Using multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) for multimedia applications

It is believed that Multi-Protocol Label Switching, MPLS, is very beneficial in managing traffic when some links or paths are under and/or over utilized. A comparative analysis of an MPLS and non-MPLS network is provided when a high-traffic generating multimedia application is implemented over a highly utilized network. Video-conferencing is the application of choice for this comparative study. Video-conferencing multimedia-type applications generate a significant amount of bytes per second. In addition to large traffic loads, video-conferencing traffic has to be transmitted in streams versus bursts in providing desired quality-of-service levels. This study shows that Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) can improve network performance for video-conferencing type applications in heavy traffic environments. MPLS facilitates a method where streams of video-conferencing IP packets traverse through a switched network without changing their structure. With MPLS, the processing time for a video-conferencing IP packet is supposedly reduced at each Label Switching Router (LSR) because the need for a layer-3 lookup is eliminated. Routing information is also reduced in MPLS-based networks because network traffic can be directed to utilize links and nodes having less congestion and/or lower cost association. ne following simulation study is an effort to quantitatively illustrate the benefit of using MPLS in implementing a video-conferencing application in a heavy traffic environment.