RE: MPLS in metro access networks
soooo...Label switching assigns labels to packet headers which results in less time and processing looking up routes, and instead relies upon a label index for forwarding decisions? Hence my statement "faster switching/routing and less processing":) Marc -----Original Message----- From: Michael Cohen [mailto:mcohen@thrupoint.net] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:56 AM To: Quibell, Marc Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks I hope so:) -----Original Message----- From: Quibell, Marc [mailto:mquibell@icn.state.ia.us] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:46 AM To: 'mcohen@thrupoint.net'; nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks Are we talking about Multiprotocol Label Switching? Marc -----Original Message----- From: Michael Cohen [mailto:mcohen@thrupoint.net] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:45 AM To: nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks And I'm not sure what faster switching/routing has to do with MPLS:) I believe one of the ideas behind MPLS benefiting metro access networks is using MPLS to deliver layer 2 VPNs across an MPLS enabled core thus simulating leased lines for access clients...but I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong. There seems to be some hype for Martini draft VPNs and large enterprise customers in metro areas. Cheers, -Michael Cohen -----Original Message----- From: owner-nanog@merit.edu [mailto:owner-nanog@merit.edu]On Behalf Of Quibell, Marc Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:20 AM To: 'srihari varada'; nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks I would think faster switching/routing and less processing would be wanted in any mid-to-large sized network...I'm not sure what load balancing and fault restoration has to do with MPLS.... Marc -----Original Message----- From: srihari varada [mailto:varada@txc.com] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:12 AM To: nanog@merit.edu Subject: MPLS in metro access networks Hello: I have heard some stressing the role of MPLS in metro access networks. It is difficult for me to visualize the need for it in them while it is not so difficult to understand the utility (load balancing and fault restoration etc.) of it in the metro backbone networks. To characterize metro access networks in the context, the following is provided: -- aggregates traffic from residential (arriving via broadband access links such as xDSL, Cable) and business consumers (arriving via broadband access links such as xDSL and high speed links such as Ethernet or SONET) -- funnels aggregated traffic to metro backbone networks for destination hosts in the local metro region or remote regions across the internet regional and backbone networks. Majority of such access networks are SONET/ATM based (I didn't come across any case of Gig Ethernet. However, I do not preculde it). Thus, there are two questions: -- Are there known RBOCs/ILECs and CLECs entrenching MPLS in the said network scope? (I do not see many major ILECs in the un-official MPLS service providers list being circulated but it may mean little) -- If so, what motivates them to do so? Any analysis of the driving forces is appreciated. Regards, Srihari Varada
I still have to disagree that MPLS results in faster switching/routing in modern service provider networks. Modern vendor caching mechanisms are just as fast if not faster than MPLS processing. With the small overhead of MPLS labels and LDP I highly doubt that you're getting any performance increase over Cisco's CEF or Juniper's FPC architecture. I also doubt that speed is a benefit that service providers consider when deciding whether or not they want to implement MPLS. Added services that run on top of MPLS like VPNs, traffic engineering, and fast rerouting capabilities (all mentioned in the original post) are more likely the benefits considered. Perhaps when label switching was first being marketed (Ipsilon and Cisco in 1996) there were some speed benefits but now I think it's the services that use MPLS that are the major benefit. -Michael Cohen -----Original Message----- From: Quibell, Marc [mailto:mquibell@icn.state.ia.us] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:59 AM To: 'mcohen@thrupoint.net'; 'nanog@merit.edu' Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks soooo...Label switching assigns labels to packet headers which results in less time and processing looking up routes, and instead relies upon a label index for forwarding decisions? Hence my statement "faster switching/routing and less processing":) Marc -----Original Message----- From: Michael Cohen [mailto:mcohen@thrupoint.net] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:56 AM To: Quibell, Marc Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks I hope so:) -----Original Message----- From: Quibell, Marc [mailto:mquibell@icn.state.ia.us] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:46 AM To: 'mcohen@thrupoint.net'; nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks Are we talking about Multiprotocol Label Switching? Marc -----Original Message----- From: Michael Cohen [mailto:mcohen@thrupoint.net] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:45 AM To: nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks And I'm not sure what faster switching/routing has to do with MPLS:) I believe one of the ideas behind MPLS benefiting metro access networks is using MPLS to deliver layer 2 VPNs across an MPLS enabled core thus simulating leased lines for access clients...but I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong. There seems to be some hype for Martini draft VPNs and large enterprise customers in metro areas. Cheers, -Michael Cohen -----Original Message----- From: owner-nanog@merit.edu [mailto:owner-nanog@merit.edu]On Behalf Of Quibell, Marc Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:20 AM To: 'srihari varada'; nanog@merit.edu Subject: RE: MPLS in metro access networks I would think faster switching/routing and less processing would be wanted in any mid-to-large sized network...I'm not sure what load balancing and fault restoration has to do with MPLS.... Marc -----Original Message----- From: srihari varada [mailto:varada@txc.com] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 10:12 AM To: nanog@merit.edu Subject: MPLS in metro access networks Hello: I have heard some stressing the role of MPLS in metro access networks. It is difficult for me to visualize the need for it in them while it is not so difficult to understand the utility (load balancing and fault restoration etc.) of it in the metro backbone networks. To characterize metro access networks in the context, the following is provided: -- aggregates traffic from residential (arriving via broadband access links such as xDSL, Cable) and business consumers (arriving via broadband access links such as xDSL and high speed links such as Ethernet or SONET) -- funnels aggregated traffic to metro backbone networks for destination hosts in the local metro region or remote regions across the internet regional and backbone networks. Majority of such access networks are SONET/ATM based (I didn't come across any case of Gig Ethernet. However, I do not preculde it). Thus, there are two questions: -- Are there known RBOCs/ILECs and CLECs entrenching MPLS in the said network scope? (I do not see many major ILECs in the un-official MPLS service providers list being circulated but it may mean little) -- If so, what motivates them to do so? Any analysis of the driving forces is appreciated. Regards, Srihari Varada
participants (2)
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Michael Cohen -
Quibell, Marc