mpls
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+ | Throughout history, people found different ways to talk to each other. People started with speaking to those close by, then figured out how to connect with people far away, even across countries, and even in space. But few people never stopped trying to improve how we communicate. Nowadays, our big goal is to make sure everyone can get online using the Internet, so we can access stuff anytime and anywhere. After many years of working on it by many dedicated enthusiasts, | ||
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+ | Now, let's quickly look at some important Internet technologies and when they came into the big picture: | ||
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+ | - In 1969, we had ARPANET, which was like the Internet' | ||
+ | - In 1981, IPv4 was created. | ||
+ | - In 1986, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) was formed to make Internet standards. | ||
+ | - In 1995, IPv6, a newer version of IPv4, became a standard. | ||
+ | - In 1996, MPLS came into the picture. | ||
+ | - In 2007, we got SDN. | ||
+ | - In 2008, the OpenFlow protocol was born. | ||
+ | - In 2013, we saw SR, including SR-MPLS and SRv6. | ||
+ | - In 2014, VXLAN came into use. | ||
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+ | The primary purpose of revisiting the aforementioned points is to get ready to talk about Segment Routing in some future blog posts. Stay tuned. | ||
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+ | IP-Based Forwarding: How It Works and Its Importance in Networking | ||
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+ | In the world of computer networks, there' | ||
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+ | 1. What is IP-Based Forwarding? | ||
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+ | Imagine you want to send a message to your friend, and you know their home address. In the same way, IP-Based Forwarding uses the destination IP address of data packets to know where to send them. | ||
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+ | 2. How Does It Work? | ||
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+ | When you send data from your computer to another, the network equipment, like routers, has to decide where to send it next. They use the destination IP address to figure this out. This is done at every hop along the way, and it can take some time because the same lookup process happens again and again. | ||
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+ | 3. Replacing Older Technologies | ||
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+ | In the past, there were other methods like "Frame Relay" and " | ||
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+ | ATM and IP networks were like a competition between telecom and computer networks. Telecom people wanted to use ATM to connect networks, while computer folks used it mainly for quality on IP networks without needing complex connections. | ||
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+ | As time went on, computer networks became more advanced, focusing on fast, smart, and integrated services. But they didn't need the same level of quality as telecom networks, and their packets weren' | ||
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+ | In the end, as networks got bigger and had more services, ATM networks became too complicated and costly compared to IP networks. So, over time, ATM networks were replaced by IP networks. | ||
+ | 4. Best Effort Forwarding | ||
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+ | IP is known for being a "best effort" | ||
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+ | 5. What Makes IP Special? | ||
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+ | IP packets have variable length headers, which means they can carry different amounts of data. They' | ||
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+ | 6. Flexibility vs. Quality of Service | ||
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+ | IP is quite flexible, which is great for sending different types of data. However, it's not so good at ensuring " | ||
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+ | In a nutshell, IP-Based Forwarding is a clever way to send data from one place to another based on the destination IP address. It's flexible and widely used, but it doesn' | ||
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+ | MPLS: Simplifying Network Traffic Routing with Label-Based Approach | ||
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+ | In the world of networking, managing traffic efficiently is crucial to ensure the smooth flow of data from one point to another. One approach that simplifies this task is the label-based approach, a technique that uses labels in a fixed 32-bit header to make routing decisions. A 32-bit fixed label has been demonstrated (before hardware based forwarding came into the picture) to be more efficient than an IP packet with variable length. | ||
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+ | MPLS, which stands for Multiprotocol Label Switching, is a widely used networking technology that primarily operates in between the data link layer and network layer of the OSI model (popularly known as Layer 2.5). It was developed to improve the efficiency and flexibility of packet forwarding in IP networks, making it particularly useful for modern telecommunications and internet service providers. | ||
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+ | 1. Label-Based Approach | ||
+ | The label-based approach is a method used to guide network traffic in a more organized way. It uses labels, which are like tiny tags attached to data packets. These labels help routers understand where to send the data. | ||
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+ | 2. Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) | ||
+ | The Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) is a crucial part of the label-based approach. It's the protocol that routers use to generate label information locally and share with neighboring routers. This sharing of information ensures that every router in the network knows which label to use for a specific destination. LDP is typically responsible for dealing with transport labels. | ||
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+ | 3. Label Operations: PUSH, SWAP, POP | ||
+ | In the label-based approach, routers can perform three main label operations: | ||
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+ | PUSH: When a router (ingress PE) receives a native IP packet or ethernet frame from customer site A, it adds a label to that data packet, it's called " | ||
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+ | SWAP: Sometimes, a router (core router known as P) may need to change the label on a packet. This is called " | ||
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+ | POP: When a router (egress PE) removes the label from a packet, it's called " | ||
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+ | 4. Overlay Tunneling for Customer Services | ||
+ | Overlay tunneling is a technique used to provide special services to customers over a network. It's like creating a private road on top of the regular highways. This allows to keep customers' | ||
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+ | 5. L3VPN and L2VPN | ||
+ | L3VPN and L2VPN are two types of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) often used in the label-based approach: | ||
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+ | L3VPN: This stands for Layer 3 Virtual Private Network. It's used for connecting different networks together, like joining branches of a company. It operates at the network layer and can handle both IP and non-IP traffic. | ||
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+ | L2VPN: This is short for Layer 2 Virtual Private Network. It focuses on connecting individual devices, like computers or switches. It operates at the data link layer and is useful for specific applications. | ||
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+ | 6. BGP-Free Core; RR Required for Large Networks | ||
+ | In some networks, people aim to simplify things by having a BGP-free core. BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a complex routing protocol used on the internet. A BGP-free core means that the core of the network doesn' | ||
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+ | 7. TE Possible: RSVP-TE | ||
+ | TE, or Traffic Engineering, | ||
+ | Just to sum up, the label-based approach simplifies network traffic management by using labels to guide data. It relies on the Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) and various label operations like PUSH, SWAP, and POP. Overlay tunneling, L3VPN, L2VPN, and BGP-free cores make it even more powerful. And for advanced traffic engineering, | ||
mpls.1693152882.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/08/27 16:14 by sysadm