MPLS-TP Client/Server Layer Relationship - MPLS-TP Native Service Adaptation

3. MPLS Transport Profile Overview

3.4. MPLS-TP Native Service Adaptation

3.4.1. MPLS-TP Client/Server Layer Relationship

The relationship between the client layer network and the MPLS-TP server layer network is defined by the MPLS-TP network boundary and the label context. It is not explicitly indicated in the packet. In terms of the MPLS label stack, when the native service traffic type is itself MPLS-labeled, then the S bits of all the labels in the MPLS-TP label stack carrying that client traffic are zero; otherwise, the bottom label of the MPLS-TP label stack has the S bit set to 1.

In other words, there can be only one S bit set in a label stack.

The data-plane behavior of MPLS-TP is the same as the best current practice for MPLS. This includes the setting of the S bit. In each case, the S bit is set to indicate the bottom (i.e., innermost) label

in the label stack that is contiguous between the MPLS-TP LSP and its payload, and only one label stack entry (LSE) contains the S bit (Bottom of Stack bit) set to 1. Note that this best current practice differs slightly from [RFC3032], which uses the S bit to identify when MPLS label processing stops and network layer processing starts.

The relationship of MPLS-TP to its clients is illustrated in

Figure 2. Note that the label stacks shown in the figure are divided between those inside the MPLS-TP network and those within the client network when the client network is MPLS(-TP). They illustrate the smallest number of labels possible. These label stacks could also include more labels.

PW-Based MPLS Labeled IP Services Services Transport |---| |---| |---|

Emulated PW over LSP IP over LSP IP Service

+---+

| PW Payload |

+---+ +---+ (CLIENTS) |PW Lbl(S=1) | | IP |

+---+ +---+ +---+ +---+

˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜

+---+ +---+ +---+ +---+

|LSP Lbl(S=0)| . . .

+---+ . . . (MPLS-TP) . . . .

. .

˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ denotes Client <-> MPLS-TP layer boundary Figure 2: MPLS-TP - Client Relationship 3.4.2. MPLS-TP Transport Layers

An MPLS-TP network consists logically of two layers: the Transport Service layer and the Transport Path layer.

The Transport Service layer provides the interface between Customer Edge (CE) nodes and the MPLS-TP network. Each packet transmitted by a CE node for transport over the MPLS-TP network is associated at the receiving MPLS-TP Provider Edge (PE) node with a single logical

point-to-point connection at the Transport Service layer between this

(ingress) PE and the corresponding (egress) PE to which the peer CE is attached. Such a connection is called an MPLS-TP Transport Service Instance, and the set of client packets belonging to the native service associated with such an instance on a particular CE-PE link is called a client flow.

The Transport Path layer provides aggregation of Transport Service Instances over MPLS-TP transport paths (LSPs), as well as aggregation of transport paths (via LSP hierarchy).

Awareness of the Transport Service layer need exist only at PE nodes.

MPLS-TP Provider (P) nodes need have no awareness of this layer.

Both PE and P nodes participate in the Transport Path layer. A PE terminates (i.e., is an LER with respect to) the transport paths it supports, and is responsible for multiplexing and demultiplexing of Transport Service Instance traffic over such transport paths.

3.4.3. MPLS-TP Transport Service Interfaces

An MPLS-TP PE node can provide two types of interface to the

Transport Service layer. The MPLS-TP User-Network Interface (UNI) provides the interface between a CE and the MPLS-TP network. The MPLS-TP Network-Network Interface (NNI) provides the interface between two MPLS-TP PEs in different administrative domains.

When MPLS-TP is used to provide a transport service for, e.g., IP services that are a part of a Layer 3 VPN, then packets are

transported in the same manner as specified in [RFC4364].

3.4.3.1. User-Network Interface

The MPLS-TP User-Network interface (UNI) is illustrated in Figure 3.

The UNI for a particular client flow may or may not involve signaling between the CE and PE, and if signaling is used, it may or may not traverse the same attachment circuit that supports the client flow.

: User-Network Interface : MPLS-TP

:<--->: Network <--->

: :

-:--- : | | : Transport | : | | Transport : Path | : | | Service : Mux/Demux | : | | Control : -- | : | | Plane : | | Transport|

: --- | Signaling | --- : | | Path | :|Signaling |_|___________|_|Signaling | : | | --->

:|Controller| | | |Controller| : | | |

: --- | | --- : | | --->

: :...|...|...: : | | | : | Control | : | | Transport|

: | Channel | : | | Path | : | | : | | --->

: | | : | | -+--->TSI : | | Transport : | | | --->

: | Client | Service : | | | | : | Traffic | Data Plane : | | | | : --- | Flows | --- | | |Transport|

:|Signaling |-|---|-|Client/Service|-| |- Path | :|Controller|=|===========|=| Traffic | | | --->

: --- | | | Processing |=| |===+===========>TSI : | | | --- | | --->

: |______|___________|______| : | | | : | Data Link | : | | | : | | : -- | : | | : Transport | : | | : Service | : | | : Data Plane|

--- Customer Edge Node MPLS-TP Provider Edge Node

TSI = Transport Service Instance

Figure 3: MPLS-TP PE Containing a UNI

---From UNI---> :

Figure 4: MPLS-TP UNI Client-Server Traffic Processing Stages Figure 4 shows the logical processing steps involved in a PE both for traffic flowing from the CE to the MPLS-TP network (left to right), and from the network to the CE (right to left).

In the first case, when a packet from a client flow is received by the PE from the CE over the data-link, the following steps occur:

1. Link-layer-specific pre-processing, if any, is performed. An example of such pre-processing is the PREP function illustrated in Figure 3 of [RFC3985]. Such pre-processing is outside the scope of MPLS-TP.

2. The packet is extracted from the data-link frame, if necessary, and associated with a Transport Service Instance. At this point, UNI processing has completed.

3. A transport service encapsulation is associated with the packet, if necessary, for transport over the MPLS-TP network.

4. The packet is mapped to a transport path based on its associated Transport Service Instance, the transport path encapsulation is added, if necessary, and the packet is transmitted over the transport path.

In the second case, when a packet associated with a Transport Service Instance arrives over a transport path, the following steps occur:

1. The transport path encapsulation is disposed of.

2. The transport service encapsulation is disposed of and the Transport Service Instance and client flow identified.

3. At this point, UNI processing begins. A data-link encapsulation is associated with the packet for delivery to the CE based on the client flow.

4. Link-layer-specific postprocessing, if any, is performed. Such postprocessing is outside the scope of MPLS-TP.

3.4.3.2. Network-Network Interface

The MPLS-TP NNI is illustrated in Figure 5. The NNI for a particular Transport Service Instance may or may not involve signaling between the two PEs; and if signaling is used, it may or may not traverse the same data-link that supports the service instance.

: Network-Network Interface : :<--->:

: :

---:--- | Transport : | | : Transport | | Path : Transport | | Transport : Path | | Mux/Demux : Service | | Service : Mux/Demux | | -- : Control | | Control : -- | | | | : Plane |Sig- | Plane : | | | |TP | | : --- | naling| --- : | | TP|

<--- | | :|Signaling |_|_______|_|Signaling |: | | --->

TSI<-+- | | :|Controller| | | |Controller|: | | | <--- | | | : --- | | --- : | | --->

| | | | : :...|...|...: : | | | | | | | : |Control| : | | | |TP | | | : |Channel| : | | TP|

<--- | | | : | | : | | --->

| | | | : | | : | | -+->TSI <--- | | | : Transport | | Transport : | | | --->

| | | | : Service |Service| Service : | | | | | | | | : Data Plane |Traffic| Data Plane : | | | | | | | | --- | Flows | --- | | | | |TP -| |-| Service |-|---|-| Service |-| |- TP|

<--- | | | Traffic | | | | Traffic | | | --->

TSI<=+===| |=| Processing |=|=======|=| Processing |=| |===+=>TSI <--- | | --- | | --- | | --->

| | | : |______|_______|______| : | | | | | | : | Data | : | | | | -- : | Link | : -- | | : | | : | MPLS-TP Provider Edge Node MPLS-TP Provider Edge Node

TP = Transport Path

TSI = Transport Service Instance

Figure 5: MPLS-TP PE Containing an NNI

: ---From NNI---> :

Figure 6: MPLS-TP NNI Service Traffic Processing Stages Figure 6 shows the logical processing steps involved in a PE for traffic flowing both from the peer PE (left to right) and to the peer PE (right to left).

In the first case, when a packet from a Transport Service Instance is received by the PE from the peer PE over the data-link, the following steps occur:

1. Link-layer specific pre-processing, if any, is performed. Such pre-processing is outside the scope of MPLS-TP.

2. The packet is extracted from the data-link frame if necessary, and associated with a Transport Service Instance. At this point, NNI processing has completed.

3. The transport service encapsulation of the packet is normalized for transport over the MPLS-TP network. This step allows a

different transport service encapsulation to be used over the NNI than that used in the internal MPLS-TP network. An example of such normalization is a swap of a label identifying the Transport Service Instance.

In the second case, when a packet associated with a Transport Service Instance arrives over a transport path, the following steps occur:

1. The transport path encapsulation is disposed of.

2. The Transport Service Instance is identified from the transport service encapsulation, and this encapsulation is normalized for delivery over the NNI (see Step 3 above).

3. At this point, NNI processing begins. A data-link encapsulation is associated with the packet for delivery to the peer PE based on the normalized Transport Service Instance.

4. Link-layer-specific postprocessing, if any, is performed. Such postprocessing is outside the scope of MPLS-TP.

3.4.3.3. Example Interfaces

This section considers some special cases of UNI processing for particular transport service types. These are illustrative, and do not preclude other transport service types.

3.4.3.3.1. Layer 2 Transport Service

In this example the MPLS-TP network is providing a point-to-point Layer 2 transport service between attached CE nodes. This service is provided by a Transport Service Instance consisting of a PW

established between the associated PE nodes. The client flows associated with this Transport Service Instance are the sets of all Layer 2 frames transmitted and received over the attachment circuits.

The processing steps in this case for a frame received from the CE are:

1. Link-layer specific pre-processing, if any, is performed, corresponding to the PREP function illustrated in Figure 3 of [RFC3985].

2. The frame is associated with a Transport Service Instance based on the attachment circuit over which it was received.

3. A transport service encapsulation, consisting of the PW control word and PW label, is associated with the frame.

4. The resulting packet is mapped to an LSP, the LSP label is

pushed, and the packet is transmitted over the outbound interface associated with the LSP.

For PW packets received over the LSP, the steps are performed in the reverse order.

3.4.3.3.2. IP Transport Service

In this example, the MPLS-TP network is providing a point-to-point IP transport service between CE1, CE2, and CE3, as follows. One to-point Transport Service Instance delivers IPv4 packets between CE1 and CE2, and another instance delivers IPv6 packets between CE1 and CE3.

The processing steps in this case for an IP packet received from CE1 are:

1. No link-layer-specific processing is performed.

2. The IP packet is extracted from the link-layer frame and associated with a Service LSP based on the source MAC address (CE1) and the IP protocol version.

3. A transport service encapsulation, consisting of the Service LSP label, is associated with the packet.

4. The resulting packet is mapped to a tunnel LSP, the tunnel LSP label is pushed, and the packet is transmitted over the outbound interface associated with the LSP.

For packets received over a tunnel LSP carrying the Service LSP label, the steps are performed in the reverse order.

3.4.4. Pseudowire Adaptation

MPLS-TP uses pseudowires to provide a Virtual Private Wire Service (VPWS), a Virtual Private Local Area Network Service (VPLS), a Virtual Private Multicast Service (VPMS), and an Internet Protocol Local Area Network Service (IPLS). VPWS, VLPS, and IPLS are

described in [RFC4664]. VPMS is described in [VPMS-REQS].

If the MPLS-TP network provides a layer 2 interface (that can carry both network-layer and non-network-layer traffic) as a service interface, then a PW is required to support the service interface.

The PW is a client of the MPLS-TP LSP server layer. The architecture for an MPLS-TP network that provides such services is based on the MPLS [RFC3031] and pseudowire [RFC3985] architectures. Multi-segment

pseudowires may optionally be used to provide a packet transport service, and their use is consistent with the MPLS-TP architecture.

The use of MS-PWs may be motivated by, for example, the requirements specified in [RFC5254]. If MS-PWs are used, then the MS-PW

architecture [RFC5659] also applies.

Figure 7 shows the architecture for an MPLS-TP network using segment PWs. Note that, in this document, the client layer is

equivalent to the emulated service described in [RFC3985], while the Transport LSP is equivalent to the Packet Switched Network (PSN) tunnel of [RFC3985].

|<--- Client Layer --->|

+---+ | | PE1|=======\ /========| PE2| | +---+

| |---|...PW1.| \ / |...|---| | | CE1 | | | | | X | | | | | CE2 | | |---|...PW2.| / \ |...|---| | +---+ ^ | | |=======/ \========| | | ^ +---+

^ | +----+ ^ +---+ +----+ | ^ | | Provider | ^ Provider | | | | Edge 1 | | Edge 2 | |

| |

Native service Native service Figure 7: MPLS-TP Architecture (Single Segment PW)

Figure 8 shows the architecture for an MPLS-TP network when segment pseudowires are used. Note that as in the SS-PW case, P-routers may also exist.

|<--- Client Layer --->|

| | | Pseudowire encapsulated, | | |<--- Packet Transport Service --->| | | | | | | | Transport Transport | | | AC | |<--- LSP1 --->| |<--LSP2-->| | AC | | | V V V V V V | | V | +----+ +---+ +----+ +----+ | V +---+ | |TPE1|===============\ /=====|SPE1|==========|TPE2| | +---+

| |----|...PW1-Seg1.... | \ / | ...X...PW1-Seg2...|----| | |CE1| | | | | X | | | | | | |CE2|

| |----|...PW2-Seg1.... | / \ | ...X...PW2-Seg2...|----| | +---+ ^ | |===============/ \=====| |==========| | | ^+---+

PW1-segment1 and PW1-segment2 are segments of the same MS-PW, while PW2-segment1 and PW2-segment2 are segments of another MS-PW.

Figure 8: MPLS-TP Architecture (Multi-Segment PW)

The corresponding MPLS-TP protocol stacks including PWs are shown in Figure 9. In this figure, the Transport Service layer [RFC5654] is identified by the PW demultiplexer (Demux) label, and the Transport Path layer [RFC5654] is identified by the LSP Demux Label.

+---+ /===================\ /===================\

| Client Layer | H OAM PDU H H OAM PDU H /===================\ H---H H---H H PW Encap H H GACh H H GACh H H---H H---H H---H H PW Demux (S=1) H H PW Demux (S=1) H H GAL (S=1) H H---H H---H H---H H Trans LSP Demux(s)H H Trans LSP Demux(s)H H Trans LSP Demux(s)H \===================/ \===================/ \===================/

User Traffic PW OAM LSP OAM

Note: H(ighlighted) indicates the part of the protocol stack considered in this document.

Figure 9: MPLS-TP Label Stack Using Pseudowires

PWs and their associated labels may be configured or signaled. See Section 3.11 for additional details related to configured service types. See Section 3.9 for additional details related to signaled service types.

3.4.5. Network Layer Adaptation

MPLS-TP LSPs can be used to transport network-layer clients. This document uses the term Network Layer in the same sense as it is used in [RFC3031] and [RFC3032]. The network-layer protocols supported by [RFC3031] and [RFC3032] can be transported between service

interfaces. Support for network-layer clients follows the MPLS architecture for support of network-layer protocols as specified in [RFC3031] and [RFC3032].

With network-layer adaptation, the MPLS-TP domain provides either a unidirectional or bidirectional point-to-point connection between two PEs in order to deliver a packet transport service to attached

customer edge (CE) nodes. For example, a CE may be an IP, MPLS, or MPLS-TP node. As shown in Figure 10, there is an attachment circuit between the CE node on the left and its corresponding provider edge (PE) node (which provides the service interface), a bidirectional LSP across the MPLS-TP network to the corresponding PE node on the right, and an attachment circuit between that PE node and the corresponding CE node for this service.

The attachment circuits may be heterogeneous (e.g., any combination of SDH, PPP, Frame Relay, etc.) and network-layer protocol payloads arrive at the service interface encapsulated in the Layer 1 / Layer 2

encoding defined for that access link type. It should be noted that the set of network-layer protocols includes MPLS, and hence encoded packets with an MPLS label stack (the client MPLS stack) may appear at the service interface.

The following figures illustrate the reference models for layer adaptation. The details of these figures are described further in the following paragraphs.

|<--- Client Network Layer --->|

+---+ | | PE1|=======\ /========| PE2| | +---+

| |---|..Svc LSP1.| \ / |...|---| | | CE1 | | | | | X | | | | | CE2 | | |---|..Svc LSP2.| / \ |...|---| | +---+ ^ | | |=======/ \========| | | ^ +---+

^ | +----+ ^ +---+ +----+ | | ^ | | Provider | ^ Provider | | | | Edge 1 | | Edge 2 | |

| |

Native service Native service Figure 10: MPLS-TP Architecture for Network-Layer Clients

|<--- Client Layer --->|

| | | | | |<--- Packet Transport Service --->| | | | | | | | Transport Transport | | | AC | |<--- LSP1 --->| |<--LSP2-->| | AC | | | V V V V V V | | V | +----+ +---+ +----+ +----+ | V +---+ | | PE1|===============\ /=====| PE2|==========| PE3| | +---+

| |----|...svc-lsp1.... | \ / | ...X....svc-lsp1...|----| |

|CE1| | | | | X | | | | | | |CE2|

| |----|...svc-lsp2.... | / \ | ...X....svc-lsp2...|----| | +---+ ^ | |===============/ \=====| |==========| | | ^+---+

Native Service (LSR for | Native Service T’port LSP1) |

LSR for Service LSPs LER for Transport LSPs

Figure 11: MPLS-TP Architecture for Network Layer Adaptation, Showing Service LSP Switching

Client packets are received at the ingress service interface. The PE pushes one or more labels onto the client packets that are then label switched over the transport network. Correspondingly, the egress PE pops any labels added by the MPLS-TP networks and transmits the packet for delivery to the attached CE via the egress service interface.

/===================\

H OAM PDU H

+---+ H---H /===================\

| Client Layer | H GACh H H OAM PDU H /===================\ H---H H---H H Encap Label H H GAL (S=1) H H GACh H H---H H---H H---H H SvcLSP Demux H H SvcLSP Demux (S=0)H H GAL (S=1) H H---H H---H H---H H Trans LSP Demux(s)H H Trans LSP Demux(s)H H Trans LSP Demux(s)H \===================/ \===================/ \===================/

User Traffic Service LSP OAM LSP OAM

Note: H(ighlighted) indicates the part of the protocol stack considered in this document.

Figure 12: MPLS-TP Label Stack for IP and LSP Clients In the figures above, the Transport Service layer [RFC5654] is identified by the Service LSP (SvcLSP) demultiplexer (Demux) label, and the Transport Path layer [RFC5654] is identified by the Transport (Trans) LSP Demux Label. Note that the functions of the

Encapsulation Label (Encap Label) and the Service Label (SvcLSP

Demux) shown above may alternatively be represented by a single label stack entry. Note that the S bit is always zero when the client layer is MPLS-labeled. It may be necessary to swap a service LSP label at an intermediate node. This is shown in Figure 11.

Within the MPLS-TP transport network, the network-layer protocols are carried over the MPLS-TP network using a logically separate MPLS label stack (the server stack). The server stack is entirely under the control of the nodes within the MPLS-TP transport network and it is not visible outside that network. Figure 12 shows how a client network protocol stack (which may be an MPLS label stack and payload) is carried over a network layer client service over an MPLS-TP

transport network.

A label may be used to identify the network-layer protocol payload type. Therefore, when multiple protocol payload types are to be carried over a single service LSP, a unique label stack entry needs to be present for each payload type. Such labels are referred to as "Encapsulation Labels", one of which is shown in Figure 12. An Encapsulation Label may be either configured or signaled.

Both an Encapsulation Label and a Service Label should be present in the label stack when a particular packet transport service is

supporting more than one network-layer protocol payload type. For example, if both IP and MPLS are to be carried, then two

Encapsulation Labels are mapped on to a common Service Label.

Note: The Encapsulation Label may be omitted when the service LSP is supporting only one network-layer protocol payload type. For

example, if only MPLS labeled packets are carried over a service, then the Service Label (stack entry) provides both the payload type

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