IP QoS with military precedence level for the NATO information infrastructure

NATO is transforming to a NATO Network Enabled Capability (NNEC). Seamless information flows in this federated secure environment require technology which offers both application-specific network services and priority for operation-critical command and control applications, - particularly when the network is being stressed (e.g. under cyber or physical attack). NATO selected the technology of end-to-end IP quality of service (IP QoS) and has been studying the technical challenges of supporting elastic and inelastic services, as well as precedence and pre-emption, in networks protected using IP encryption. This paper builds on existing work and describes recent progress using a testbed implementation of IP encrypted flows over a Multi Protocol Label Switched network. It describes the implementation details of a network prototype which uses existing equipment and integrates differentiated services and basic military precedence on the IP layer. The prototype demonstrates the required behavior using a realistic scenario and complies with the emerging NATO policies and standards. The relevant technical details are provided together with documentation of network performances.