© 2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Label Assignment and Distribution
Typical Label Distribution in FrameMode MPLS
Outline
Overview MPLS Unicast IP Routing and Architecture Label Switch Paths
Label Allocation in a Frame-Mode MPLS Environment

Label Distribution and Advertisement Populating LFIB
Packet Propagation Across an MPLS Network

Frame-mode Loop Detection Penultimate Hop Popping Per-Platform Label Allocation Lesson Summary
2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. MPLS v2.02-3
MPLS Unicast IP Routing Architecture

MPLS introduces a new field that is used for forwarding decisions. Although labels are locally significant, they have to be advertised to directly reachable peers.
One option would be to include this parameter in existing IP routing protocols.
The other option is to create a new protocol to exchange labels.

The second option has been used because there are too many existing IP routing protocols that would have to be modified to carry labels.
MPLS v2.02-4
MPLS Unicast IP Routing Architecture (Cont.)
MPLS v2.02-5
MPLS v2.02-6
MPLS v2.02-7
MPLS v2.02-8
MPLS v2.02-9
MPLS v2.02-10
MPLS v2.02-11
MPLS v2.02-12
MPLS v2.02-13
Label Switched Paths

A label switched path (LSP) is a sequence of LSRs that forward labeled packets of a certain forwarding equivalence class.
MPLS unicast IP forwarding builds LSPs based on the output of IP routing protocols. LDP and TDP advertise labels only for individual segments in the LSP. LSPs are unidirectional.
Return traffic uses a different LSP (usually the reverse path because most routing protocols provide symmetrical routing).
An LSP can take a different path from the one chosen by an IP routing protocol (MPLS Traffic Engineering).
LSP Building
The IP routing protocol determines the path.
MPLS v2.02-15
LSP Building (Cont.)
MPLS v2.02-16
LSP Building (Cont.)
LDP or TDP propagates labels to convert the path to a label switched path (LSP).
Impacts of IP Aggregation on Label Switched Paths
MPLS v2.02-18
MPLS v2.02-19
MPLS v2.02-20
IP aggregation breaks an LSP into two segments. Router C is forwarding packets based on Layer 3 information.
Impacts of IP Aggregation on Label Switched Paths (Cont.)
ATM LSRs must not aggregate because they cannot forward IP packets. Aggregation should not be used where endtoend LSPs are required (MPLS VPN).
MPLS v2.02-22
Label Allocation in a Frame-Mode MPLS Network
Label allocation and distribution in a frame-mode MPLS network follows these steps:
IP routing protocols build the IP routing table. Each LSR assigns a label to every destination in the IP routing table independently. LSRs announce their assigned labels to all other LSRs. Every LSR builds its LIB, LFIB, and FIB data structures based on received labels.
MPLS v2.02-23
Label Allocation in a Frame-Mode MPLS Network (Cont.) Building the IP Routing Table
IP routing protocols are used to build IP routing tables on all LSRs. FIBs are built based on IP routing tables with no labeling information.
Label Allocation in a Frame-Mode MPLS Network (Cont.) Allocating Labels
Every LSR allocates a label for every destination in the IP routing table. Labels have local significance. Label allocations are asynchronous.
Label Allocation in a Frame-Mode MPLS Network (Cont.) LIB and LFIB Setup
LIB and LFIB structures have to be initialized on the LSR allocating the label.
Label Distribution and Advertisement
The allocated label is advertised to all neighbor LSRs, regardless of whether the neighbors are upstream or downstream LSRs for the destination.
Label Distribution and Advertisement (Cont.) Receiving Label Advertisement
Every LSR stores the received label in its LIB. Edge LSRs that receive the label from their next hop also store the label information in the FIB.
Label Distribution and Advertisement (Cont.) Interim Packet Propagation
Forwarded IP packets are labeled only on the path segments where the labels have already been assigned.
Label Distribution and Advertisement (Cont.) Further Label Allocation
Every LSR will eventually assign a label for every destination.

Every LSR stores received information in its LIB. LSRs that receive their label from their next hop LSR will also populate the IP forwarding table (FIB).
Every LSR stores received information in its LIB. LSRs that receive their label from their next hop LSR will also populate the IP forwarding table (FIB).
Populating LFIB
Router B has already assigned a label to network X and created an entry in the LFIB. The outgoing label is inserted in the LFIB after the label is received from the next hop LSR.
MPLS v2.02-36
MPLS v2.02-37
MPLS v2.02-38
MPLS v2.02-39
Loop Detection
LDP/TDP relies on loop detection mechanisms built into IGPs that are used to determine the path.
If, however, a loop is generated (that is, misconfiguration with static routes), the TTL field in the label header is used to prevent indefinite looping of packets. TTL functionality in the label header is equivalent to TTL in the IP headers. TTL is usually copied from the IP headers to the label headers (TTL propagation).
Normal TTL Operation
Cisco routers have TTL propagation enabled by default. On ingress: TTL is copied from IP header to label header. On egress: TTL is copied from label header to IP header.
TTL and Loop Detection
Labeled packets are dropped when the TTL is decreased to 0.

Disabling TTL Propagation

TTL propagation can be disabled. The IP TTL value is not copied into the TTL field of the label, and the label TTL is not copied back into the IP TTL. Instead, the value 255 is assigned to the label header TTL field on the ingress LSR. Disabling TTL propagation hides core routers in the MPLS domain. Traceroute across an MPLS domain does not show any core routers.
Traceroute with Disabled TTL Propagation
The first traceroute packet (ICMP or UDP) that reaches the network is dropped on router A. An ICMP time-to-live exceeded message is sent to the source from router A.
Traceroute with Disabled TTL Propagation (Cont.)
MPLS v2.02-47
Traceroute with Disabled TTL Propagation (Cont.)
The second traceroute packet that reaches the network is dropped on router D.
An ICMP time-to-live exceeded message is sent to the source from router D.
Impact of Disabling TTL Propagation

Traceroute across an MPLS domain does not show core routers. TTL propagation has to be disabled on all label switch routers. Mixed configurations (some LSRs with TTL propagation enabled and some with TTL propagation disabled) could result in faulty traceroute output. TTL propagation can be enabled for forwarded traffic onlytraceroute from LSRs does not use the initial TTL value of 255.
Penultimate Hop Popping: Before
MPLS v2.02-50
Penultimate Hop Popping: Before
Double lookup is not an optimal way of forwarding labeled packets. A label can be removed one hop earlier.
Penultimate Hop Popping: After
MPLS v2.02-52
Penultimate Hop Popping: After
A label is removed on the router before the last hop within an MPLS domain.
Penultimate Hop Popping
Penultimate hop popping optimizes MPLS performance (one less LFIB lookup).
PHP does not work on ATM (VPI/VCI cannot be removed).

The pop or implicit null label uses a reserved value when being advertised to a neighbor.
MPLS v2.02-54
Per-Platform Label Allocation
An LFIB on a router usually does not contain an incoming interface. The same label can be used on any interfaceperplatform label allocation. LSR announces a label to an adjacent LSR only once even if there are parallel links between them.
Per-Platform Label Allocation (Cont.) Benefits and Drawbacks of Per-Platform Label Allocation
Benefits:
Smaller LFIB Faster label exchange
Drawbacks:
Insecureany neighbor LSR can send packets with any label in the LFIB
MPLS v2.02-56
Per-Platform Label Allocation (Cont.) Benefits and Drawbacks of Per-Platform Label Allocation
Benefits:
Smaller LFIB Faster label exchange
Drawbacks:
Insecureany neighbor LSR can send packets with any label in the LFIB
MPLS v2.02-57
Summary
A forwarding equivalence class (FEC) equals an IP destination network. A label switching path (LSP) is a sequence of LSRs that forward labeled packets of a certain forwarding equivalence class. Every LSR assigns a label for every destination in the IP routing table. Although labels are locally significant, they have to be advertised to directly reachable peers. Outgoing labels are inserted in the LFIB after the label is received from the next hop LSR. Packets are forwarded using labels from the LFIB table rather than the IP routing table. If TTL propagation is disabled, traceroute across an MPLS domain does not show core routers. Penultimate hop popping optimizes MPLS performance (one less LFIB lookup). LSR announces a label to an adjacent LSR only once even if there are parallel links between them.

© 2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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2003, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Label Assignment and Distribution

Typical Label Distribution in FrameMode MPLS