Final report for the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) control plane security LDRD project.

As rapid Internet growth continues, global communications becomes more dependent on Internet availability for information transfer. Recently, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) introduced a new protocol, Multiple Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), to provide high-performance data flows within the Internet. MPLS emulates two major aspects of the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology. First, each initial IP packet is 'routed' to its destination based on previously known delay and congestion avoidance mechanisms. This allows for effective distribution of network resources and reduces the probability of congestion. Second, after route selection each subsequent packet is assigned a label at each hop, which determines the output port for the packet to reach its final destination. These labels guide the forwarding of each packet at routing nodes more efficiently and with more control than traditional IP forwarding (based on complete address information in each packet) for high-performance data flows. Label assignment is critical in the prompt and accurate delivery of user data. However, the protocols for label distribution were not adequately secured. Thus, if an adversary compromises a node by intercepting and modifying, or more simply injecting false labels into the packet-forwarding engine, the propagation of improperly labeled data flows could create instability in the entire network. In addition, some Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions take advantage of this 'virtual channel' configuration to eliminate the need for user data encryption to provide privacy. VPN's relying on MPLS require accurate label assignment to maintain user data protection. This research developed a working distributive trust model that demonstrated how to deploy confidentiality, authentication, and non-repudiation in the global network label switching control plane. Simulation models and laboratory testbed implementations that demonstrated this concept were developed, and results from this research were transferred to industry via standards in the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF)

Loop detection and prevention mechanism in multiprotocol label switching

The extended color thread algorithm is based on running a thread hop by hop before the labels are distributed inside a MPLS Cloud Since the path for the data packets is set beforehand, the loop formation occurs at the control path. The shortest paths between selected source and destination have been calculated using Dijkstra\u27s shortest path algorithm and threads are allowed to extend through the routers. With the passage of each next hop, a distributed procedure is executed within the thread, generating a unique color at nodes. This keeps a track on router\u27s control path and at the same time ensures that no loop formation occurs. In loop prevention mode, a router transmits a label mapping, when it rewinds the thread for that particular LSP. Likewise, if a router operates in loop detection mode, it returns a label-mapping message without a thread object, after receiving a colored thread. The scheme is a loop prevention scheme, thus, ensuring loop detection and loop mitigation. The same algorithm is then extended to a proposed MPLS environment with global label space. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Multi Protocol Label Switching: Quality of Service, Traffic Engineering application, and Virtual Private Network application

This thesis discusses the QoS feature, Traffic Engineering (TE) application, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) application of the Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) protocol. This thesis concentrates on comparing MPLS with other prominent technologies such as Internet Protocol (IP), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and Frame Relay (FR). MPLS combines the flexibility of Internet Protocol (IP) with the connection oriented approach of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) or Frame Relay (FR). Section 1 lists several advantages MPLS brings over other technologies. Section 2 covers architecture and a brief description of the key components of MPLS. The information provided in Section 2 builds a background to compare MPLS with the other technologies in the rest of the sections. Since it is anticipate that MPLS will be a main core network technology, MPLS is required to work with two currently available QoS architectures: Integrated Service (IntServ) architecture and Differentiated Service (DiffServ) architecture. Even though the MPLS does not introduce a new QoS architecture or enhance the existing QoS architectures, it works seamlessly with both QoS architectures and provides proper QoS support to the customer. Section 3 provides the details of how MPLS supports various functions of the IntServ and DiffServ architectures. TE helps Internet Service Provider (ISP) optimize the use of available resources, minimize the operational costs, and maximize the revenues. MPLS provides efficient TE functions which prove to be superior to IP and ATM/FR. Section 4 discusses how MPLS supports the TE functionality and what makes MPLS superior to other competitive technologies. ATM and FR are still required as a backbone technology in some areas where converting the backbone to IP or MPLS does not make sense or customer demands simply require ATM or FR. In this case, it is important for MPLS to work with ATM and FR. Section 5 highlights the interoperability issues and solutions for MPLS while working in conjunction with ATM and FR. In section 6, various VPN tunnel types are discussed and compared with the MPLS VPN tunnel type. The MPLS VPN tunnel type is concluded as an optimal tunnel approach because it provides security, multiplexing, and the other important features that are reburied by the VPN customer and the ISP. Various MPLS layer 2 and layer 3 VPN solutions are also briefly discussed. In section 7 I conclude with the details of an actual implementation of a layer 3 MPLS VPN solution that works in conjunction with Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)

Foundational Research of Interarrival Packet Jitter for Homogenous CBR Traffic in MPLS Networks

School of Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Real-time bandwidth encapsulation for IP/MPLS Protection Switching

Bandwidth reservation and bandwidth allocation are needed to guarantee the protection of voice traffic during network failure. Since voice calls have a time constraint of 50 ms within which the traffic must be recovered, a real-time bandwidth management scheme is required. Such bandwidth allocation scheme that prioritizes voice traffic will ensure that the voice traffic is guaranteed the necessary bandwidth during the network failure. Additionally, a mechanism is also required to provide the bandwidth to voice traffic when the reserved bandwidth is insufficient to accommodate voice traffic. This mechanism must be able to utilise the working bandwidth or bandwidth reserved for lower priority applications and allocate it to the voice traffic when a network failure occurs

MPLS AND ITS APPLICATION

Real-time and multimedia applications have grown enormously during the last few years. Such applications require guaranteed bandwidth in a packet switched networks. Moreover, these applications require that the guaranteed bandwidth remains available when a node or a link in the network fails. Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks cater to these requirements without compromising scalability. Guaranteed service and protection against failures in an MPLS network requires backup paths to be present in the network. Such backup paths are computed and installed at the same time a primary is provisioned. This thesis explains the single-layer restoration routing by placing primary as well as backup paths in MPLS networks. Our focus will be on computing and establishing backup paths, and bandwidth sharing along such backup paths. We will start by providing a quick overview of MPLS routing. We will identify the elements and quantities that are significant to the understanding of MPLS restoration routing. To this end, we will introduce the information locally stored at MPLS nodes and information propagated through routing protocols, in order to assist in efficient restoration routing. L2VPNs and VPLS will also be covered in the end of this thesis. In the end SDN (software defined networks) will be introduced