Have we overlooked the intricate web of benefits that MPLS weaves within modern networking frameworks? Does the prevalent belief in its obsolescence overshadow its enduring relevance and resilience? Let’s embark on an exploration of five pivotal reasons that underscore MPLS’s enduring significance, challenging the premature narrative of its demise. Join us as we unravel the complexities of MPLS and discover why it continues to stand tall amidst the evolving landscape of networking technologies.
Unveiling MPLS: Revolutionizing Network Routing
Explore the depths of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), a stalwart technology that has underpinned enterprise networks for over two decades. Unlike traditional protocols that hinge on source and destination addresses, MPLS introduces a novel paradigm, steering traffic along predetermined “labels.”
Envision this: as data packets traverse the network, they embark on a transformative odyssey. Initially, upon ingress, each packet receives a unique assignment to a forwarding class of service (CoS) or forwarding equivalence class (FEC). These classifications, such as real-time (for voice and video), mission-critical (for CRM and specialized applications), and best effort (for Internet and email), serve as guiding beacons, dictating the trajectory of their journey. This meticulous segmentation ensures optimized performance, an unparalleled achievement in contrast to conventional routing protocols.
At the heart of MPLS lies its capacity to enrich packets with supplementary information through labels, enhancing their voyage with newfound insights and efficiency. With MPLS steering the helm, networks are endowed with unparalleled agility and efficacy, empowering enterprises to navigate the digital terrain with acumen and finesse.
MPLS pros and cons
The benefits of MPLS are scalability, performance, better bandwidth utilization, reduced network congestion and a better end-user experience.
MPLS itself does not provide encryption, but it is a virtual private network and, as such, is partitioned off from the public Internet. Therefore, MPLS is considered a secure transport mode. And it is not vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks, which might impact pure-IP-based networks.
On the negative side, an MPLS connection is much more expensive than a standard internet connection. In addition, MPLS was designed for organizations that have multiple remote branch offices that are geographically dispersed across the country or the world where the majority of traffic is backhauled to enterprise data centers. Today, businesses have re-directed much of their traffic so it’s going to and from cloud providers instead, making MPLS suboptimal.
The Reasons Why MPLS Isn’t Dead Yet
1. Coexistence with SD-WAN
Dispelling the misconception, MPLS and SD-WAN form a symbiotic relationship rather than existing in isolation. SD-WAN enriches MPLS networks by introducing a layer of adaptability, allowing organizations to intelligently harness a spectrum of transport options tailored to their unique needs.
SD-WAN serves as a catalyst for organizational agility, seamlessly integrating multiple transport mediums such as MPLS, internet, Ethernet over Private Line (EoPL), and beyond. Through dynamic routing based on predefined business policies, SD-WAN empowers enterprises to orchestrate traffic flows across disparate networks with unparalleled precision.
The synergy between MPLS and SD-WAN transcends conventional boundaries, offering enterprises a versatile toolkit to navigate the evolving landscape of digital connectivity. This strategic alignment not only enhances operational flexibility but also optimizes resource utilization, ensuring organizations can adapt to changing network demands with unparalleled efficiency and efficacy.
2. Cost-Effectiveness through SD-WAN
SD-WAN revolutionized the networking landscape by enabling organizations to implement breakout internet locally at branch offices, reducing the need for traffic hairpinning to centralized data centers. This capability empowers businesses to optimize their network architectures, potentially reducing or even eliminating the reliance on costly MPLS circuits. However, MPLS continues to offer reliability and performance benefits in certain scenarios, making it a valuable component alongside SD-WAN deployments.
The advent of SD-WAN marked a paradigm shift in network economics, empowering enterprises to reimagine their connectivity strategies. A key enabler of cost optimization, SD-WAN facilitates local breakout internet access at branch offices, circumventing the need for data hairpinning to centralized hubs. This architectural refinement not only streamlines network traffic but also presents a compelling opportunity to rationalize expenditure on MPLS circuits.
By leveraging SD-WAN’s agile framework, organizations can recalibrate their network architectures, potentially reducing or obviating the need for MPLS circuits altogether. While MPLS continues to offer unparalleled reliability and performance benefits in specific use cases, its integration with SD-WAN presents a harmonious blend of stability and adaptability, catering to diverse networking requirements.
Embracing the cost-effective allure of SD-WAN does not necessitate forsaking the reliability of MPLS. Instead, organizations can harness the complementary strengths of both technologies, orchestrating a synergy that optimizes operational efficiency while safeguarding network integrity and performance.
3. Reliability of Internet Transport
While internet transport has gained traction as a cost-effective alternative to MPLS, reliability remains a concern for some organizations. Unlike tech giants like Facebook or Google, whose infrastructure is built to withstand massive traffic volumes, smaller enterprises may prioritize the reliability and predictability of MPLS for critical applications. Additionally, emerging Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) providers like PacketFabric and Alkira offer pay-as-you-go (PAYG) options that provide flexibility and reduced delivery times, but they do not necessarily replace MPLS entirely.
Tech behemoths like Facebook and Google boast infrastructures engineered to withstand colossal traffic volumes, instilling confidence in the reliability of internet transport. Yet, for smaller organizations, the allure of MPLS lies in its proven track record of predictability and resilience, especially in mission-critical scenarios.
Moreover, the emergence of Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) providers such as PacketFabric and Alkira introduces novel paradigms of connectivity. Offering pay-as-you-go (PAYG) models, these providers afford businesses enhanced flexibility and expedited deployment times. However, it’s essential to recognize that while these innovative solutions augment networking capabilities, they do not supplant MPLS entirely.
Navigating the network landscape demands a delicate balance between cost efficiency and operational robustness. While internet transport presents an enticing proposition for cost-conscious organizations, the reliability and predictability of MPLS remain unparalleled in safeguarding the integrity of critical applications. As enterprises explore novel connectivity solutions, the synergy between traditional MPLS frameworks and emerging NaaS offerings heralds a future characterized by versatility and resilience.
4. Security Considerations
The perception that MPLS inherently provides superior security over internet transport is misguided. Without proper encryption mechanisms, MPLS traffic is vulnerable to interception and exploitation. Organizations must implement robust security measures, including access control lists (ACLs) and encryption protocols, regardless of the transport medium. Blindly trusting MPLS as a secure transport without adequate security measures in place poses significant risks.
It’s essential for organizations to adopt a proactive approach to security, irrespective of the transport medium. Implementing stringent access control lists (ACLs) and encryption protocols is paramount to safeguarding data integrity and confidentiality. Blindly entrusting MPLS as a secure transport without fortifying it with adequate security measures exposes organizations to significant risks and potential breaches.
In essence, security in transit demands a multifaceted strategy that transcends the transport medium. By fortifying MPLS and internet transport alike with robust encryption and access control mechanisms, organizations can fortify their networks against evolving cyber threats, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of critical data.
5. Accountability and Resilience
The concept of “having a single throat to choke” in MPLS networks has long been touted as a hallmark of accountability and ease of troubleshooting. However, this centralized accountability model can inadvertently introduce vulnerabilities. On the other hand, the internet backbone, despite its distributed nature, offers inherent resilience and redundancy when strategically architected.
While MPLS provides a centralized point of contact for support and issue resolution, it may also pose a single point of failure. In contrast, the internet’s decentralized architecture inherently disperses risk, mitigating the impact of potential failures. However, achieving resilience in internet-based networks necessitates meticulous network design and proactive management practices.
In navigating the trade-offs between MPLS and internet transport, organizations must strike a balance between accountability and resilience. By embracing proactive management strategies and leveraging the inherent redundancy of the internet backbone, businesses can fortify their networks against disruptions and enhance operational continuity.
The End
In conclusion, MPLS continues to hold its ground in the networking landscape, offering reliability, performance, and security benefits that are indispensable for certain use cases. While SD-WAN and emerging technologies introduce exciting possibilities for network optimization, MPLS remains a viable option for organizations seeking predictable performance and accountability. Rather than viewing MPLS and SD-WAN as competing technologies, organizations should embrace a hybrid approach that leverages the strengths of each to create resilient and agile network infrastructures.
