Resilient multipoint networks based on redundant trees

Abstract

Connection-oriented packet forwarding technologies such as multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), generalized MPLS (GMPLS), and new entrant MPLS transport profile (MPLS-TP) are all evolving to meet the increasing demand for an efficient support of multicast applications like Internet Protocol television (IPTV) and multicast virtual private networks (VPNs). One of the biggest challenges ahead is to develop bandwidth-efficient and fault-resilient solutions for these services at a reasonable cost of complexity. Starting from the state-of-the-art and standards insights, we highlight the technical limitations of current approaches and pinpoint major open issues. Based on this analysis, we propose a point-to-multipoint based solution that overcomes previous drawbacks and fulfills transport requirements for carrier-grade environments. We also present the support required for this scheme in the emerging standards-based control protocols and data plane architectures.