* A carrier-class network
It is no secret that Multi-protocol Label Switching has been a hot topic for years. However, virtually all of the discussion around MPLS to date has centered on its use within service provider networks.
We are now beginning to see the emergence of MPLS within some private networks. Entities such as financial institutions and government organizations are implementing MPLS networks in part to have more control over their WAN infrastructure and in part because they want to offer a carrier-class network to their user base.
The phrase “carrier-class network” gets used in a wide range of contexts. In this context, the phrase refers to a private network that offers a wide range of services to the users of the network in a manner similar to how carriers offer multiple services to their customers. The phrase also refers to a network that is highly flexible and robust, and which enables both the consolidation of technology and traffic types, as well as the isolation of traffic to meet a wide variety of needs.
One of the reasons why traffic isolation is important is that it is quite common for an organization to extend its WAN out to its customers, suppliers and distributors. In order to provide a base level of security, it is necessary to isolate the WAN traffic so that only the appropriate entities have access to it.
A future newsletter will discuss some of the additional attributes of MPLS that make it appropriate for use within a private network.
