RFC 2702 (rfc2702) - Page 1 of 29


Requirements for Traffic Engineering Over MPLS



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                          D. Awduche
Request for Comments: 2702                                     J. Malcolm
Category: Informational                                        J. Agogbua
                                                                M. O'Dell
                                                               J. McManus
                                                     UUNET (MCI Worldcom)
                                                           September 1999


             Requirements for Traffic Engineering Over MPLS

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 (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document presents a set of requirements for Traffic Engineering
   over Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). It identifies the
   functional capabilities required to implement policies that
   facilitate efficient and reliable network operations in an MPLS
   domain. These capabilities can be used to optimize the utilization of
   network resources and to enhance traffic oriented performance
   characteristics.

Table of Contents

   1.0   Introduction .............................................  2
   1.1   Terminology ..............................................  3
   1.2   Document Organization ....................................  3
   2.0   Traffic Engineering ......................................  4
   2.1   Traffic Engineering Performance Objectives ...............  4
   2.2   Traffic and Resource Control .............................  6
   2.3   Limitations of Current IGP Control Mechanisms ............  6
   3.0   MPLS and Traffic Engineering .............................  7
   3.1   Induced MPLS Graph .......................................  9
   3.2   The Fundamental Problem of Traffic Engineering Over MPLS .  9
   4.0   Augmented Capabilities for Traffic Engineering Over MPLS . 10
   5.0   Traffic Trunk Attributes and Characteristics   ........... 10
   5.1   Bidirectional Traffic Trunks ............................. 11
   5.2   Basic Operations on Traffic Trunks ....................... 12
   5.3   Accounting and Performance Monitoring .................... 12



Awduche, et al.              Informational