RFC 3037 (rfc3037) - Page 1 of 7

LDP Applicability

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Network Working Group                                          B. Thomas
Request for Comments: 3037                           Cisco Systems, Inc.
Category: Informational                                          E. Gray
                                                           Zaffire, Inc.
                                                            January 2001


                           LDP Applicability

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2001).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a method for forwarding
   packets that uses short, fixed-length values carried by packets,
   called labels, to determine packet nexthops.  A fundamental concept
   in MPLS is that two Label Switching Routers (LSRs) must agree on the
   meaning of the labels used to forward traffic between and through
   them.  This common understanding is achieved by using a set of
   procedures, called a label distribution protocol, by which one LSR
   informs another of label bindings it has made.  This document
   describes the applicability of a set of such procedures called LDP
   (for Label Distribution Protocol) by which LSRs distribute labels to
   support MPLS forwarding along normally routed paths.

1. LDP Applicability

   A label distribution protocol is a set of procedures by which one
   Label Switching Router (LSR) informs another of the meaning of labels
   used to forward traffic between and through them.

   The MPLS architecture allows for the possibility of more than a
   single method for distributing labels, and a number of different
   label distribution protocols are being standardized.  Existing
   protocols have been extended so that label distribution can be
   piggybacked on them, and new protocols have been defined for the
   explicit purpose of distributing labels.






Thomas & Gray                Informational
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