Monday, June 12, 2023

What Is MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching)? Definition and Working

 




What Is MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching)

MPLS – short for Multi-Protocol Label Switching – is defined as a now-aging type of network routing system that transfers data between nodes using labels that denote predetermined pathways instead of network addresses that refer to the nodes themselves.

Since its inception in the 1960s, the internet has evolved in more ways than was ever imagined. Amazingly, the internet is still changing, bringing us closer and closer to newer technologies yet undiscovered. Data transfer over the internet has as well evolved. Data transfer is perhaps the most critical function of the internet in connecting millions of computers worldwide.

Traditionally, the standard Internet Protocol (IP) and the Transfer Control Protocol (TCP) have regulated how data packets are moved from one point to the other. In this protocol, each router must make an independent decision about every tiny bit of data packet and determine where the network should send it. Multi-Protocol Label Switching was created to circumvent this bottleneck in data transfer across the internet.

Understanding multi-protocol label switching

Multi-Protocol Label Switching or MPLS is a technique used to route and direct traffic in communication technology that uses labels in place of addresses to handle data flow from one router to the other. Ideally, these addresses identify endpoints for each data packet. However, labels do not focus on the destination but instead on routes and pathways that have already been established.

MPLS is a networking technology that directs traffic consisting of data packets along networking routes but through the shortest path described on the labels.

Multi-Protocol Label Switching is one of the Internet Protocol (IP) routing techniques that can work on numerous packets covering more than one network protocol and, as such, is referred to as a Multi-Protocol system. Multi-Protocol Label Switching, therefore, supports technologies such as the Asynchronous Transport Mode (ATM), Frame Relay, DSL, etc.

The MPLS transfer protocol primarily controls the forwarding of packets over a private Wide Area Network (WAN), for example, a company with several remote outlets or branches connected to the main center. It resolves the issue of slow data transfer and downtime when using the internet but remains a scalable and protocol-independent technology.

How Does MPLS Work?

Multi-Protocol Label Switching works by addressing incoming packets to their destination based on the information written on their labels. It does not try to guess the address but uses labels to find an established bandwidth for the data packet.

MPLS works in a manner that is slightly similar to IP routing techniques. When a regular router receives an incoming data packet, the only information on the packet is the destination IP address without further details on the routes or manner in which the network should transport the packet. In MPLS, the label contains information about the routes the data packet should take. This eliminates the cumulative delay by routers in ‘thinking’ of the best possible course.

The MPLS uses a networking protocol that is somewhat a combination of Layer 2 (data link layer) and Layer 3 (IP layer) of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. This is why MPLS is generally considered a layer 2.5 networking protocol, having features from both for data transfer across a network. Its functionality is enabled by the following components of the MPLS label:

Label/label value: It is a 20-bit long field containing the information routers read in directing the data packet.

Traffic class field: This is a 3-bit long part of the label used to set the Quality of Service and explicit congestion notification.
 
Bottom of the stack: Labels can be stacked on top of each other, and the topmost label is in charge of delivery and is replaced by other labels underneath it until the transfer is complete. The last label in an MPLS header is referred to as the bottom of the stack.

Time to Live (TTL): It is an 8-bit long label that decreases in value each time the packet hops and therefore limits the packet’s lifespan.



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