How MPLS Traffic Engineering Works MPLS is an integration of Layer 2 and Layer 3 technologies.
Understand the backbone topology and available resources.Routing and signalling capability of LSPs across a backbone topology that can:.Packet transport using MPLS forwarding crossing a multihop label-switched path (LSP).MPLS traffic engineering has the following features: This functionality is useful in some tactical situations, but is insufficient for all the traffic engineering needs of ISPs. Specifically, you can create static routes and control dynamic routes through the manipulation of link state metrics.
Existing Cisco IOS software releases (for example, Cisco IOS Release 11.1) contains a set of features that enable elementary traffic engineering capabilities.
MPLS traffic engineering provides a way to achieve the same traffic engineering benefits of the overlay model without needing to run a separate network, and without needing a non-scalable, full mesh of router interconnects. However, the overlay model has a number of disadvantages. If you use the explicit Layer 2 transit layer, you can precisely control the ways in which traffic uses available bandwidth. The routers see only a fully meshed virtual topology, making most destinations appear one hop away. In the overlay model, transmission facilities are managed by Layer 2 switching. Currently, some ISPs base their services on an overlay model. By making the service provider more efficient, traffic engineering reduces the cost of the network.
Traffic engineering enables ISPs to route network traffic to offer the best service to their users in terms of throughput and delay. Why Use MPLS Traffic Engineering? WAN connections are an expensive item in an ISP budget.