraint Shortest

Path First (CSPF).

Path set up using Resource Reservation

Protocol with extensions for TE (RSVP-TE).

Path use.

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CASE STUDY SCENARIO

B

Ingress LSR

1.1.1.1/32

A

2.2.2.2/32

Egress LER

3.3.3.3/324.4.4.4/32

Path: 3.3.3.3Path

: 3.3

.3.3

Resv

: label 1

310710

Resv: label 131068

Downstream on Demand (DoD)

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DISCUSSION

• It was shown how MPLS TE has become handy in the telecommunication world.

• The main challenge was to obtain data from companies deploying MPLS TE in Kenya like Safaricom, KDN.

• The commercial version of OPNET modeller software was too expensive to acquire. This made demonstration of MPLS TE operation not possible.

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CONCLUSION

• MPLS can be used for TE with high

scalability as compared to ATM and Frame

Relay.

• In MPLS TE, the bandwidth reserved for a

given explicit route is guaranteed.

• MPLS TE reduces the cost incurred in

acquiring extra resources for overused links

in a network.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• The EIE Department, UoN, needs to buy

MPLS simulation software like OPNET

modeller to aid in demonstrating the MPLS

TE operation.

• More developments in MPLS TE like Fast

Reroute, Differential Services aware MPLS

TE, and inter-domain MPLS TE need to be

studied.

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THANK YOU ALL

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