Chapter 3 - Traffic Engineering and QoS Optimization of MPLS-Based Integrated Voice/Data Dynamic Routing Networks

Abstract

This chapter discusses traffic engineering and quality of service optimization (TQO) evolution and focuses on quality of service (QoS) resource management in an internet protocol/ multiprotocol label switching (IP/MPLS) based, converged voice/data network architecture. It presents the modeling and analysis studies, and conclusions reached after evolution studies of an internet protocol/ multiprotocol label switching (IP/MPLS) based architecture performed by AT&T's internal routing/addressing/traffic-engineering strategy (RATS) team. The chapter defines and analyzes a wide variety of MPLS-based QoS resource management methods, in which bandwidth is allocated to each of several virtual networks (VNETs) and VNETs are assigned a priority corresponding to either high-priority key services, normal-priority services, or best-effort low-priority services. The TQO design analyzed in this chapter optimizes the routing and bandwidth allocation of the label switched paths (LSP) mesh forming the VNETs, with traffic for various classes of service carried on the VNET bandwidth so as to satisfy various performance objectives.