Multipath traffic distribution in MPLS network

In this paper, we proposed an effective multipath traffic distribution mechanism in a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) network. It makes good use of the traffic characteristics at the flow level. In this level, traffic characteristics are much simpler than those at the packet level. As a result, the packets belonging to one flow will be dispatched to the same path. Therefore, packet disorder can be avoided effectively. We discussed the traffic allocation granularity, and the implementation issues in detail. Extensive simulations have been carried out by using NS (Network Simulator) with MPLS modules. The simulation results show that the load through the network is well balanced. This leads to the network throughput being improved and the delay decreased.