MPLS Control Plane for Packet Networks
Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) was introduced in the late 1990s.
In its original RFC 3031 guise the fundamental concept was to switch packets
based upon looking up a label in the packet header. From that concept MPLS
has evolved into a hugely successful and flexible networking technology that
offers a robust set of services and transport functionalities which are
controlled by a common control plane.
MPLS naturally allows layering through the process of label stacking.
This leads to outer labels being used for transport functions and inner labels
to define the service. The real power of MPLS then becomes the ability to
layer any service over any transport, and to combine multiple services over
a packet transport, while providing appropriate QoS for each service.
MPLS Services support packet IP
traffic, including layer 3 VPNs, packet Layer 2 traffic (such as Carrier
Ethernet), and Pseudowires that carry packet or circuit traffic (such as mobile
backhaul).
MPLS Transport functionality
provides options for traffic engineering, guaranteed QoS, fast protection
and restoration, and OAM capabilities. It can be used for a variety of
technologies, including the new MPLS Transport Profile
(MPLS-TP) that
brings the class of service and OAM capabilities usually associated with
optical transport to less expensive packet based equipment.
A control plane is required to signal MPLS connections for both MPLS
services and transport functions. Tight integration with interior gateway
protocols such as IS-IS and OSPF is needed as these routing protocols learn
the network topology and pass the information to the MPLS signaling protocols
which find the optimal paths through the network.
Metaswitch is far and away the leader in providing MPLS based solutions,
services and transport functions, for packet based networks. Also, Metaswitch
delivers a full pre-integrated IP routing and MPLS control plane solution that
dramatically reduces project time to market, cost and risk.
Solutions and Benefits
- Full support of all the MPLS transport related extensions/advanced
features (such as Traffic Engineering, Restoration, and CSPF algorithm)
- Full support of all the MPLS service related extensions/advanced
features (such as L2 VPNs, L3 VPNs, and Pseudowires)
- Reduced project risk, time to market, and cost with a fully
Integrated Control Plane
Solution Elements
The Metaswitch solution for equipment manufacturers of packet MPLS platforms
is based on the following elements:
- Metaswitch Integrated Control Plane
solutions
- DC-RSVP and DC-LDP,
Metaswitch's widely deployed MPLS signaling products
- DC-OSPF and/or
DC-ISIS, Metaswitch's widely
deployed IP routing products
- DC-OAM – including BFD and LSP Ping support
- N-BASE, Metaswitch's portable operating environment
for its network software products
- High Availability Framework (HAF),
Metaswitch's architecture for delivering fault tolerance and reduced downtime
across its range of network software products
- Metaswitch engineering services which
include professional services, training, and support directly from our Metaswitch
engineering organization