The Ultimate Guide to MPLS Transport Service
Are you still relying on an old frame relay network for your business?
Is your data transfer secure and fast?
Is your internet capable of handling the highest bandwidth necessary to conduct business?
If you’re looking to build an efficient network setup within your business, MPLS is a perfect choice.
Multiprotocol Label Switching, or MPLS, routes traffic and exchanges data using labels instead of IP addresses. Not only is it secure, flexible, and stable, but it offers the highest bandwidth available for your network.
In most cases, businesses that operate or manage multiple websites and large-scale data transfer use the MPLS network. Small businesses also benefit as MPLS is scalable and offers a much more cost-effective solution over other alternatives.
What is MPLS and how does it function?
Here is everything you need to know about MPLS and ethernet private lines.
Introduction to Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)
MPLS is a Layer 2.5 networking protocol that transfers data packets from one device to another using labels.
Unlike IP addresses, labels identify the paths between endpoints with predetermined labels. MPLS works with Class of Service (CoS) and Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC) that classify the type of data they carry.
What is the advantage of using a 2.5 networking protocol? Why not Layer 2 or layer 3?
Layer 2 devices usually exchange data packets in IP over LAN and WAN. On the other hand, Layer 3 exchanges packets from the node to the destination using internet IP protocols.
Multiprotocol label switching has an approach beyond the OSI layer model. It transports packets like layers 2 and 3 but based on the labels instead of IP protocols. This ensures efficiency and security when compared to other alternatives.
Advantages of MPLS:
Proper Utilization of Bandwidth:
In most cases, network protocols reserve bandwidth to prevent packet loss. However, the result is unused bandwidth and a lack of efficiency in bandwidth and data usage.
Alternatively, label switching utilizes the maximum bandwidth and pools it on every link for the best performance.
MPLS features traffic engineering that reroutes traffic for minimized network congestion and ensures proper utilization of bandwidth.
Better Control Over Network Traffic:
As discussed above, multiprotocol label switching supports traffic engineering. The primary benefit of MPLS is reduced network congestion that usually occurs in old frame relay networks. Label switches divide user requests into multiple paths based on labels.
With MPLS, computers on the network are not restricted to a single lane to request the IP resulting in reduced network congestion and better control over the network traffic.
Data Security:
MPLS works like a VPN (Virtual Private Network) where the complexity of the network is hidden from hackers. Consequently, it doesn’t have any particular encryption or network firewalls but is almost invulnerable to hacking.
Label switching creates a unique layer 2.5 architecture with a traffic routing mechanism. This architecture exposes internal routers and prevents various distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
Streamlined Flexibility:
Multiprotocol label switching offers access to various network management tools for better flexibility. Whether you want to change routing or security settings, you can easily apply any changes to the network.
For instance, it flexibly supports changes in labeling, type of traffic, Class of Service, and classifications. Even if you're operating over 2000 websites, you can update the settings for all of them in one click.
Improved Uptime:
Last but not least, MPLS has improved uptime when compared to IP-based networks. It features a dedicated Fast Reroute to switch between alternative paths during downtime. However, you need to create an alternative path to enable this feature.
In addition, there’s no chance of human error in a multiprotocol label switching network which permits uninterrupted network operations during day-to-day business transactions.
How Does Multiprotocol Label Switching Work?
To understand what is MPLS and what makes it stand out among other network types, we need to take a deeper dive into the mechanics.
In the above section, you may have observed how MPLS exchanges data packets based on labels instead of network addresses.
However, the process doesn't end there. We have divided the basic functionality of multiprotocol label switching into two parts for better understanding.
LSP Establishment:
The basic functionality of MPLS starts with establishing the LSP (Label Switch Path) that transmits packages across the network. Furthermore, LSP contains both upstream and downstream LSRs (Label Switch Routers) based on a specific FEC.
In the MPLS network, the downstream LSR assigns the labels to FEC based on IP routes to establish the LSP. Next, the upstream LSR gets access to the labels and establishes an LFIB. LFIB (Label Forwarding Information Base) is basically a set of LSRs that form an LSP.
Packet Forwarding:
Once the MPLS has established the LSP, it's time to forward the data packets. Forwarding is dependent on the nodes in the network and how the user interacts with the labeled file.
For instance, if you designate label Y packet to an address, the first node swaps the label Y with label X during the transit.
Now, the transit node will pop up as the label value with 3 before sending it to egress. Once the egress or upstream LSR receives the packet, it forwards it to the destination address.
Now, the packet will leave the MPLS domain and get its label removed. Popping out the package reduces its size so that it can travel faster to the last hop. As the egress node is by default a configuration of PHP, the transit node allocates the label with value 3 and sends it to the egress node.
Lastly, the egress node forwards the IP packet to the expected destination.
The complexity of the process provides fast and secure operations. Also, this process varies according to the type of network you establish using MPLS.
Here's how multiprotocol label switching works for VPN, BGP, and cloud adoption.
MPLS working in VPN:
As the name describes, MPLS VPN helps you create multiple VPNs over an IP network. It works like a virtual tunnel through which you can transmit data packets directly to the destination. An MPLS VPN network features three primary roles which are as follows.
Customer Edge:
Customer Edge (CE) is one of the devices on a user network connected to the service provider. Customer Edge routers can be configured as managed or unmanaged.
CE could be any device that connects your VPN sites with the service provider. It may surprise you that CEs have no preference to use MPLS but you can connect your device to an MPLS network for better performance.
Provider Edge:
Provider Edge (PE) is a device used by your service provider to connect your CE to the network. The primary purpose of PE is to process MPLS and VPN services on your CE device. In simple terms, PE works like an LSR (Label Switch Router) to enable forwarding in the MPLS network.
Provider:
The provider (P) is a backbone, or say central device of the MPLS VPN network. As a backbone device, it doesn't directly connect to your CE device but processes MPLS services from SP (Service Provider) devices. Like SP devices, it's also an LSR device, but it interacts only with PE devices to process MPLS services.
Suppose you have three CE devices (CE 1, CE2, CE3) in the MPLS VPN network. Each CE device will interact with one PE (LSR) device connected with the P (backbone device). Any information sent from CE1 to CE2 will go through PE and P devices in the network. If you want to send information from CE2 to CE3, the process will stay the same.
MPLS working in BGP:
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) enables communication and exchange of routing data between autonomous systems (AS) and the internet. The MPLS-based BGP network connects AS devices with PE to enable virtual routing and forwarding (VRF).
Once the VRF is enabled, you can transfer information from any of your CE devices to the destined device. It's always a great idea to create a community of devices in the MP-BGP network for convenient data transfer.
MPLS working in Cloud Adoption:
Adopting a cloud-based infrastructure offers great opportunities to increase the efficiency and flexibility of your organization's processes. Especially if you have cloud infrastructure based on MPLS, you get access to a secure and fast cloud network.
The operation and setup of MPLS cloud infrastructures are the same as the above-discussed frameworks. However, it features various benefits for your business. First, you will notice improved traffic control with features like Traffic Engineering.
In addition, MPLS allows you to customize applications and networks during cloud adoption. Its Quality of Service (QoS) feature helps you prevent errors and maintain quality of work. Thus, you enjoy a 40% reduced cost on a single MPLS circuit.
To transfer large-scale data in your business, your organization will need an MPLS network that is fast, secure, and efficient. However, the speed and stability will depend on your internet service provider.
FastTrack Communications adds value to your large-scale data transfer with its fiber optic-based transport services. With a 100G fiber backbone, our high-speed fiber internet is a perfect choice to transfer terabytes or petabytes of data.