In recent years, requests for new advanced features, decentralization, and improvements in the forwarding speed, have been made for IX. A new IX architecture using MPLS (Multiple Label Switching) technology (MPLS-IX) is proposed to solve these requirements and rectify the problems. In this paper, a comparison between current IX and MPLS-IX based on router's packet forwarding performance is examined, and the feasibility of MPLS-IX is discussed. Moreover, the QoS requirements to provide IX service are discussed.

This paper proposes a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) based hierarchical service management system. Traditionally, general management systems deployed in some service providers control MPLS Label Switched Paths (LSPs) (e.g., RSVP-TE and LDP) and services (e.g., L2VPN, L3VPN and IP) separately. In order for dedicated management systems for MPLS LSPs and services to cooperate with each other automatically, a hierarchical service management system has been proposed with the main focus on point-to-point (P2P) TE LSPs in MPLS path management. In the case where P2MP TE LSPs and services are deployed in MPLS networks, the dedicated management systems for P2MP TE LSPs and services must work together automatically. Therefore, this paper proposes a new algorithm that uses a correlation between P2MP TE LSPs and multicast VPN services based on a P2MP MPLS-based hierarchical service management architecture. Also, the capacity and performance of the proposed algorithm are evaluated by simulations, which are actually based on certain real MPLS production networks, and are compared to that of the algorithm for P2P TE LSPs. Results show this system is very scalable within real MPLS production networks. This system, with the automatic correlation, appears to be deployable in real MPLS production networks.

This paper proposes a hierarchical service management system for MPLS network services. Traditionally, general management systems which have been deployed in some service providers control MPLS LSPs (e.g. RSVP-TE, LDP) and services (e.g. L2VPN, L3VPN and IP) separately. If a fault occurs in an MPLS network, the dedicated management system for MPLS LSPs can detect the fault and recognize the state of MPLS LSPs. However, it cannot detect the extent of the impact due to the fault in each service. Furthermore, its own inability to identify the affected customer means it takes some time to identify the affected customers, cooperating manually with the dedicated management system for services. Therefore, this paper proposes a new automatic correlation between MPLS LSPs and each service. In particular, this paper proposes a new algorithm for a correlation between RSVP-TE LSPs and L3VPN services. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the capacity on a correlation table and the performance searching on a correlation table, and results show this system is very scalable within real MPLS production networks. This system, with the automatic correlation, could be sufficiently deployed in real MPLS production networks.

Contents delivery services are deployed over the Internet and its technology. Contents delivery services demand high quality. Consequently, a large network capacity is required. In order to efficiently deliver such contents and to meet high quality demands, network operators are required to explicitly indicate the branch node and/or the link so that packets are efficiently sent. Fast restoration at the time of trouble has become an important issue. MPLS technology has been utilized to realize Traffic Engineering and Fast Reroute to cope with this issue. However, only a point-to-point path is allowed in the current MPLS technology. To allow an efficient high-quality contents delivery, a point-to-multipoint path called as P2MP-LSP is under discussion. However, proposed methods lack of getting information about P2MP-LSP node due to the current MPLS signaling method to establish P2MP-LSP. This paper introduces a discovery technique of the P2MP-LSP node and an establishment technique of the P2MP-LSP using BGP. In addition, a basic function of this proposal is experimented, and its practicality is evaluated.

Label switching technology enables high performance and flexible layer-3 packet forwarding using the fixed length label information mapped to the corresponding layer-3 packet stream. A Label Switching Router (LSR), applying label switching technology, forwards layer-3 packets either by their layer-3 address information or by their label information mapped to the layer-3 address information. In order to apply label switching technology to ATM links, we have introduced a new identifier called a Virtual Connection ID (VCID). The VCID value is shared between the neighboring LSR nodes. This paper proposes a VCID notification procedure and evaluates the performance of LSP (Label Switching Path) establishment with the VCID notification procedure. The prototype system can establish 142.9 LSPs in one second with PVC operation, and 10.53 LSPs in one second with SVC operation. Of the entire LSP establishment procedure, the VCID notification procedure contributes only 3 ms, corresponding to only 3% of the entire LSP establishment procedure with SVC operation. Evaluation using a real traffic trace between Japan and the U. S. shows that the required maximum number for LSP establishment is 17 per second. With SVC operation, the prototype system will not be able to achieve sufficient performance with regard to LSP establishment. Since the contribution by the ATM signaling is large, i. e. , 88 ms (= 92.6%), we need to improve the performance of ATM signaling with SVC operation.