21/1/8 Security Level: Internal Use Only

MPLS Basis

May 13th 2011

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HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Huawei Confidential

 Preface

This course is developed on the basis

of multi-protocol label switching
technology (MPLS).
The purpose of this course is to
introduce basic knowledge on the
MPLS technology and describe actual
application of MPLS in MSTP
transport network.

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Guidelines
 The key point of this course lies in MPLS
technical details and working principle.
 The difficulty of this course lies in the
understanding of actual application of
MPLS in MSTP transport network.
 Before this course, you should know the
basis of SDH and Ethernet.

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References

 MPLS principle basis

 MPLS L2 VPN principle
 Data board deployment guide

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 Objectives

 After completing this course, you should be able

to:
 Know the concept and development of MPLS.

 Understand MPLS technical details and

working principle
 Understand actual application of MPLS in

transport network.

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 Contents

 Introduction to MPLS
 MPLS technical details and working
principle
 Actual application of MPLS

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MPLS
 MPLS——Multi-Protocol Label Switching
 Multi-Protocol: supports multiple L3 protocols, such as IP, IPv6 and
IPX. These protocols are located between L2 and L3, so they are also
called L2.5 protocols.
 Label: is a short, equal-length, processable information content with
partial meaning only, topology information excluded.
 Switching: MPLS packet switching and forwarding are based on labels.
For an IP service, when IP packets enter in the MPLS network, the
router in the entrance analyzes the contents of the IP packet and chooses
proper labels for these IP packets. All nodes in the MPLS network then
depend on these simple labels for forwarding. When the IP packets leave
the MPLS network, these labels are separated by the edge router on the
exit.

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Origin: to Combine IP and ATM

IP MPLS ATM

Connectionless- Connectionless- Connection-

oriented control oriented control oriented control
plane plane plane
Connectionless- Connection- Connection-
oriented forward oriented forward oriented forward
plane plane plane

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Traditional IP Forwarding

Analyze the IP header Analyze the IP header Analyze the IP header

and map the header and map the header and map the header
to the next hop to the next hop to the next hop

 The IP header is analyzed at every hop, so the efficiency is low.

 QoS is hard to be deployed and the efficiency is low.
 All routers need to know all routes of the entire network.

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ATM Switching Process
Virtual channel connection (VCC)

Virtual path connection (VPC)

UNI
UNI
NNI NNI
VC VP VC
switching switching switching

VPI = 1 VPI = 2 VPI = 26 VPI = 20

VCI = 1 VCI = 44 VCI = 44 VCI = 30

 Connection-oriented with N2 problems

 Routing depends on the link layer and is based on VPI/VCI or labels.
 The QoS and real-time services can be ensured.

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A Technology Combining Advantages of
ATM and IP

R + X = X

Router ATM switch MPLS

Router
 Layer 3 routing: expandability and flexibility
 Layer 2 switching: high reliability and traffic engineering management

Multi-protocol label switching: MPLS

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Basic Concepts of MPLS
LER
MPLS domain
IP
LER LSR LSR
LER

LSP
LSR
MPLS

LER

 LSR ： Label Switch Router

 LER ： Label Edge Router
 LSP ： Label Switch Path

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 Basic Working Process of MPLS

Core LSR
Edge LSR Edge
LSR

IP IP L1 IP L2 IP L3 IP

Label traditional IP
traditional IP forwarding forwarding
forwarding

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Advantages of MPLS

 The short and fixed-length label replaces the IP header as the forwarding
basis to improve the forwarding speed.
 IP and ATM are better combined.
 Value-added services are provided without affecting the efficiency.
 VPN
 Traffic engineering
 QoS

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 Why use MPLS
 MPLS combines flexible connection and expandability of the network layer with
reliable transmission and QoS of ATM label forwarding.
MPLS supports multiple standard routing protocols, such as BGP and OSPF.
 MPLS supports multiple label generation protocols, such as LDP and RSVP.
 MPLS supports multiple network layer protocols, such as IPv4, IPv6 and IPX.
 MPLS solves the problem of QoS.
 MPLS features high performance of label forwarding.
 MPLS supports L2 and L3 MPLS VPN.
 LSP is the tunnel of the public network, so MPLS has natural dominance of implementing
VPN. MPLS avoids N2 problems of traditional VPN in configuration and management.
 The control on VPN is implemented on PE, thus facilitating management and expansion.
 Each VPN forms an independent address; that is, VPNs can reuse their addresses.
 Control service isolation and interconnection between services of VPN.
 Support traffic engineering.
MPLS is connectionless oriented control plane and connection-oriented forward plane.

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Questions

 Q1: Describe the reason and definition of MPLS.

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  This section describes:
Summary  Basic concepts of MPLS

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 Contents

 Introduction to MPLS
 MPLS technical details and
working principle
 Actual application of MPLS

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Encapsulation Formats and Labels of MPLS
0 19 22 23 31

Label COS S TTL 32 bits

L2 Header MPLS Header IP Header Data

The MPLS packet header consists of 32 bits (four bytes):

20 bits are used as labels.

Three bits are Experimental, often used as class of service (CoS), but unspecified in

the protocol.
One bit is S, used to nest labels and identify whether it is stack bottom or not. In this

case, the label can be expanded infinitely.

Eight bits are TTL.

The MPLS packet header is located in front of the IP header (L3) and behind L2
header. Different encapsulation types determine the location of the MPLS header.
The labels (VPI/VCI) of other ATM/FR are a part of the MPLS protocol stack.

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Label Stack

L2 Header MPLS Header MPLS Header IP Header Data

 In theory, the label stack can be nested infinitely and thus

infinite service support capability can be provided. This is the
best feature of MPLS.

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Encapsulation Format of MPLS
CCC Encapsulation Format
DA SA VLAN TAG 0x8847(0x8848Broadcast) Label L3Data

6 6 4 2 4 N

MartinioE Encapsulation Format

DA SA 0x8847(0x8848Broadcast) Tunnel VC Ethernet Data
6 6 2 4 4 N

MartinioP Encapsulation Format

0x8847(0x8848Broadcast) Tunnel VC Ethernet Data

2 4 4 N
VLAN Encapsulation Format
DA SA 0x8100 VLAN VLAN TAG L3Data
6 6 2 2 4 N

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Page 21
Basic Concepts of Label Forwarding

 FEC-Forwarding Equivalent Class

 Set of data flows with the same attributes. These data flows are processed in
the same way by LSRs during transmission.
 FECs are identified by the address, service type, and QoS.
 During IP forwarding through the longest match algorithm, packets with the
same destination belong to an FEC.

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Label Operations

 Label operations include ：

 Push
 Swap
 Pop
 PHP (Penultimate Hop Popping)
 OptiX Hybrid MSTP does not support PHP

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Creating the Static LSP

 Static LSPs are manually created by users to assign labels for each
forwarding equivalence class (FEC) .
 The principle followed in manually assigning labels:
 The value of the OUT label on a node is the value of the IN label on the next
node.

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Creating the Dynamic LSP

 Dynamic LSP is set up automatically by the signaling protocol as

below:
 LDP ： Label Distribution Protocol
 RSVP-TE ： Resource Reservation Protocol-Traffic Engineering
 MP-BGP ： Multi-Protocol BGP
 Currently OptiX Hybrid MSTP products don’t support Dynamic
LSP.

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MPLS Label Forwarding
 In the MPLS domain, there is a static LSP to the IP host 3.3.3.3/32

300 200 100

Eth0 Eth0 Eth2 Eth1 Eth2 Eth0 Eth3

A B C D 3.3.3.3/32
(Ingress) (Transit 1) (Transit 2) (Egress)

Ingress Transit1 Transit2 Egress

FEC Out In Out In Out In

3.3.3.3/32 300 300 200 200 100 100

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 MPLS Label Forwarding
 The MPLS forwarding for the former FEC

Push Swap Swap Pop 3.3.3.3/32

300 200 100
Eth0 Eth0 Eth2 Eth1 Eth2 Eth0 Eth3
Ingress Transit1 Transit2 Egress

IP Packet IP Packet
To:3.3.3.3 Label:300 Label:200 Label:100 To:3.3.3.3
IP Packet IP Packet IP Packet
To:3.3.3.3 To:3.3.3.3 To:3.3.3.3

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MPLS TTL Processing
 Uniform Mode

CE PE P PE CE

MPLS Domain

MPLS
TTL254

IP TTL MPLS
254 TTL253

IP TTL IP TTL IP TTL

255 254 252

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MPLS TTL Processing (Cont.)
 Pipe Mode

CE PE P PE CE

MPLS MPLS
TTL100 TTL 99

IP TTL IP TTL
254 254

IP TTL IP TTL
255 253

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Questions

 Q1: Describe the structure of the MPLS packet header and know
the range of labels (maximum value).
 Q2: What is the MPLS label forwarding and what is the TTL?

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Huawei Confidential Page 30

  This section describes:
Summary  MPLS encapsulation format
 Relevant concepts of MPLS
 Concept of LSP and setup and
forwarding of LSP

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Huawei Confidential Page 31

 Contents

 Introduction to MPLS
 MPLS technical details and
working principle
 Actual application of MPLS

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. Huawei Confidential Page 32

MPLS Tunnel (LSP) Application
 The MPLS tunnel application in OptiX Hybrid MSTP

NE2
NODE B
FE

NE1
GE
NODE B
PSN
RNC
NE3
FE

UNI NNI NODE B

PW
L2 L3
MPLS Tunnel
UNI to NNI (L3)
OptiX Hybrid MSTP NE

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  This section describes:
Summary  MPLS Tunnel (LSP) Application

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Thank you
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