MPLS PROTOCOLS
LABEL DISTRIBUTION PROTOCOL (LDP)
LDP is an MPLS control and signalling protocol
Main functions:
o Release Label-FEC mapping
o Creates and maintains label switching path
LDP serves to distribute and maintain label mapping messages between
peers in the form of message.
LDP uses TCP / UDP for service .
LDP MESSAGE TYPES
o Discovery message: Used to discover LDP adjacencies in the
network
o Session message: Used to set up, maintain and terminate a session
between LDP peers
o Distribution message: Used to create, change and delete label
mappings related to FEC
o Notification message: Used to provide recommendation or error
notification information
LDP MESSAGE SWITCHING
LDP MESSAGE FLOW
LDP MESSAGES
o Hello
o LDP Session initialization messages
o Keep-alive messages
o Label Request Message
o Label Mapping Message
o Label Abort Request Message
o Label Withdraw Message
o Label Release Message
o Error Notification
o Advisory Notification
LDP MESSAGE EXCHANGE
LDP message exchanges are accomplished by sending LDP
protocol data units (PDUs) over LDP sessions established over
TCP connection.
Each LDP PDU can carry one or more messages
Messages in an LDP PDU need not be related to one another
LDP PDU HEADER FORMAT
LDP HEADER
Version (2 bytes)
Length (2 bytes)
o Total PDU length in octets
o Exclusive of the version and length fields
o Negotiated during session initialization
o Maximum allowable length is 4096 Bytes
LDP Identifier (6 bytes)
Uniquely identifies the label space of the sending LSR
Router ID (4 bytes) Identifies the LSR and must be a globally
unique value. Router ID is the IP address of this LSR
Label Space ID (2 bytes) Identifies the label space within the
LSR
LDP MESSAGE FORMAT
U bit (Unknown message bit)
o Upon receipt of an unknown message, if U=0, a notification must be
returned to the message originator. If U=1, the unknown message is
silently ignored and the rest of message is processed
Message Type (15 bits)
o Identifies the type of message
Message Length (2bytes)
o Length in octets of the Message ID, Mandatory Parameters &
Optional Parameters
Message ID (4 bytes)
o Notification messages, if to be sent, in response to this message
carry this value back in the Status TLV
Mandatory Parameters - Variable
Optional Parameters - Variable
Type-Length-Value Encoding
LDP messages carry information, encoded in Type-Length-Value (TLV)
format.
U bit (Unknown TLV bit)
Upon receipt of an unknown TLV, if U=0, a notification must be returned to
the message originator and ENTIRE message must be ignored. If U=1, the
unknown TLV is silently ignored and the rest of message is processed
F bit (Forward Unknown TLV bit)
Applies only when U=1, if F=0, the unknown TLV is NOT forwarded with
the containing message. If F=1, the unknown TLV is forwarded with the
containing message
Type
Identifies the various message types
Length
Length in octets of ONLY the value field
Value - Variable
String of octets that encodes the information
TLVs can be nested i.e. Value field itself may contain further TLV
encodings.
LDP OPERATION
LDP Discovery
Session Establishment
Label Distribution
Error Notification
LDP DISCOVERY
LDP discovery is a mechanism that enables an LSR to discover LDP peers
Basic discovery:
To discover LSR neighbours that are directly connected at the link level.
LSR periodically sends LDP link hellos out the interface as UDP packets
using group multicast address.
Extended discovery
To discover LSRs that are not directly connected at the link level
LSR periodically sends LDP targeted hellos as UDP packets to a specific
address.
ISSUES CONCERNING LABEL DISTRIBUTION
Label allocation mode
o DoD : downstream-on-demand
o DU: downstream unsolicited
Label control mode
o Ordered
o Independent
Label hold mode
o Liberal retention mode: upon receiving a label, if there is no route
destined for the corresponding FEC, hold the label for later use
o Conservative mode: upon receiving a label, if there is no route
destined for corresponding FEC, discard the label
Other than LDP there are other MPLS signalling protocols which are as
follows:
o MPLS architecture does not mandate a single method of signalling for
label distribution. Various schemes for label exchange is as follows
o LDP- maps unicast destinations into labels, mostly used.
o RSVP ( Resource reservation Protocol ) ,CR-LDP ( Constrained
based Label Distribution Protocol ) - used for traffic engineering and
resource reservation
o Protocol-independent multicast (PIM)-used for multicast states
label mapping
o Border Gateway Protocol -external labels (VPN)
o BGP provides great scalability for MPLS networks by playing a big role
in separating the control plane from the forwarding plane. Using labels
to aggregate forwarding information while maintaining different routing
hierarchies allows the network to scale, as different parts of the
network will carry only information required to perform its specific
function. For example core routers need to hold label information and
internal network information in internal gateway protocols; VPN
information will be distributed only to edge routers that have something
to do with those VPNs only and not to all edge routers.
o BGP is a protocol used to carry external routing information such as
customers’ routing information or the internet routing information. In a
MPLS network that is used to provide internet services and L3 VPN
services BGP is typically carrying the internet routing table, customers’
IPv4/IPv6 routing information and VPNv4 routing information with VPN
labels.
o The MPLS tunneling mechanism allows core routers to forward
packets using labels only without the need to look up their destinations
in IP routing tables. Only edge routers forward packets by looking up
their destinations in the routing table. This means that edge routers are
the only routers that need to have this information, so they need to run
BGP.
o To summarize; BGP is used to carry the following information:
o Internet routing information.
o Customers’ routing information.
o VPNv4 routing information with VPN labels piggybacked.
o In some MPLS applications BGP is also used to distribute label
information piggybacked in its updates.
