TABLE OF CONTENTS Having explored much in the way of MPLS fundamentals, we can now take a look at one of the greatest challenges confronting network analysts today: traffic engineering. Effective traffic engineering employs a variety of skills, tactics, and methodologies; we explore some of them in this chapter. Volumes could be devoted the science of managing network traffic, but we skim the surface here to gain an understanding of how it applies specifically to MPLS in terms of measurements, procedures, and protocols involved. Practical applications and hands-on exercises are included to supplement the chapter material.
There is a road in Seattle, Washington, that I drove years ago, called Interstate 5. From the suburb of Lynnwood, I could get on the highway and drive into the city, getting off at any exit. If I wanted to go from Lynnwood into the heart of Seattle, I could get onto the express lane. This express lane is like an MPLS tunnel (see Figure 5.1). If my driving characteristics matched the requirements of the express lane, I could use it.
Taking this illustration further, let s say that I enter the freeway and want to drive into the heart of Seattle. I might ask myself, Which is faster: the express lane or the regular highway? Is there an accident on the express lane? Is the standard freeway faster?
It would be nice to have a traffic report to use in making my decision, but traffic reports over...
