Adaptive MPLS load sharing: modeling, dimensioning and test-bed platform

The multi protocol label switching architecture (MPLS) adds a connection oriented layer on top of IP networks. In MPLS enabled networks, label switched paths (LSPs) are established and released using a variety of signaling protocols and data packets are forwarded over LSPs using the label swapping paradigm. Load sharing has been identified as an attractive mechanism to perform traffic engineering in MPLS networks. Due to the connection oriented nature of MPLS, arbitrary load sharing schemes may be deployed, without the inherent limitations of load sharing enabled IP routing protocols. The objective of this paper is the following: based on and starting from analytical studies aimed at obtaining engineering rules and guidelines to dimension and to optimize MPLS load sharing when taking into account the statistical properties of the traffic, we present a test-bed platform that offers a generic framework to asses the applicability and to evaluate the performance of diverse MPLS load sharing schemes, focusing on an adaptive measurement-based ones. We detail the functional architecture of the platform, its design and implementation and we showcase its use in simple but meaningful scenarios