Multiprotocol Label Switching (RFC 3031)

Introduction
Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC): group of IP packets forwarded
in the same manner.
Forwarding a packet involves:

1. Determine the packets FEC.

2. Map each FEC to a next hop.

In conventional IP forwarding, FEC determination done at every

hop.
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MPLS Forwarding: Overview

 Determination of a packets FEC done at network ingress.

 Packets FEC encoded in a fixed length label.
 Only the label examined (and swapped) at subsequent Label
Switching Routers (LSRs)/hops to determine next hop.

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MPLS Labels

 Labels have local significance only (per-interface or per-LSR

label space).

 Label binding: association between a label and an FEC.

 Labels are downstream assigned:
Label binding decision made by downstream label switched
router (LSR).
Downstream LSR informs upstream LSR of the binding.

 Each LSR responsible for uniquely interpreting its labels.

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MPLS: Advantages

 MPLS forwarding can be done by switches (possibly cheaper

and faster).

 Information not contained in packet headers can be used for

FEC determination.

 Possible to implement complicated FEC determination schemes

at network boundary without affecting internal routers/switches.

 Possible to force packets to follow certain path(s).

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Label Distribution Protocol

 Procedures for one LSR to inform its label distribution peers

about label binding.

 Multiple label distribution protocols being standardized.

 A combination of the following possible:
Unsolicited Downstream label distribution.
Downstream-on-Demand label distribution.

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Label Stack

 A packet may carry multiple labels organized in a last-in, firstout stack.

 Label processing independent of labels level in stack.
Always process the top label in the stack.
Forwarding decision made on the basis of topmost label.

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Next Hop Label Forwarding Entry (NHLFE)

Contains information about:

 Packets next hop.

 Operation to perform on packets label stack:
Replace the top label.
Pop label stack (e.g. if next hop is same LSR).
Push one or more new labels on the stack.

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Label Switching

 Routers R1 : : : Rn in label switched path (LSP) of packet P.

 Ingress LSR (R1) pushes label onto packets label stack.
 Let resultant label stack depth = m.
 Forwarding decision of interior LSRs (R2 : : : Rn 1) made on
the basis of depth m label.

 Depth m label popped at egress LSR.

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Issues

1. Can penultimate hop (Rn 1) popping reduce the work of the

egress LSR?

2. What to do with a packet carrying an invalid label, or with no

outgoing label?

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LSP Control
Independent Control: on detecing an FEC, each LSR does the
following

 Independently binds a label to the FEC.

 Distributes the binding to its label distribution peers.
Similar to IP datagram routing.
Ordered Control: LSR binds a label to an FEC only if:

 It is the egress LSR for the FEC, or

 It has already received a binding for the FEC from its
downstream node for the FEC.
Independent and Ordered control are interoperable.
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FEC Aggregation

 Union of FECs following a common LSP treated as an FEC.

 Binding a single label to the aggregated FECs.
 Applying this label to all traffic in the union.
Impact:

 Reduces the number of labels needed to handle traffic.

 Reduces label distribution traffic.
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TTL Related Issues

Consider two ways in which MPLS header is carried:
1. Shim header between L2 and L3 headers.
2. In L2 header.
Question: How to handle the followng TTL related issues for the two
approaches?
1. Loop suppression, and
2. Other functions, e.g., limiting scope of a packet.
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