Education: LEARN ABOUT IP/MPLS

White Papers

Public Multi-Vendor Mobile Backhaul Interoperability Test (PDF Format)
This paper documents the demonstration of a wide range of mobile backhaul solutions working together over a unified network which took place during the MPLS&Ethernet World Congress 08 held in Paris in February. Demonstrations included various clock synchronization methods, Circuit Emulation for ATM, Ethernet and TDM, migration scenarios, and MEF defined services realized over MPLS, PBB-TE and T-MPLS. This event was organized and facilitated by the European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) and was endorsed by the IP/MPLS Forum. .
Date Approved: February 2008

Use of MPLS Technology in Mobile Backhaul Networks (Zipped PDF Format)
This white paper outlines the market dynamics that are driving the need to deploy MPLS technology in Radio Access Network (RAN) backhaul and provides a brief overview of the MMBI.
Date Approved: February 2008

Addressing Inter Provider Connections with MPLS-ICI (Zipped PDF Format)
The migration away from traditional multiple packet overlay networks towards a converged packet-switched MPLS system is now well advanced in most carrier networks. The evolution in the network has coincided with the increasing communications needs of large enterprise customers, including the need to seamlessly connect various global locations. The MPLS-ICI is developing a Technical Specification which addresses four common MPLS services: inter-carrier IP VPN services, Labeled IPv4 routes, pseudo wires (emulated Layer 1 and Layer 2 services over an MPLS network) and traffic engineered trunks. This white paper outlines the commercial drivers contributing towards the need for the MPLS-ICI specification, describes the service applications for MPLS-ICI and the architecture outlined in the Technical Specification, and touches on some of the unique challenges and issues addressed in the Specification.
Date Approved: January 2008

Converged Network Services Using MPLS (PDF Format)
This paper documents the results of the development of a network of interoperable devices and a successful demonstration at the MPLS World Congress held in Paris February 07-10, 2006. This event was organized and facilitated by the European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) and the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Laboratory (UNHIOL) and endorsed by the MFA Forum.
Date Approved: February 2006

Carrier Migration from ATM to MPLS: Why, When and How (PDF Format)
Date published: October 2005

Converging ATM/Frame Relay over MPLS - Solving Control Plane Interworking (PDF Format)
This paper highlights the MFA Forum's development on the topic of ATM-and-Frame Relay to MPLS Control Plane Interworking. Objective is to increase the scalability and manageability of ATM/FR-over-MPLS solutions. This white paper provides a high level overview of two approaches, which cover: The network reference model and a method for implementing dynamic control plane interworking between the ATM/FR and MPLS domains.
Date Approved: Sept 2005

Large-Scale Multi-Vendor Layer 2 VPNs with MPLS (PDF Format)
This paper demonstrates interoperability and scalability of Layer 2 MPLS Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), as well as the interoperability of MPLS Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) capabilities.
Date Approved: Feb 2005

MPLS Ready to Serve The Enterprise (PDF Format)
This paper demonstrates the interoperability of H-VPLS and LSP ping and traceroute and PNNI-MPLS interworking. In addition to the MPLS interoperability showcase, VoIP over MPLS was also shown in one of the first complete public demonstrations..
Date Approved: June 2004

Converged Data Networks
Bringing Together ATM and MPLS Technologies (PDF Format)
This paper discusses the search for an optimal integrated solution, and how to create a convergence blueprint that can be used to implement service provider specific networks, and to identify and deliver the standards needed to do this.
Date Approved: April 2004

New Revenue Streams with MPLS Service Differentiation
MPLS World Congress 2004 (PDF Format)
This paper provides an overview of the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance sponsored New Revenue Streams with MPLS Service Differentiation Event held at the MPLS World Congress in February 2004. The focus was on demonstrating differentiated services over MPLS and MPLS traffic engineering.
Date Approved: February 2004

Enabling a Multi-Service Future - Creating Value From Vision
Report on 2003 SuperDemo Event (PDF Format)
This paper provides an overview of the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance sponsored MPLS SUPERdemo held at SUPERCOMM 2003 in June 2003. This demo brought together fourteen equipment manufacturers to test a large variety of MPLS services. It also marked the first time tthat ATM and FR over MPLS were displayed in a public mulit-vendor live test demonstration.
Date Approved: May 2003

QoS Support in MPLS Networks (PDF Format)
This paper discusses various architecture and implementation aspects of MPLS-enabled packet backbones, as well as QoS features of the MPLS User-to-Network Interface (UNI) defined by the MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance.
Date Approved: May 2003

MPLS: Resilient & Scalable Interoperability Event / MPLS World Congress 2003 (PDF Format)
Download the Network Diagram (in PostScript format, suited for large format printing).
This paper provides an overview of the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance sponsored MPLS: Resilient & Scalable Interoperability Event held at the MPLS World Congress in February 2003. The demonstration consisted of a network running the two major MPLS signalling protocols in a hierarchical manner: RSVP-TE was used in the core and LDP at the edge of the network allowing VPN services to be established over the hierarchical network.
Date Approved: February 2003

MPLS: Ready for Revenues / Report on SUPERdemo Interop Event (PDF Format)
This paper provides an overview of the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance sponsored MPLS SUPERdemo held at SUPERCOMM 2002 in June 2002, which brought together twenty-one equipment manufacturers to hold the world's largest MPLS interoperability test event. The demo consisted of a core network running RSVP-TE and LDP with an edge network running VPN services over the core. Interoperability testing not only focused on the RSVP-TE and LDP protocols, but also on VPN services using the RFC2547bis BGP/MPLS VPN model and the IETF draft-martini Ethernet over MPLS VPN model.
Date Approved: October 2002