MPLS/LDP Creation Myths

blog.ipspace.net

25 points·liotier··2 comments

If IPv6 and Segment Routing IPv6 (SRv6) are gaining momentum and become popular then there will be no need for MPLS/LDP. Now with SRv6, you can control your end-to-end connection QoS from the edge without touching the core. This is what networking people call IP 2.0 where IP is consolidating its main role as the real nexus of the Internet whereas IP 1.0 is just patching the IPv4 with a duct tape MPLS[1].

[1]SRv6 Network Programming: Ushering in a New Era of IP Networks

https://www.routledge.com/SRv6-Network-Programming-Ushering-...

I'm understanding this all as a way to simplify designs and make it easier to bring in central controllers and automation to manage end to end 'virtual circuits'.

I've never heard of segment routing (SRv6) and I'm happy to see it's not a proprietary feature by some vendor[1]. If I'm understanding correctly, segment routing allows a designer to cut out the traditional labeling and traffic engineering protocols like RSVP-TE and LDP/TDP but still retain the ability to do multipathing (ECMP) and traffic engineering.

What I'm not sure of is if this replaces VPLS/EVPN (overlay VPN mechanism) or if those features still ride on top of SRv6. It looks like the IGP (routing protocol like OSPF) needs extension support for SRv6 to work.

I just found a Cisco presentation that touches on a lot of this[2].

For those wondering, these features are available today on the major platforms

[1]https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8986 [2]https://www.ciscolive.com/c/dam/r/ciscolive/apjc/docs/2018/p...

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