GMPLS Key Concepts
Re-use of MPLS-TE concepts for the definition of distributed control plane protocols applicable to non-packet or “optical” oriented networks:
- Optical channels/TDM Circuits/etc. define Lambda/TDM/etc. switched path ? Generalization of label spaces: wavelengths, sub-channels, etc.)
- Generalization of IP Address Prefix to “non-packet” terminating interfaces further extended to unnumbered interfaces => allows for separation between transport and control plane
- Generalization of TE Link concepts and attributes to “non-packet” resources (in particular: OPTICAL)
- Virtual TE Links => Forwarding Adjacencies (FA) => Mapping of several transport plane layers in the control plane (LSP Regions) which delivers the same scalability as control plane associated to layered transport plane technologies
- Link Bundling => TE Link recursion
- Further generalization to accommodate unnumbered FA and FA bundling
- Development of graceful/hitless restart mechanisms (signalling & routing) for increasing reliability taking advantage of transport/control separation