Network Routing

5Routing and MPLS Traffic Engineering

• 5.1 MPLS Fundamentals
• 5.2 Traffic Engineering Routing Algorithms
• 5.3 Minimum Interference Routing Algorithm
  • 5.3.1 The Algorithm
  • 5.3.2 Limitations of MIRA
• 5.4 Profile‐Based Routing Algorithm
• 5.5 Dynamic Online Routing Algorithm
• 5.6 Wang et al.’s Algorithm
• 5.7 Random Races Algorithm
• References
• Abbreviations/Terminologies
• Questions
• Exercises

5.1 MPLS Fundamentals

Traffic Engineering (TE) is a set of methods that work on the actual interconnected network and optimize the network resource utilization for efficient flow of traffic through the physical network. It is achieved by minimizing the overutilization of network capacity and distributing the traffic load on costly network resources such as links, routers, switches, and gateways. In the context of routing, TE is of very useful because traditional routing techniques are based on greedy shortest‐path computation techniques that lead to overutilization of certain network resources, even when other resources remain underutilized.

Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is an IETF standard that merges the control protocols available at layer 3 and the speed of operations available at layer 2 of an IP network. MPLS creates an autonomous system wherein the data packet is tagged so as to ensure its faster processing in the path. These tags are called labels, and backbone switch is not required to see the IP header to calculate the path of the packet; rather the label is used for this, which increases the speed of packet ...