MPLS Traffic Engineering

MPLS Traffic Engineering (MPLS TE) is a growing implementation in today's service provider networks. MPLS adoption in service provider networks has increased manifold due to its inherent TE capabilities. MPLS TE allows the MPLS-enabled network to replicate and expand upon the TE capabilities of Layer 2 ATM and Frame Relay networks. MPLS uses the reachability information provided by Layer 3 routing protocols and operates like a Layer 2 ATM network. With MPLS, TE capabilities are integrated into Layer 3, which can be implemented for efficient bandwidth utilization between routers in the SP network.

This chapter provides you with information on the operation and configuration of MPLS TE on Cisco routers.