Subject: MPLS flow detection and aggregation

From: Trini Jurado <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 16:05:54 +0200

Hi all!

I am started to study MPL(abel&ambda)S  a little time ago because I am
doing my final degree project on something related to this.

I would thank you any reply to the questions below:

- In MPLS, is there an FEC assignment only when a flow is detected?

If this is truth,

- the routing of the IP packets is still by means of traditonal IP routing
until the flow is detected? which are the criteria to detect a flow, i.e.,
when does a node determine that it has been created a new flow?

- Can anybody tell me which are the steps that a node would follow to do
flow aggregation in MPL(ambda)S ?

Thank you very much in advance.

  Trini Jurado.

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From: Stephen Suryaputra <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 10:06:51 -0400

>- In MPLS, is there an FEC assignment only when a flow is detected?

No, MPLS is more control-driven rather than data-driven. If you want to do
FEC assignment when a flow is detected, it will be more IP switching like.

>when does a node determine that it has been created a new flow?

Some people use X/Y classifier and I believe there is no magic criteria
to detect a flow. It should be viewed as case per case basis.

>flow aggregation in MPL(ambda)S ?

There are some references regarding effort to do dynamic optical flow
assignment
using IP switching way. You might want to take a look at my final project:

http://www.isi.edu/~touch/pubs/bann-pfhsn99/
http://www.isi.edu/~touch/pubs/swap-99/

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From: Curtis Villamizar <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 11:16:15 -0400

> - In MPLS, is there an FEC assignment only when a flow is detected?

Strictly speaking, it could be.  Practical reality is that it never is
and borders on infeasible at current traffic rates and diversity.

Curtis