The benefits of the MPLS network probably can’t be overstated and are several.
To begin with, putting in an MPLS network can allow your business to realize some pretty good cost savings over its rivals such as the state-of-the-art-for-WAN time frame relays and ATMs, especially as video and sound grow in importance to your business.
Depending on a handful of factors, your savings can be anywhere from 10% to 40%.
Of course, at this stage of the MPLS game you will want to analyze ROI and ease (or lack thereof) of installation and implementation to see if an MPLS network would work to your advantage, but we all know how technology progresses, and there is no reason to believe that MPLS won’t be made even more efficient and cost-effective to get up and running over the next year to two years.
- QoS (quality of service) is all-important to your business, especially if you are beginning to rely more heavily on audio-visual Internet transmissions that are getting more elaborate and complex.
- MPLS has long since proven itself to be a powerful enhancement of QoS.
- Likewise, an MPLS network simply improves your programs and applications performances, both on your clients’ end and your own.
- The greater the ease and efficiency of the information flow, the greater the communication which is the core of successful business qualities.
In order to rightly consider whether or not your ROI would justify getting your business hooked up with an MPLS network right now, you need to carefully scrutinize what kind of data you are transporting right now and what kind of data you want or expect to be transporting in about two or three years from now.
Keep in mind that two of the most-enhanced applications that MPLS provides for are VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and audio-visual click-on embedded advertising, both of which are soaring upward quickly in importance.
If your network relies on multitudinous data destination sites, then MPLS is probably already something you need.
But perhaps the single most important benefit of an MPLS network is greatly enhanced disaster recovery. MPLS’ “from any point to any point” structure allows it to easily re-route all data from or destined to a disaster-struck site to or from one that is running normally and in tact.
MPLS allows for multiple redundant layers of data to be incorporated within the network data cloud as you set up your disaster recovery plans for your business.
These are the possible benefits of implementing an MPLS network in your business, and the time is right to seriously consider them.
MPLS Definition
An MPLS network is a connection that examines packets of data as a whole rather than the individual contents of those data packets. MPLS is an acronym for Multiprotocol Label Switching, and this refers to the ability to pass information between nodes on short paths instead of long, IP addresses.
The “multiprotocol” in MPLS is a dead giveaway as to its ability to send information across Internet protocol addresses. In multiprotocol label switching, data packets are given an assigned “label.” MPLS reduces the need to rely on multiple-layer networks in order to accommodate different types of web traffic, and is a type of packet-switched network.
What is a Packet-Switched Network?
Since MPLS networks are classified as packet-switched networks, we must discover what packet-switched networks are in order to give us a full understanding of the nature of MPLS networks. What then, are packet-switched networks? Packet-switched networks are those that use packets of data and transmit them across the same network, regardless of content type.
The only concern of packet-switched networks is that content is broken down into manageable chunks before it is transported across the web.
As a result of these transportable “chunks,” information will often “buffer” while traveling across the web. This tends to lead to longer waiting times, but MPLS seeks to go around the web traffic congestion.
MPLS networks support a number of technologies such as T1/E1, Frame Relay, DSL, and ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode). Local area networks (or LANs) and the Internet are a direct result of MPLS networks. In MPLS networks, these data packets that receive labels often result in label stacks.
Within each label stack (chunks of data packets), there are four labels: 1) 20-bit label value, 2) 3-bit traffic class field, 3) 1-bit bottom of stack flag, and 4) an 8-bit TTL field (“TTL” stands for “time to live”). The 20-bit label value consists of a number that is assigned to what is known as a destination prefix.
The destination prefix in an MPLS network refers to the intended target of the data packet(s). The number assigned to the destination prefix is based on either the interface or the chassis. The 3-bit traffic class field, known as a traffic classification field, was first called “the Class of Service” (or CoS) field, and later came to be known as an experimental field, according to many.
While it is still designated as an “EXP field,” this field could be used for additional purposes.
MPLS Network News
In January of this year (2013), Tedeschi Food Shops Inc., a New England family-operated convenience store chain that was founded in 1923 in Rockland, Massachusetts, upgraded its network to a Megapath MPLS network. Megapath’s MPLS network for Tedeschi includes Ethernet, T1, and DSL – all of which allow Tedeschi administrators to communicate between their store chains and the parent store.
Tedeschi’s decision to choose Megapath for its MPLS network was a no-brainer.
Tedeschi has worked with Megapath prior to the new network selection, since Tedeschi already has a bandwidth agreement with Megapath. Preparing to increase its network with MPLS (multi-protocol label switching) would require a higher bandwidth than Tedeschi had – prompting the new agreement with a tried-and-true company that had already displayed a track record of excellence and quality.
If you would like to see if your business can benefit from a MPLS network and if Megapath would be the best option for you, then you can contact me at 1-866-256-2925 or fill out the form below for a free consultation.
