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The continuing expansion and popularity of the Internet is forcing routers in the core network to support the interconnection of more
and more networks. These essential devices are established on the layer 3 (IP) parameters and route information from one logical
network to another, based on the destination IP address. However, as the number of interconnected networks grows, so does the
strain on the processing power of these devices. Advances in hardware logic have enabled routers to keep up with the increased IP
address ranges; yet the routing decisions could still affect the traffic flow of the interconnected network.
Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is a traffic-directing technology that promises a more efficient routing scheme based on the
assignments of labels to routed packets. This allows for a more efficient routing process as well as the ability to control the flow of
traffic within the network, a process commonly known as “traffic engineering”. This application note will examine the basic technical
aspects of MPLS and the testing needs associated with deploying and maintaining such a network.
Traditional routers exchange information and build routing tables, determining the lowest cost next hop that a frame should take in order
to attain the destination indicated in the destination IP address. This is accomplished using routing algorithms, such as BGP and OSPF.
The traditional routing process is a straightforward but strenuous process: Once a packet is received by a router, it is inspected in
order to obtain the destination IP address. This address is compared to an internal database of IP address ranges, and the next best
hop in order to attain this destination is calculated. This process can be further complicated by the possibility of having multiple next
best hop destinations. In such a case, a router must perform additional analysis to identify a more specific route.
As stated above, routing algorithms are only concerned with the lowest cost route and do not take into consideration quality-affecting
parameters such as latency or links with lower utilization. MPLS, on the other hand, is a frame-forwarding mechanism based on the
application, treatment and exchange of labels that provide efficient forwarding of traffic within an MPLS-enabled network. These labels
are inserted as the packet enters the MPLS network and are removed as they exit the network by label edge routers (LER).
MPLS is not designed to replace IP or IP routing protocols but instead works in conjunction with IP-routing protocols to provide a
simple and less process-intensive approach for determining the next best hop. External routing protocols, such as BGP, are still used to
determine connectivity to the edge routers, while label switching avoids complex routing tables through the use of simple and fixed
length labels. These labels are easy to search in lookup tables and are easier to treat and manipulate than complex IP addresses and
their associated subnet masks.
MPLS Basics
Network Architecture
The MPLS network is typically composed of two main devices, the LER and the label switch router (LSR). The LER is, as the name implies,
located at the edge of the MPLS network and is responsible for the insertion of labels before transmission in the MPLS network. The LSR is a
core device that performs label operation and packet forwarding through the MPLS-enabled network.
Packets travel across the MPLS-enabled network via a specific route referred to as the “label switched path (LSP)”. This path is unidirectional
and is defined between ingress edge routers to an egress edge router. In bidirectional communication, return traffic does not necessarily take
the same path as the original traffic; therefore, independent LSP assignment is necessary for each direction.
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LSP MPLS Cloud
Site A Site B
Customer Customer
Edge Edge
The Label
The MPLS label is inserted between the layer 2 and layer 3 and is 32 bits long.
Once LIB and FEC tables are built, MPLS routing and forwarding is a straightforward process:
1. At the LER, incoming packets are inspected and are labeled using the information found in the FEC tables; the packet is then
forwarded to the next hop.
2. When the next hop receives the packet, it inspects the label and compares it to its internal LIB; it then performs the label
operation and then forwards the packet to the next hop, according to the LIB entry.
3. The process is repeated until the packet reaches the far end LER; the labels are then removed and the packet is forwarded to its
final destination.
Site A Site B
Customer Customer
Edge Edge
1. Packet is received at LER. 2. Labeled packet is forwarded 3. At the edge router, the label
It is inspected and in network. At each LSR, is removed and the packet
based on the FEC the label is swapped is forwarded toward its
a label is applie final destination
Another major strength of MPLS is the traffic engineering capabilities of label insertion. Since frames are forwarded via labels, carriers can
easily control the route that packets take and even design quality of service (QoS) mechanisms using MPLS labels. This type of flexibility is
not available in traditional routing protocols and provides management and control functions to carriers on MPLS-enabled networks.
Testing Needs
Testing MPLS networks usually involves ensuring connectivity and resiliency and measuring performance. The following scenarios represent
typical MPLS edge to MPLS edge, MPLS core to customer edge and VPN/stacking tests.
Site A
Site B
Customer Customer
Edge Edge
Site A
Site B
Customer Customer
Edge Edge
Site A
Site B
Customer Customer
Edge Edge
Site A
Site B
Customer Customer
Edge Edge
Test Tools
The Packet Blazer FTB-8510B Ethernet Test Module and FTB-8510G 10 Gigabit Ethernet Test Module provide comprehensive test solutions
for the analysis and qualification of MPLS networks.
Stream Selector: up to 10
independent streams available
Per-stream
encapsulation selection
MPLS Configuration
Stacked Header configuration:
Up to two MPLS labels available
Figure 8. MPLS related configuration in the Packet Blazer test frame configuration
Traffic Analysis
Analysis is performed on incoming traffic with specific statistics on MPLS tagged traffic:
TX and RX frame
counters of MPLS traffic
Real-time bandwidth of
all MPLS-tagged traffic
Filters can be configured with MPLS fields such as MPLS label and MPLS COS for up to two layers.
Filter definition
Conclusion
MPLS efficiently increases the traffic forwarding process while still implementing essential routing processes across the core. However, the
deployment of MPLS requires unique testing scenarios to assess the performance and reliability of the network and to guarantee service
levels. EXFO offers compact, portable, comprehensive MPLS test solutions to efficiently qualify Ethernet services from end-to-end, validating
metro and core tunneling technologies.
APPNOTE211.1AN © 2009 EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada 09-02