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Notes on Basics of Multiprotocol Label


Switching (MPLS)
by Shabeer ibm

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a Layer-2 switching technology. MPLS-


enabled routers apply numerical labels to packets, and can make forwarding
decisions based on these labels. The MPLS architecture is detailed in RFC 3031.

MPLS reduces CPU-usage on routers, by allowing routers to make forwarding


decisions depending on the attached label rather than looking to routing table. MPLS
is not restricted to IP, or any specific Layer-2 technology, and thus is essentially
protocol-independent.

Introduction to terms used in MPLS

Provider Edge Routers(PE) / Edge LSR (Label Switch Router) : Routers on the ISP
side which is connected to Customer/Client side. Responsible for adding/removing
labels from packets. Cisco refers to this as a PE (provider edge) router.

Provider Router(P) / LSR (Label Switch Router) : Routers used inside the ISP
network which is not connected to customer side. Responsible for forwarding
packets through the provider core based on the packets label

Non-Label Routers Cisco refers to this as C (customer) routers

LSRs perform the following functions:

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label information
takes place
Data Plane - forwards actual packets based on label information

Label Information Base (LIB) label information is exchanged between LSRs using
label protocols, such as LDP (Label Distribution Protocol) or TDP (Tag
Distribution Protocol).

LDP is now default on Cisco devices, and uses TCP port 646. TDP is a Cisco-
proprietary label protocol, and uses TCP port 711.

Label Forwarding Information Base (LFIB) for forwarding labeled packets.

The MPLS Label

MPLS label format is a 32-bit label that is injected between the Layer-2 and Layer-3
header.Even MPLS is called as L2 service theoritically it can be called as a 2.5 layer
service
LABEL Experimental Bottom of Stack TTL
20 bit ` 3 bit 1 bit 8 bit

Label (20 bits) 20 bits are exactly used for label representation

Experimental (3 bits) This field is officially undefined, but is used by Cisco as an IP


precedence value.

Bottom-of-Stack (1 bit) This field indicates the last label, as multiple labels are
supported in the same packet. A value of 1 identifies the last label in the stack.

TTL (8 bits)[Time to Live] This field indicates the number of router this label can
live through.

Penultimate Hop Popping: Edge Routers(PE) need to check both normal routing
table and LIB table before forwarding packets to customer side.This will slow down
the process.To avoid this PE router informs adjacent router to send packets after
popping up(removing) labels.This process is called Penultimate Hop Popping

From Wikipedia

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is a function CCNA +by
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certain routers in an
MPLS enabled network. It refers to the process whereby the outermost label of an
MPLS tagged packet is removed by a Label Switch Router (LSR) before the packet is
passed to an adjacent Label Edge Router (LER).The process is important in a Layer 3
MPLS VPN environment as it reduces the load on the LER. If this process didn't
happen, the LER would have to perform at least 2 label lookups

Related articles

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CCNP Notes : IPV6 Quick Notes
Vlan Interview Questions and Answers
Configuring Basic OSPF
CCNP : OSPF Quick Notes
CCNP Notes : What is Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF)

6Comments:

Linkon Khan
January 10, 2014 at 3:57 PM

Actually you are a great writer . I have read your full post and i seen here you present
MPLS very creatively.I am impresses to read your article. Because i am a student of
networking Cisco.And this post is very effective for me. Thanks for your great post.
REPLY

Javed Khan
May 9, 2014 at 9:49 PM

I am also a network cisco profession, this is a very useful for me & very .simple
language, thanks for this post.*

REPLY

Olliezm

http://sysnetnotes.blogspot.in/2013/06/notesonbasicsofmultiprotocollabel.html 3/6

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