The document discusses MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) and suggests it may have become popular due to its abbreviation rather than its technical merits. It notes MPLS is often associated with Minneapolis and speculates this is not a coincidence. Trends in MPLS publications and working groups are shown increasing sharply from 1996-2003. Potential benefits of MPLS discussed include providing an "intellectual honeypot" for inferior research, simplifying conference reviews, and enabling more advanced research in other areas by attracting less capable researchers. Hiding topology and avoiding "hop count penalties" when moving from ATM to MPLS are also mentioned as benefits.

1. MPLS Considered
Helpful
Bruce Davie
bsd@cisco.com
Outrageous 2003 1

2. • I’m not bitter
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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3. MPLS
• Widely believed to stand for
“Multiprotocol Label Switching”
Would it have been more popular if “IP
switching” were not already taken?
• But in reality MPLS is short for
“Minneapolis”
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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4. The Midwestern Grassy Knoll
• As MPLS becomes more and more
dominant in the IETF, the IETF keeps
circling back to Minneapolis
• Coincidence or conspiracy? You be
the judge.
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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5. MPLS Trends
MPLS Books Published (p.a.)
MPLS Working Groups
MPLS Internet Drafts
ℵ0
12
Sigcomm Papers
6
1996 1997 1998 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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6. MPLS Trends
MPLS Books Published (p.a.)
MPLS Working Groups
MPLS Internet Drafts
ℵ0
12
6
0 Sigcomm Papers
1996 1997 1998 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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7. MPLS Benefits #1 & 2
• An intellectual honeypot for demonstrably
inferior research
• Simplication of Sigcomm Review process
If (title contains “MPLS”) then
strong_reject = true
else
review paper
• Research on more advanced algorithms
possible
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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8. • I’m not bitter
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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9. The Shenker Experiment
• Davie, B., and Shenker, S. The impact of
steganography on service differentiation:
a game-theoretic approach
• Davie, B., and Shenker, S. Solving the
major problems in routing, addressing,
congestion and scaling using MPLS: a
game-theoretic approach
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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10. MPLS Benefit 3: TTL hiding
• Providers can hide the internal
topology from pesky grad students
• Moving from ATM to MPLS carries no
“increased hop count penalty”
• Ongoing research: TTL incrementing
for IP
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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11. MPLS Benefit 4: Spam
Protection
• Need an IP address to receive spam
• I’m rejecting all packets that have an IP header
right above the L2 header
• Here is my MPLS label – don’t tell the spammers
Appplication data (generic viagra advert)
Transport Header
IP Header (optional)
MPLS label = 01100110001101100101
L2 Header
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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12. MPLS-based spam protection
• MPLS labels are link-local in scope
If you tell my label to spammers, I can pick
another one (new business card needed)
• Research
How you ensure the right label is on your
packets when they arrive at my link
Virtual business card distribution protocols
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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13. • I’m not bitter
Outrageous 2003 © 2003, Bruce Davie
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