MPLS is an industry-leading routing method that has served various enterprises for over two decades. Despite this, some organizations still need to decide whether or not to invest in this technology.
When data packets enter an MPLS network, each one receives a label. This information tells routers where to send the packet. It allows for better performance metrics by segregating traffic types.
Scalability
In contrast to IP, which operates at the network layer of the OSI model, MPLS works at the data link layer and identifies paths network “roads” rather than individual packets. It allows the first router to decide where to send a packet and ensures that other devices in the network will always use the same path.
Traffic engineering with MPLS enables you to classify data packets based on their performance needs. You can then reroute slower, more circuitous data across faster routes and free up capacity on the most critical applications to provide better user service.
For example, real-time applications like voice and video require low latency to deliver the highest possible quality of service. These applications can be rerouted across your WAN via MPLS to prioritize them over non-real-time data and eliminate network congestion. This results in faster application response times, increased bandwidth utilization, and a consistent end-user experience. Consistent network performance also helps avoid costly support calls and boosts employee productivity.
Cost
The MPLS network method creates point-to-point paths between branch offices and data centers, but unlike traditional circuit-switched connections (like SONET/SDH), it delivers layer 3 IP packets. It allows the service to provide diversity in that it can be deployed irrespective of the underlying network protocols.
Traditionally, routers make routing decisions based on ultimate source and destination addresses by referencing large in-memory route tables. It can result in degraded performance for latency-sensitive applications like real-time video or voice. MPLS routes traffic with specific directions that send it along a more efficient path, creating better quality and lower latency for the end-user.
Another advantage of MPLS is that it can support sophisticated traffic engineering options, reducing network congestion by rerouting comparatively delay-tolerant traffic over slower, more circuitous routes and freeing up capacity on overcrowded paths. It can also improve the user experience for latency-sensitive applications.
When compared to the cost of leased lines, MPLS can be an affordable alternative for businesses that need a dependable wide-area network solution. However, consider your networking needs and how they might evolve when evaluating any solution. For example, an organization may want to augment its MPLS environment with a direct-to-internet SD-WAN to meet evolving application, bandwidth, and security requirements.
Reliability
While improvements in other networking technologies have made the Internet a more reliable option, MPLS continues to meet the needs of some organizations. They require a dedicated circuit between each site and are expensive to deploy, but they also offer reliable performance that eliminates issues like inconsistent bandwidth, fixed latency, and low jitter.
MPLS works by prioritizing different types of traffic across the network using packet labeling. Each router receives data packets and uses a pre-programmed label to decide where the packet should be sent next. It reduces the time routers spend conducting IP lookups, which can increase the overall network performance.
Another benefit of an MPLS network is that it can be adapted to accommodate the introduction of new kinds of data. That makes it a good choice for companies that know their business model or data demands will change over time. Connecting your MPLS network to a service provider Network Security (NBS) internet circuit can help you take a proactive approach to mitigate risk and prevent downtime caused by malicious attacks.
Security
When it comes to securing data, MPLS is an excellent choice. This network method offers a range of security features designed to meet customer needs.
The key to MPLS is that it uses labels to route packets over predetermined paths. This process is much faster than the standard IP table lookups that non-MPLS routers have to perform. This results in fewer errors and better transmission quality.
Another benefit of MPLS is that it can help to reduce network congestion. It is accomplished by letting high-priority traffic borrow capacity from lower-priority streams when needed. It can also help to increase bandwidth utilization by reducing the number of times low-priority connections are forced to wait for an open path.
Another way that MPLS can increase network security is by limiting employee web access. It helps to prevent users from downloading inappropriate content, which can impact business productivity and damage the company’s reputation. It also allows organizations to enforce policies and improve employee morale. It can be done by establishing secure MPLS links between sites and connecting them to a service provider’s NBS internet circuit.
Flexibility
By adding a label to packets, routers can avoid doing IP lookups each time they forward data. It reduces congestion and improves performance. In addition, MPLS enables advanced traffic engineering options that prioritize certain types of data or avoid paths with high latency.
In most traditional networks, each router determines the best route to send a data packet to its destination by doing an IP longest prefix match at each hop. But with MPLS, each network node sets a label to tell routing devices to pass the data packet straight to its endpoint. The following device only reads the topmost label in the stack and follows that path.
This flexibility means that organizations can quickly scale their network and connect new offices without worrying about whether they’re using the proper hardware. But it also means they give up control over the network and must rely on their provider to configure all the equipment, which could be time-consuming and costly. Additionally, deploying an MPLS connection globally can take months as providers have to build fiber to each location.