Abstract

During the last years, MultiProtocol Label Switching (MPLS) has been deployed by most large Service Providers (SP). The main driver for MPLS deployment is the ability to provide new services with stringent Service Level Agreements (SLAs) such as layer-2 and layer-3 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) as well as Voice and Video over IP. Most of these services are already deployed inside single SP networks. However, customers now require world-wide VPN and VoIP services. Therefore, SPs need to collaborate to offer these services across multiple SP networks. Inside a single SP network, each node usually knows the complete topology of the network with the load and delay of all the links. Based on this information, each router is able to compute constrained paths toward any other router inside the SP network. Then, it can establish a connection and reserve resources along the computed path with the Resource reSerVation Protocol (RSVP-TE). However, when services with stringent requirements must cross multiple SP networks the computation of the path becomes a problem. Routers in different SP networks exchange routing information by using the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). BGP provides reachability information. It does not distribute complete topology, delay and bandwidth information. One way to provide guaranteed services crossing different SPs is to delegate the computation of the paths to a Path Computation Element (PCE) that learns the topology of the different SPs. However, this requires that SPs reveal information that they usually consider confidential, their topology. In this thesis, we perform active measurements to show the difficulty to engineer the interdomain traffic with BGP. MPLS together with RSVP-TE provide much more control on the traffic. We define extensions to RSVP-TE for the protection of inter-AS MPLS paths. The aim is to be able to provide the same service guarantees as inside a domain while keeping the internal topology of SPs confidential, as required by SPs. We propose and evaluate distributed techniques relying on PCEs for the computation of interdomain constrained paths respecting the latter confidentiality requirement. (FSA 3)--UCL, 2006

Abstract

In recent years, IP based end-to-end services have grown in popularity. Efficiently meeting the user demand for such services, different techniques for traffic engineering transport networks have been developed. One such technique, currently being developed for multilayered networks, is Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS). GMPLS is a necessary networking technique because provisioning end-to-end services will today, and in the foreseeable future, very likely require the co-operation of multiple network layers. Here, the readiness of GMPLS for optical networks is investigated by reviewing the current support for optical networking components in the GMPLS standard documents. Based on this investigation, a candidate solution for routing and constraint-based path computation in optical network segments has been derived. This candidate solution is shown to efficiently handle the additional attributes and constraints inherent in optical networking components. De senaste åren har IP-baserade tjänster ökat i popularitet. För att effektivt möta de användarkrav som ställs på sådana tjänster har olika tekniker för att styra transportnätverk utvecklats. En sådan teknik, nu under utveckling för multi-lagrade nätverk, är GMPLS. GMPLS är en nödvändig nätverksteknik eftersom tillhandahållandet av sluttjänster mellan olika användare idag, och inom en överskådlig framtid, mycket sannolikt kommer att kräva samarbete mellan flera nätverkslager. Här undersöks GMPLS färdighet i optiska nätverk genom att se över det nuvarande stödet för optiska nätverkskomponenter i GMPLS standarddokument. Baserat på denna undersökning har en kandidatlösning för routing och begränsad vägberäkning i optiska nätverkssegment tagits fram. Denna kandidatlösning visas effektivt hantera de ytterligare attribut och restriktioner som existerar i optiska nätverkskomponenter.

Abstract

This project presents two contributions to the PCE implementation in Telefonica I+D: Segment Routing and the upgrade of the BGP-LS protocol to the 3rd version of the draft to support MPLS and GMPLS scenarios. Regarding the first contribution, this document is intended to assess the use of Segment Routing in centralised traffic-engineering scenarios. It will attempt to make a validation of such technology using the available IETF drafts and publications and trying, at all time, to back-up the use cases with experimental demonstrations. Moreover, the 3rd version of the BGP-LS protocol draft was implemented. This protocol opens the possibility to export the network’s topology and its Traffic Engineering parameters to external entities. The BGP-LS extensions developed enables to retrieve the TE parameters for MPLS and GMPLS networks. The development of the project was done in Telefonica R&D’s facilities within the Core Network Evolution group. The code extends Telefonica’s PCE and network protocols to support Segment Routing and the new version for BGP-LS. As such, both the PCEP and the BGP-LS protocols were enhanced with the latest IETF drafts that define the technology. Once the code was developed and debugged, a series of tests were run in order to validate that the format used followed all the proposed standards. These tests have been defined following the sections that constitute each draft in an attempt to proof the use of each protocol in the most exhaustive possible way. It is important to remark that the validation tests are done not only with Telefonica code, but also with external prestigious entities like Cisco, Telecom Italia, Centre Tecnològic Telecomunicacions Catalunya or Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni. Ingeniería de Telecomunicación

Abstract

International audience; The present paper proposes a novel method for computing inter-domain paths subject to multiple independent additive constraints in MPLS-TE networks. An efficient solution to this problem is a key element for providing services with guaranteed performance across domain boundaries. However, the inherent hardness of the multi-constrained path computation as well as inter-domain scalability and security constraints complicate the computation problem. We propose a novel algorithm named kID-MCP that tackles the computational complexity of the problem by reducing the number of paths included in the computation process. kID-MCP is compatible with existing techniques and fulfills the security requirements. We undergo a complexity analysis that shows that kID-MCP scales well. Moreover, a simulation study reveals that kID-MCP finds a solution in most situations. These results indicate that the computation of inter-domain multi-constrained paths is tractable in practice, which opens interesting perspectives for QoS routing and traffic engineering among multiple operators.

Abstract

Most major operators use MPLS technology to manage their network via signalling and label distribution protocols. However, these protocols are complex to deploy, maintain and troubleshooting is often very difficult. The IETF has initiated the standardization of a segment routing architecture based on a simple control plane, lightweight, easyto-manage and instantiated on MPLS or IPv6. This architecture is based on the concept of source routing, in which the packet header carries the indications of the path to follow to reach its destination. Suitable for simple use cases and natively resistant to failure, more complex use cases require the resolution of technological issues for which we offer several solutions.In this thesis carried out within Orange Labs, we were interested in the instantiation of the Segment Routing architecture on the MPLS transfer plan and more particularly in traffic engineering, particularly with resource reservation. We have proposed solutions to the problems related to the hardware limitation of current routers that do not allow the expression of all constrained paths. This work is divided into two parts : (i) the proposal of algorithms for computing and encoding segment routing paths in order to bypass hardware limitations. (ii) the definition of architectural requirements and the construction of a functional proof of concept. Finally, this thesis proposes new research issues to consolidate traffic engineering tools for segment routing.; La majorité des grands opérateurs utilise la technologie MPLS pour gérer leur réseau via des protocoles de signalisation et de distributions de labels. Or, ces protocoles sont complexes à déployer, à maintenir et la résolution des pannes est souvent très difficile. L'IETF a initié la standardisation d'une architecture de routage par segments (Segment Routing) s'appuyant sur un plan de contrôle simple, léger, facile à gérer et instanciée sur MPLS ou IPv6. Cette architecture repose sur le concept de routage à la source, dans lequel l'en-tête des paquets transporte les indications du chemin à suivre pour atteindre sa destination. Adapté aux cas d'usages simples et offrant nativement une résistance aux pannes, les cas d'usages plus complexes exigent de résoudre des verrous technologiques pour lesquels nous proposons plusieurs solutions. Dans cette thèse effectuée au sein d'Orange Labs, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'instanciation de l'architecture Segment Routing sur le plan de transfert MPLS et plus particulièrement à l'ingénierie de trafic, notamment avec réservation de ressources. Nous avons proposé des solutions aux problèmes liés à la limitation matérielle des routeurs actuels ne permettant pas l'expression de tous les chemins contraints. Ce travail est divisé en deux parties : (i) la proposition d'algorithmes de calcul et d'encodage de chemins de routage par segment afin de contourner les limitations matérielles. (ii) la définition des exigences architecturales et la construction d'une preuve de concept fonctionnelle. Enfin, cette thèse propose de nouvelles pistes d'études afin de consolider les outils d'ingénierie de trafic pour le routage par segment.