MPLS and Next-Generation Networks: Foundations for NGN and Enterprise Virtualization

As networks and services converge toward a next-generation network (NGN) service architecture, you have the opportunity to offer valued-added services to both the business customer and the consumer.

Multicast is increasingly becoming useful for content distribution and video streaming in networks. Further, with the emergence of IPTV, multicast is a key foundation for the development and deployment of IPTV service. From the customer perspective, the network is capable of providing the desired application performance, often referred to as quality of experience (QoE) as a metric for "perceived performance value" by a consumer. For the enterprise or service provider (SP) implementing multicast, the expected benefits are bandwidth and server efficiency and network optimization. Gaming and mobile applications also use multicast technology.

Figure 10-1 summarizes the applications that use multicast.

This chapter describes how multicast can integrate into MPLS networks for easy migration from existing environments to MPLS VPN environments. The basic principles of a multicast VPN implementation are discussed. Details of deploying multicast are found in the Cisco Press book Developing IP Multicast Networks.

This chapter also provides an overview of multicast and applications that can be deployed with the technology. We explore the security and management issues associated with multicast. The chapter focuses on multicast VPN service constructs as a foundation for Layer 3-based service development.