This document provides an introduction to MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching). It discusses the drawbacks of traditional IP routing, including destination-based routing lookups needed on every hop. It then describes basic MPLS concepts, including forwarding packets based on labels rather than IP addresses. The MPLS architecture uses a control plane to exchange routing information and labels, and a data plane for simple label-based forwarding. MPLS can operate in frame mode, inserting labels between layers 2 and 3. Label switch routers perform label swapping in the data plane.

1. INTRODUCTIONTO MPLS
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Contents
01
02
03
Draw-Backs
Drawbacks of Traditional IP Routing
MPLS
Basic MPLS Concepts
Architecture
MPLS Architecture
04
05
06
Mode of Operation
MPLS Mode of Operation
Frame Mode
Frame Mode of MPLS
LSRs
Architecture of LSRs
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4. Traditional IP forwarding is based on the following:
• Routing protocolsare used to distributeLayer 3 routing information.
• Forwardingis based on the destinationaddressonly.
• Routing lookupsare performed on
every hop.
Drawbacks of Traditional IP Routing

5. Traditional IP Forwarding (cont.)
• Destination-basedrouting lookup is needed on
every hop.
• Every router may need full Internet routing information
(more than 100,000 routes).

6. • MPLS is a new forwarding mechanism in which packets are
forwarded based on labels.
• Labels may correspond to IP destination networks (equal to
traditional IP forwarding).
• Labels can also correspond to other parameters, such as quality
of service (QoS) or source address.
• MPLS was designed to support forwarding of other protocols as
well.
Basic MPLS Concepts

7. MPLS Example
• Only edge routers must perform a routing lookup.
• Core routers switchpackets based on simple label lookupsand
swap labels.

8. MPLS Architecture
• MPLS has two major components:
• Controlplane—exchangesLayer 3 routinginformation and labels
• Data plane—forwardspacketsbased on labels
• Controlplanecontains complex mechanismsto exchange routinginformation,
such as Open ShortestPath First (OSPF), EnhancedInterior GatewayRouting
Protocol(EIGRP),IntermediateSystem-to-IntermediateSystem(IS-IS),and BGP,
and to exchangelabels,such as Tag Distribution Protocol(TDP), label distribution
protocol(LDP), BGP, and ResourceReservationProtocol(RSVP).
• Data plane has a simple forwardingengine.
• Controlplanemaintainscontents ofthe label-switchingtable(label information
base,or LIB).

9. MPLS Architecture
Population of RIB/FIB/LIB/LFIB in an MPLS router

10. MPLS Modes of Operation
• MPLS technology is intended to be used anywhere regardless of
Layer 1 media and Layer 2 protocol.
• MPLS uses a 32-bit label field that is inserted between Layer 2
and Layer 3 headers (frame-mode).

11. Label Format
MPLS uses a 32-bit label field that containsthe following information:
• 20-bit label
• 3-bit experimentalfield
• 1-bit bottom-of-stackindicator
• 8-bit time-to-live(TTL) field

12. Frame Mode MPLS

13. Label Switch Router
• Label switch router (LSR) primarily forwards labeled packets
(label swapping)
• Edge LSR primarily labels IP packets and forwards them into
MPLS domain, or removes labels and forwards IP packets out of
the MPLS domain

14. ATM Label Switch Router
• ATM LSR can only forward cells
• ATM edge LSR segmentspackets into cells and forwards them
into an MPLS ATM domain, or reassemblescells intopackets
and forwards them out of an MPLS ATM domain

15. Architecture of LSRs
LSRs, regardless of the type, perform the following three
functions:
• Exchange routing information
• Exchange labels
• Forwardpackets (LSRs and edge LSRs) or cells (ATM
LSRs and ATM edge LSRs)
The first two functions are part of the control plane.
The last function is part of the data plane.

16. Architecture of LSRs
LSRs primarily forwardlabeled packets or cells (ATM LSRs).

17. Architecture of Edge LSRs

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