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MPLS Overview

You can configure Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) to increase transport efficiency in the network. MPLS services can be used to connect various sites to a backbone network and to ensure better performance for low-latency applications such as voice over IP (VoIP) and other business-critical functions.

MPLS has the following advantages over conventional packet forwarding:

  • Packets arriving on different ports can be assigned different labels.
  • A packet arriving at a particular provider edge (PE) switch can be assigned a label that is different from that of the same packet entering the network at a different PE switch. As a result, forwarding decisions that depend on the ingress PE switch can be easily made.
  • Sometimes it is desirable to force a packet to follow a particular route that is explicitly chosen at or before the time the packet enters the network, rather than letting it follow the route chosen by the normal dynamic routing algorithm as the packet travels through the network. In MPLS, a label can be used to represent the route so that the packet need not carry the identity of the explicit route.
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