Multiprotocol Label Switching Virtual Private Networks

Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) was originally designed with the intention of improving the speed with which routers could forward packets in Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Due to significant improvements in packet forwarding, this is no longer an advantage, but the technology has found large-scale industry-wide acceptance because of its greatly widened scope and application. Multiple extensions and enhancements to the protocol make it capable of solving an array of current service provider and customer network requirements for a converged network in an IP dominated world. The chapter considers the use of MPLS for the provisioning of a virtual private network over a shared physical infrastructure, and discusses the logic and functionality of key protocols associated with MPLS. It then goes on to explore the problems, protocols, and possibilities of these technologies in current environments.