MPLS Architecture

Overview
Jay Kumarasamy
jayk@cisco.com

Adopted from Stefano Previdi’s presentation

© 2001, Cisco Systems.

1
 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Day in the Life of a Packet

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 MPLS Concepts

• MPLS: Multi Protocol Label Switching

• MPLS is a layer 2+ switching
• Developed to integrate IP and ATM
• MPLS forwarding is done in the same way
as in ATM switches
• Packet forwarding is done based on Labels

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 MPLS Concepts
• Unlike IP, classification/label can be based
on:
Destination Unicast address
Traffic Engineering
VPN
QoS
• FEC: Forwarding Equivalence Class
• A FEC can represent a: Destination address
prefix, VPN, Traffic Engineering tunnel, Class
of Service.
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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Summary

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 LSRs and Labels

• LSR: Label Switch Router

• Edge-LSR: LSRs that do label imposition
and disposition
• ATM-LSR: An ATM switch with Label
Switch Controller

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 LSRs and Labels

IGP domain with a label

distribution protocol
• An IP routing protocol is used within the routing domain
(e.g.:OSPF, i-ISIS)
• A label distribution protocol is used to distribute address/label
mappings between adjacent neighbors
• The ingress LSR receives IP packets, performs packet
classification, assign a label, and forward the labelled packet into
the MPLS network
• Core LSRs switch packets/cells based on the label value
• The egress LSR removes the label before forwarding the
IP packet outside the MPLS network
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 LSRs and Labels
0 1 2 3 Label = 20 bits
01234567890123456789012345678901
Exp = Experimental, 3 bits
Label | Exp|S| TTL
S = Bottom of stack, 1bit
TTL = Time to live, 8 bits

• Uses new Ethertypes/PPP PIDs/SNAP values/etc

• More than one Label is allowed -> Label Stack
• MPLS LSRs always forward packets based on the value
of the label at the top of the stack

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 LSRs and Labels
PPP Header(Packet over
PPP Header Shim Header Layer 3 Header
SONET/SDH)

Ethernet Ethernet Hdr Shim Header Layer 3 Header

Frame Relay FR Hdr Shim Header Layer 3 Header

ATM Cell Header GFC VPI VCI PTI CLP HEC DATA

Label

Subsequent cells GFC VPI VCI PTI CLP HEC DATA

Label
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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Day in the Life of a Packet

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 Label Assignment and
Distribution

• Labels have link-local significance

Each LSR binds his own label mappings

• Each LSR assign labels to his FECs

• Labels are assigned and exchanged between
adjacent neighboring LSR
• Applications may require non-adjacent
neighbors

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 Label Assignment and
Distribution
Upstream and Downstream LSRs

171.68.40/24 171.68.10/24
Rtr-A Rtr-B Rtr-C

• Rtr-C is the downstream neighbor of Rtr-B for destination

171.68.10/24
• Rtr-B is the downstream neighbor of Rtr-A for destination
171.68.10/24
• LSRs know their downstream neighbors through the IP
routing protocol
Next-hop address is the downstream neighbor
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 Label Assignment and
Distribution
Unsolicited Downstream Distribution

Use label 30 for destination Use label 40 for destination

171.68.10/24 171.68.10/24

171.68.40/24 171.68.10/24
Rtr-A Rtr-B Rtr-C
In In Address Out Out In In Address Out Out
I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab
0 - 171.68.10 1 30 0 30 171.68.10 1 40 In In Address Out Out
I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab
... ... ...
Next-Hop... ... ... ... ...
Next-Hop... ... 0 40 171.68.10 1 -
... ... ...
Next-Hop... ...

IGP derived routes

• LSRs distribute labels to the upstream neighbors

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 Label Assignment and
Distribution
On-Demand Downstream Distribution

Use label 40 for destination Use label 30 for destination

171.68.10/24 171.68.10/24

171.68.10/24
171.68.40/24 Rtr-A Rtr-B Rtr-C

Request label for Request label for

destination 171.68.10/24 destination 171.68.10/24

• Upstream LSRs request labels to downstream neighbors

• Downstream LSRs distribute labels upon request
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 Label Assignment and
Distribution
Label Retention Modes
• Liberal retention mode
• LSR retains labels from all neighbors
Improve convergence time, when next-hop is again available
after IP convergence
Require more memory and label space

• Conservative retention mode

• LSR retains labels only from next-hops neighbors
LSR discards all labels for FECs without next-hop
Free memory and label space

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 Label Assignment and
Distribution
Label Distribution Modes
• Independent LSP control
LSR binds a Label to a FEC independently, whether or not the LSR
has received a Label the next-hop for the FEC
The LSR then advertises the Label to its neighbor

• Ordered LSP control

LSR only binds and advertise a label for a particular FEC if:
it is the egress LSR for that FEC or
it has already received a label binding from its next-hop

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 Label Assignment and
Distribution
Several protocols for label exchange

• LDP
Maps unicast IP destinations into labels
• RSVP, CR-LDP
Used in traffic engineering
• BGP
External labels (VPN)
• PIM
For multicast states label mapping
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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Day in the Life of a Packet

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 Label Switch Path (LSP)

IGP domain with a label IGP domain with a label

distribution protocol distribution protocol

LSP follows IGP shortest path LSP diverges from IGP shortest path

• LSPs are derived from IGP routing information

• LSPs may diverge from IGP shortest path
LSP tunnels (explicit routing) with TE
• LSPs are unidirectional
Return traffic takes another LSP
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 Label Switch Path (LSP)
Penultimate Hop Popping
• The label at the top of the stack is removed
(popped) by the upstream neighbor of the
egress LSR
• The egress LSR requests the “popping”
through the label distribution protocol
•Egress LSR advertises implicit-null label

• The egress LSR will not have to do a lookup

and remove itself the label
•One lookup is saved in the egress LSR

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 Label Switch Path (LSP)
Penultimate Hop Popping
Address
Next-Hop Interface
In In Address Out Out In In Address Out Out Prefix and mask
I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab 171.68.10/24 171.68.9.1 Serial1
0 - 171.68/16 1 4 0 4 171.68/16 2 pop
171.68.44/24 171.68.12.1 Serial2
... ... Next-Hop
... ... ... ... ... Next-Hop
... ... ...
171.68/16 ... Null

Summary route Summary route

for 171.68/16 for 171.68/16
1 0 1 0

171.68.44/24
Use label 4 for Use label “implicit-null”
FEC 171.68/16 for FEC 171.68/16
171.68.10/24

Summary route is propagate through Egress LSR summarises more

the IGP and label is assigned by each specific routes and advertises
LSR a label for the new FEC

Egress LSR needs to do an IP lookup for finding more

specific route
Egress LSR need NOT receive a labelled packet

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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Summary
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 ATM LSRs
• ATM switches forward cells, not packets
• Label Dist is Downstream on-demand, Ordered
• IGP label is carried in the VPI/VCI field
• Merging LSR:
Ability to use the same label for different FECs if outgoing
interface is the same
Save label space on ATM-LSRs
Cell interleave problem

• Non Merging LSR:

ATM-LSR requests one label per FEC and per incoming
interface (upstream neighbors)
Downstream LSR may request itself new label to its
downstream neighbors
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 ATM LSRs
Non-Merging
Downstream on Demand
In In Address Out Out
I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab
1 5 171.68 0 3
ATM-LSR requested additional label
for same FEC in order to distinguish
2 8 171.68 0 4 between incoming interfaces
(Downstream on Demand)
... ... ... ... ...
5
IP AT
M 5
Packet cell AT
M
cell
4 3 4 3 4 171.68
8 AT AT AT AT AT
IP 8 M M M M M
Packet 8 AT cell cell cell cell cell
AT M
AT M
M cell
cell
cell

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 ATM LSRs
VC-Merging Downstream
on Demand
In In Address Out Out
I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab
1 5 171.68 0 3
ATM-LSR transmitted cells in sequence
in order for the downstream LSR to
2 8 171.68 0 3 re-assembling correctly the cells into
packets
... ... ... ... ...
5
IP AT
M 5
Packet cell AT
M
cell
3 3 3 3 3 171.68
8 AT AT AT AT AT
IP 8 M M M M M
Packet 8 AT cell cell cell cell cell
AT M
AT M
M cell
cell
cell

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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Summary
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 Loops and TTL

• In IP networks TTL is used to prevent packets

to travel indefinitely in the network
• MPLS may use same mechanism as IP, but not
on all encapsulations
• TTL is present in the label header for PPP and LAN
headers (shim headers)
• ATM cell header does not have TTL

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 Loops and TTL

• LSRs using ATM do not have TTL capability

• Some suggested options:
- hop-count object in LDP
- Path Vector object in LDP

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 Loops and TTL
LSR-1
IP LSR-2 LSR-3
packet Label =
TTL = 25
10 IP packet
TTL = 6

Label =
39
IP packet
TTL = 6

LSR-6
LSR-6 --> 25
Label =
Hops=4 21 IP
IP packet packet
IGP domain with a label TTL = 6 TTL = 6 Egress
distribution protocol LSR-4 LSR-5

• TTL is decremented prior to enter the non-TTL capable

LSP
If TTL is 0 the packet is discarded at the ingress point
• TTL is examined at the LSP exit
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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Day in the Life of a Packet
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 LDP Concepts

• Label Distribution Protocol

• Labels map to FECs for Unicast Destination
Prefix
• LDP works between adjacent/non-adjacent
peers
• LDP sessions are established between peers

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 LDP Messages

• Discovery messages
• Used to discover and maintain the presence of
new peers
• Hello packets (UDP) sent to all-routers multicast
address
• Once neighbor is discovered, the LDP session is
established over TCP

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 LDP Messages

• Session messages
• Establish, maintain and terminate LDP sessions
• Advertisement messages
• Create, modify, delete label mappings
• Notification messages
• Error signalling

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 Agenda

• MPLS Concepts
• LSRs and labels
• Label assignment and distribution
• Label Switch Paths
• ATM LSRs
• Loops and TTL
• LDP overview
• Day in the Life of a Packet

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 Day in the life of a Packet
Address
In In Address Out Out In In Address Out Out In In Address Out Out Next-Hop Interface
Prefix and mask
I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab I/F Lab Prefix I/F Lab
171.68.10/24 171.68.9.1 Serial1
0 - 171.68/16 1 4 0 4 171.68/16 1 7 0 7 171.68/16 2 pop
171.68.44/24 171.68.12.1 Serial2
... ... Next-Hop
... ... ... ... ... Next-Hop
... ... ... ... ... Next-Hop
... ... ...
171.68/16 ... Null

1 P1 P 2 0
PE
PE 0 0
Use label “implicit-null”
0 Use label 4 for Use label 7 for for FEC 171.68/16
FEC 171.68/16 FEC 171.68/16

Summary route 171.68.44/24

Summary route for 171.68/16
CE for 171.68/16

171.68.10/24

Summary route is propagate through Egress LSR summarises more

the IGP and label is assigned by each specific routes and advertises
LSR a label for the new FEC

Egress LSR needs to do an IP lookup for finding more specific route

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 Day in the life of a Packet
Basic Layout
C ontrol P lane

R outing E xchange
IP R outing P rotocols

IP R outing T able

Label B inding E xchange

Label D istribution P rotocol

Label R em oved
L3 lookup

O utgoing IP P ackets
Incom ing IP P ackets
Forward Inform ation B lock (FIB )

Incom ing LabelledP ackets

Label Forward Inform ation B lock O utgoing Labelled P ackets
(LFIB )

Forwarding P lane
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 Day in the life of a Packet
Database Layout
OSPF IS IS BGP LD P

R outing Table TIB

FIB
fas t-adjac enc y
inc om ing-tag
fas ttag-rew rite
tag_rew rite [ ]
tag_info
tag_has h

D es t. IP addres s

tag_rew rite
ID B v ectors
output-if TFIB
enc aps tfib_entry ip_turbo_fs
tfib_entry
inc om ing-tag tag_rew rite tag_optim um _fs
loadinfo tfib_entry
outgoing-tag ip2_tag_optim um _fs
tag_info tfib_entry

Inc om ing tag

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 Day in the life of a Packet
- b gp -based policy
m ap ping (QPPB) and set - ch eck for NAT (in sid e ->
qos-grou p ID ou tside)
- au then tication proxy - p erform QoS classification
- ch eck for in pu t ACL s - ch eck for cryp to
- ch eck for cryp to - ou tput ACL check
- ch eck for setting in pu t - ch eck for setting ou tpu t
QoS m arking QoS m arking
- Inp ut police/rate-inp ut - QoS - W F Q
- ch eck for NAT (ou tsid e -> - ou tput police/rate-lim iting
in sid e
In-bound - ch eck p olicy rou tin g p o st IP
interface driver - ch eck for W E B cach e lo o k u p se n d IP
fra g m e n t
red irection fe a tu re s packet
checks IP ?
encaps,
check a d ja -
invokes F IB
e a rly -c e n c y
handler thru fe a tu re s lo o k u p lo o k u p
ID B vectors M PLS
IP
IP la b e l
im p o sitio n

M PLS M PLS - com pu te leng th of tag(s)

to b e copied & ch eck if
p ro c e ss
frag. is req uired.
la b e lle d
packet
- cop y tos field
- set ttl
- cop y the lab el(s)
- if (features) {
- p erform ou tpu t QoS
classification
- ch eck for setting ou tpu t
QoS m arking
- d o outp ut rate-lim itin g
- ch eck for m ulti-vc
}
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 Day in the life of a Packet
In-bound interface
driv er checks check
encaps, inv okes early
handler thru ID B features
v ectors

IP
no
rew rite - Output QoS Classification
info, do - S etting output QoS m arking
Layer-3 - Do output rate-lim it/policing
M P LS lookup

process check tag tag check

labelled early sw itch forw ard post
packet features inline inline features

- Input QoS Classification - get label header

- S etting input QoS m arking - from tfib get the tag entry - update T T L value
- Do input rate-lim it/policing - get rew rite info from the tag - update E X P value
entry - S W AP/POP label, process
inner label..
- handle m ulti-vc CoS

- Platform specific W RE D
done in the final transm it transm it
path packet

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 Summary

• LSRs forward packet based on label

information
• IP header and forwarding decision have
been de-coupled for better flexibility
• Label information can derive from different
sources
IP routing protocols (destination based unicast routing)
Multicast
Traffic Engineering
QoS
VPN
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 Summary

• MPLS allows flexible packet classification

and network resources optimisation
• Labels are distributed by different
protocols
•LDP, RSVP, BGP, PIM
• Different distribution protocols may co-
exist in the same LSR
• Label have local (LSR) significance
No need for global (domain) wide label
allocation/numbering

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 Thank You!

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