MPLS Deployment

1. MPLS Deployment Examining the Network Evolution

2. Agenda • Overview of the existing network infrastructure. • Potential MPLS Networks • Current Design Practices and Market Forces • Requirements Met by Current Designs • Constraints of Current Design • Requirements of MPLS for the New Public Network. • MPLS Technology Evolution • Obstacles to Deployment • Benefits of the New Network • The Migration Process. • The Current Layered Model • Moving to an End-to-end MPLS Network • The New Services Enabled by an MPLS Infrastructure. • Advantages of MPLS Networking • New Services Enabled By MPLS • Hybrid Switches Created by MPLS • Conclusions

3. Overview of the Existing Network Design Potential MPLS Networks Current Design Practices and Market Forces Requirements Met by Current Designs Product Functionality by Product Constraints of Current Design

4. Potential MPLS Networks • Target Networks: • IP Service Providers of all types, not just ISPs. • ISP backbone to start (IP centric). • CLEC, ILEC – transport providers take on IP knowledge. • Challenges Facing IP Service Providers. • Exponential Internet growth (BW, IP prefixes). • Need to offer multiple service levels. • Need to offer new IP services. • Ex.: Virtual Private Networks.

5. Current Design: The Layered Model

6. Current Practice and Market Forces • Today: Layered Model. • ATM backbone surrounded by big “Core” IP routers. • IP over ATM. • Market Forces: • IP becomes universal service interface. • VPNs, Voice, data (Internet, intranet, extranet), IP multicast. • Traditional router vendors trying to push inward to displace ATM backbone. • Optical Internetworking poised to grab the very core of the network hierarchy.

7. Requirements Met by Current Designs • ATM switching has an enormous presence in the backbone of many service providers: • Multiple tiers • Bandwidth • Capacity • Value-add lock-ins, enabled by connection oriented link layer: • Congestion Aware Routing • Traffic Engineering • QoS • Traffic Management • Circuit (service) Provisioning at ATM Layer • These have been developed in the ATM control plane Extensions: • UNI • PNNI • ABR/CBR/VBR/UBR/GFR

8. POP Different Products Perform Critical Functions • IP Routers: • Classify Traffic • Forward IP • ATM Switches • Provide Raw Switching Capacity • Provides connection-oriented link layer, that enables: • Traffic Engineering • Hard QoS • Traffic management • Constraint-Based / Congestion-aware routing POP POP POP CR CR POP CR CR POP POP CR CR CR AR AR AR AR AR

9. Constraints of Existing Designs • COLL benefits end at router boundary. • SPs dislike multiple control plane protocols: • ATM and IP • Previously Required Because IP Lacked a COLL. • No TE, TM, CR or QoS • Induces ‘Cost’ • Infrastructure Cost • Operational Cost • Management Cost • Perceived Complexity of ATM. • The benefits of ATM come at the expense of the “cell tax”. • Cells make sense in many portions of the network • Cells will move to edge at OC-3 and down • DSL, ATM IADs • MPLS will still provide control plane

10. Requirements of MPLS for the New Public Network Connection Oriented Networking Comparisons of COLLs The Evolution of IP Products Software and Protocol Requirements Hardware Requirements Network Management Requirements

11. The Requirement: Connections • Marketing Debates • Not IP vs. ATM • Not MPLS vs. ATM • Technical Reality: Connection-oriented vs. connectionless • ATM • IP enabled by MPLS • Connection oriented traffic allows for traffic engineering and bandwidth guarantees (QoS) - and is already provided today in technologies like ATM and Frame Relay. • IP alone is a connectionless protocol. Its forwarding decision are made on a hop by hop basis. • MPLS enables to COLL behavior. • The pinned-up connection is relatively permanent, thereby allowing for resources to be reserved and allocated. • Traffic Engineering, QoS and Congestion Aware Routing • Service Providers with an existing COLL will require MPLS to be a functional replacement.

12. MPLS and ATM as COLLs • The charts below reflect that MPLS is providing the key components of a COLL technology. To meet QoS requirements, even non-ATM LSRs should provide capabilities similar to ATM switches:

13. Product Software and Protocol Requirements • Routing • Not the ones you have today. • Need TE and QoS Extensions: • Maximum Link Bandwidth • Maximum Allocation Multiplier (a percentage can be used for over-subscription) • Current Bandwidth Reservation • Resource class (color, administrative group) • Packet loss ratio • Link Propagation Delay • And several others • Signaling • Not just LDP or RSVP • Need CR-LDP or RSVP-TE • With matching properties to above items. • Both will survive !

14. Additional Required Connection Features • Combined, they enable the following functions: • Crankback • Make-before-break • Prioritized reroutes • Prioritized call setup • Bulldozer bits • Path computation algorithms • MPLS based recovery (recent draft submitted) • Sophisticated path computation methods • CAC • Key Measurements: Calls per second; circuit rerouting; protocol convergence, in the presence of CR CA information.

15. Product Hardware Requirements • Classification and forwarding • On a per connection basis • Queue • Schedule • Buffer • Shape • Policing • Marking • Throttling • New methods • Class Based Queuing (CBQ) • Random Early Discard (RED/wRED) • Not per box or per port, but per connection.

16. ATM Switches Connection oriented Networking Traditional Routing IP Routing and forwarding MPLS Connections for IP Connectionless Packet Routing Connection Switching MPLS IP ATM MPLS: The Common Ground • ATM already has the right experience with the necessary algorithms. • Connection types: Is your MPLS vendor delivering 1994 technology?

17. Network Management Requirements • Management is critical component to the migration. • Provisioning, billing and accounting is a major operational issue. • Sophisticated tools already exist for current networking technologies. • Relatively long evolution to meet SP needs. • Many SPs have extended these even further through own engineering. • These networks can’t migrate and restart the clock, and wait for new tools. • They must be available day-1

18. The Migration Process The Current Layered Model Moving to an End-to-end MPLS Network

19. The Migration Process • Easy migration • IP/ATM/cells Today • IP/ATM/FNNI HW • IP/MPLS/FNNI SW • IP/MPLS/POS SW • Each step is a fully functional network. • What is not shown is that you lose your COLL….which is why you need to add MPLS back on top.

20. The New Services Enabled by an MPLS Infrastructure Advantages of MPLS Networking New Services Enabled By MPLS Hybrid Switches Created by MPLS Conclusions

21. POP POP POP CR CR POP CR CR POP POP CR CR CR POP AR AR AR AR AR Advantages of MPLS network • Transport technology independent • End to end connections • COLL in single control plane • TE • TM • QoS • CR • Greater tunnel hierarchy • N2 adjacencies gone • Minimizes IP lookup process • Intelligence at edge • Core can be simpler switches

22. Service Offerings Enabled By MPLS • IP Routing/Forwarding on ALL ports. • Filtering, policies, firewalling • Customer prem. gear • MPLS based VPNs (IP VPNs) • Virtual leased line • MPLS based QoS • Service level agreements • Voice over IP/MPLS Architectures • IP Multicast

23. A New Breed of Switching Product • Hybrids that offer Ships In the Night mode (MPLS and ATM) • Many carriers today have multiple networks • Frame, IP, ATM • Replicated operational costs • SIN – expose multiple service interfaces to customer over a single infrastructure • VC, VP, POS, MPLS, Frame Relay… • Only ATM switches can operate in SIN mode • Packet-based routers can not • Packet based IP centric services only – likely POS/MPLS • BUT, if there are other services….… • ATM service • VC/VP/ L2VPN • TDM/CEM • This approach is also a low risk approach to building out your next backbone. • ATM COLL is proven technology • Easily migration to MPLS on same product • Move entirely to MPLS when ready • Or, stay in SIN mode for hybrid network

24. Edge Edge 4 Modes of Hybrid Operation Con ID Payload 4 modes: hop by hop; ATM; MPLS, SIN

25. Hybrids Redefine Multi-Service • Multi service past: • Voice • Video • Data • Multi service now • POS, ATM, FNNI, IP interface to customer • Option of MPLS on top of all • Hybrid acts as adaptation layer • Connection oriented service, enable multi-application uses: • Voice video data

26. POP POP POP CR CR POP CR CR POP POP CR CR CR POP AR AR AR AR AR The Effect of Hybrid Switches in the Network Design Full mesh of SPVCs between all Core Routers Many diverse paths exploited through ATM core Routers’ View of the Network ATM Switch CR Core IP Router Access Router /AS Border Router AR

27. Conclusions • MPLS promises to be a powerful unification technology • Marring the best of IP and ATM • It will take time to meet all high expectation. • Functional replacement • Network management • MPLS is not vanilla IP. • SPs will be very cautious, and will be sure they know what they are getting when vendors talk about MPLS. • SPs do require a low risk, simple migration process. • Can not build out a parallel network • MPLS is just a technology, with great potential • Must enable new services (revenue) • Reduce operational burdens (costs) • Hybrid Switches enable a low risk migration process, while enabling a truly multi-service network.

28. Thank You!