About MPLS and MPLS Manager

MPLS provides IP networks with the kind of traffic management and connection-oriented quality of service that is found in networks like Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Frame Relay. MPLS enhances network performance by introducing virtual circuits called label switched paths (LSPs) to IP networks: Packets are switched rather than routed through the network. And because the fundamental principles of virtual circuits are based on traffic separation and segmentation, MPLS is ideal for building provider-provisioned Layer 2 (L2) and Layer 3 (L3) VPNs.

MPLS Manager, working with VMware Smart Assurance IP Availability Manager, performs the following major functions:

• For MPLS-based networks, discovers and monitors network, MPLS, and customer-edge objects.

• For MPLS-based L2VPN networks, discovers and monitors network, MPLS, and L2VPN objects.

• For MPLS-based L3VPN networks, discovers and monitors network, MPLS, L3VPN, and (optional) BGP objects.

  Note:

  MPLS Manager discovers BGP objects only if the MPLS-BGP cross-domain correlation feature is enabled. The VMware Smart Assurance MPLS Manager Configuration Guide provides instructions for enabling this feature.

• Correlates underlying physical-transport problems with MPLS, L2VPN, and L3VPN impairments.

• Identifies configuration and other errors that occur when deploying and maintaining MPLS, VPN, and BGP networks.

• Performs root-cause and impact analysis and exports the analysis results to the VMware Smart Assurance Service Assurance Manager (Global Manager).

• Provides remote ping functionality that allows for periodic and on-demand pings from various L3VPN objects to other L3VPN objects.

• Provides LSP ping functionality that verifies that a source routing device in the managed MPLS network is able to reach a destination routing device through a specified LSP.

  The MPLS Manager architecture is illustrated and described in the VMware Smart Assurance MPLS Manager Configuration Guide.