Tuesday 12 April 2011

What Are The Basic Advantages Of MPLS-TP Over A Regular IP/MPLS Network?

MPLS-TP, is a set of MPLS protocols that are still being discussed in IETF. It is supposedly a stripped down, "simplified" version of MPLS for transport networks with some of the original MPLS functions turned off: For xample, Penultimate Hop Popping (PHP), Label-Switched Paths (LSPs) merge, and Equal Cost Multi Path (ECMP).

MPLS-TP does not require MPLS control plane capabilities and enables the management plane to set up LSPs manually. Its OAM may operate without any IP layer functionalities.

An example of implementation is Cisco's Carrier Packet Transport (CPT) System, where Service providers can consider implementing industry’s first, standards-based Packet Optical Transport System (P-OTS) that unifies packet and transport technologies using MPLS-TP.

Benefits as quoted by Cisco: 
  • Provides standards-based transport technologies and familiar operational models. Service providers can use a single unified interface for point-and-click provisioning of wavelengths and MPLS-TP label switch paths.
  • Simplifies the network by combining multiple functions into one. Service providers can reduce the number of network elements and interconnect ports by combining functions such as ROADM, TDM/OTN switching, Ethernet, and MPLS-TP in a single platform, drastically reducing space and power consumption, thus enabling greener networks.
  • Supports a comprehensive set of packet services for mobile backhaul, legacy TDM, Ethernet, and fiber services targeted at business and residential customers.
  • Enables an integrated IP/MPLS and MPLS-TP architecture with a single control plane and forwarding mechanism. This provides OpEx savings and allows service providers to set up simple connection-oriented paths for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connections with in-band operations, administration, and management (OAM) and sub-50 millisecond automatic protection switching.

To summarise, the main properties of MPLS-TP defined by IETF and ITU-T are: 
  • MPLS forwarding plane with restrictions
  • PWE3 Pseudowire architecture
  • Control Plane: static or dynamic Generalized MPLS (G-MPLS)
  • Enhanced OAM functionality
  • OAM monitors and drives protection switching
  • Use of Generic Associated Channel (G-ACh) to support fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security (FCAPS) functions
  • Multicasting is under further study
 There is still a bit of discussion up in the air, especially about the OAM part. For example, here's some insight from Mike Capuano's blog: http://blogs.cisco.com/sp/there-is-no-split-standard-in-mpls-oam/

The current general consensus seems to tend towards "The market will ultimately decide which is the right approach for MPLS-TP OAM."

Well, I guess we will wait and see :-)

3 comments:

MPLS VPN said...

Thank you for sharing this detailed summary.

Unknown said...

You are most welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read!

Santanu

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

Breakfast At Serengeti

Breakfast At Serengeti
Lion's Share

The Ngorongoro Family

The Ngorongoro Family
Click on the Picture Above To Make It Larger

Tabloid Time: The Aliens Are a'Landing ?!.. ;-)

At the risk of being ridiculed and being labelled a freak, I shall like to draw everyone's attention to the following recent events....If you watch the videos then turn on the sound for the commentary...



Fireball across Ausin, Texas (16th Feb 2009). According to BBC, apparently, its NOT debris from a recent satellite collision...:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7891912.stm
http://us.cnn.com/2009/US/02/15/texas.sky.debris/index.html

Same in Idaho in recent times. NO meteor remains found yet: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7744585.stm

Exactly same in Sweden: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7836656.stm?lss

This was recorded on 25th Feb 2007 in Dakota, US:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVEsL584kGw&feature=related

This year has seen three of the spookiest UFO videos surface, with people in India, Mexico and even in space, NASA, spotting things they couldn't explain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WYRyuL4Z5I&feature=related

CHECK out this one on 24th Januray, 2009 in Argentina close to Buenos Aires:
You tube: www.youtube.com/
Press:
Press Coverage

AND Lastly, and more importantly, from Buzz Aldrin on Apollo 11 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlkV1ybBnHI

Heh?! Don't know how authentic these news are... don't even know if these are UFO's or meteors or ball lightning or something else. But, if meteors, then where are the meteorites ? However, I see no reason why life cannot exist in other planets and why they could not be sneaking around here :-) . I for one, have long suspected some of my relations to be space aliens or at least X-people from X-files :-)

I am waiting for a job on an Alien spaceship myself. :-)


Giraffes in Parallel Universe

Giraffes in Parallel Universe
At Lake Manyara

Serengeti Shall Never Die

Serengeti Shall Never Die
Wildebeeste Calf starts running only 5 min. after being born. CLICK on the pitcture to view Slideshow