Computer Networking › Section F · The link layer and LANs › Topic F.5

Link virtualization: MPLS

To the network layer, a link is just a pipe between two routers, but the pipe can itself be a whole network. Multiprotocol Label Switching is the best-known example: a network of label-switching routers that presents itself to IP as a set of links.

In this topic

  • A network that pretends to be a link
  • Why switch on labels?
  • The MPLS header
  • Label-switched paths
  • Worked example: following one packet
  • How labels get set up
  • Worked example: traffic engineering
  • Stacked labels and VPNs
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Key takeaways

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