MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching)
MPLS – Multi Protocol Label Switching is a technology for speeding up network traffic flow and making it easier to manage. MPLS involves setting up a specific path across a network for a given sequence of data packets; the path being identified by a label put in each packet. Fundamentally, this saves the time needed for a router to look up the address of the next node to forward the packet to, the normal way of forwarding a packet through a routed network
MPLS is called multiprotocol because it works with the Internet Protocol (IP), Asynchronous Transport Mode (ATM) and frame relay network protocols. MPLS achieves this by allowing most packets to be forwarded at the Layer 2 (switching) level rather than at the Layer 3 (routing) level.
In addition to moving traffic faster overall, MPLS makes it easy to manage a network for quality of service (QoS). For these reasons, the technique is being readily adopted as networks begin to carry more and different mixtures of traffic types.
Many IPVPNs use MPLS to handle the data which creates an efficient network that competes well with private circuits in terms of cost and flexibility.
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