IP Multicast, Volume II: Advanced Multicast Concepts and Large-Scale Multicast Design, First Edition

Chapter 3

Multicast MPLS VPNs

The ability to logically separate traffic on the same physical infrastructure has been possible for many years. Most service providers (SPs) and many enterprise customers implement Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) in order to be able to separate or isolate traffic into logical domains or groups, generally referred to as a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN can separate traffic by customer, job function, security level, and so on. MPLS uses an underlying protocol called Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) to encapsulate messages destined for a particular VPN. A VPN can be made up of several types of devices, including switches, routers, and firewalls. Isolating messages on a switch creates a virtual local area ...