Operators feeling more secure about MPLS - Industry Trend or Event

This year may see fuller implementation of multiprotocol label switching on VPNs. Some advise that alternative technologies may be just as good.

This year will finally see the widespread adoption of Internet Protocol-based virtual private networks (IP VPNs) implemented using multiprotocol label switching (MPLS).

The finding, from Gartner Group Ltd., Egham, England, is part of a study on the use of MPLS technology. Carriers have been slow to deliver quality-of-service-backed differentiated services to end-users, despite using MPLS in their core IP backbones for traffic engineering. But Gartner's advice to corporates is to hold off awhile before embracing MPLS-styled VPNs.

"There is certainly a market for MPLS-based VPNs," said Neil Rickard, research director at Gartner. "But our experience is that at the moment it is a bit of a rough ride." MPLS is immature, he said, and many carriers are still conducting pilot trials.

MPLS challenges and rewards

Using MPLS, a packet labeling scheme, to establish constrained connections to set up IP VPNs. is more challenging than its traditional use in the network to shepherd IP traffic streams, "In the [network] edge it is more difficult, requiring much richer decisions [from IP routers]," said Alan Taylor, European technical director at backbone router company Juniper Networks Inc., of Mountain View, California.

But operators already delivering MPLS-based IP VPNs services are seeing a surge of interest from corporates.

International network service provider Global One, headquartered in Reston. Virginia and Paris, claims it was the first to offer MPLS-based IP VPNs back in April 2000. It now has 40 corporate customers, of which 25 have had their MFLS-based IP VPNs implemented. The largest, to date, features 300 sites.

Global service provider concert is also offering services over MPLS-based IP VPNs. It is using the technology to provide differentiated treatment for corporates' video, voice and data traffic. "MPLS is fundamental to our plans in the IP arena." said Mark Logan, vice president, IP connectivity services at concert.

Despite MPLS immaturity, both operators can implement MPLS-based IP VPNs because they use Cisco Systems Inc.'s equipment exclusively. "The only vendor shipping MPLS VPNs is Cisco," said Gartner's Rickard.

Other operators are less sure about MPLS's suitability for delivering differentiated IP services. UUNet, the Internet services division of WorldCom Inc., of Clinton, Mississippi, favors the IP security protocol. IPsec, which it uses to connect to the end points of the VPNs. It uses MPLS in its heavily loaded Internet backbone for traffic engineering.

KPNQwest N.V., of Hoofddorp in the Netherlands, remains to be convinced of MPLS' merit for IP VPNs. "You need some way to get quality of service differentiation," admitted Johan Helsingius. KPNQwest's chief technology officer. But he questioned whether the differentiated service protocol. diffserv, coupled with gigabit Ethernet, might not be superior to MPLS-based IP VPNs.

Reading beyond the hype

The debate highlights the dilemma facing operators as to when, and to what degree, they adopt MPLS technology in their networks. It is not helped by what some observers see as the hypebole associated with the labeling standard. "Too many people think [MPLS] is the magic bullet," said KPNQwest's Helsingius. "It is not the solution but rather one of several." He attributes this idea to "hype, and some of the vendors are feeding it."

Andrew Rufener, director of technology at Marconi communications plc, London, said it was more about timing. "[MPLS] will provide the necessary control plane to deliver all the services in the network--the hype is that it will deliver it now."

But MPLS is gaining momentum. According to Danny Cote, senior vice president at Global One's data and IP network services, there has been a noticeable shift in the last four months. "Whereas proposals for MPLS-based IP VPNs were some 25% of the total, now they make up some 75%." he said. This is equally split between its existing frame relay customers wanting to migrate, and new customers wanting new technology.

He stresses, however, that Global One's main revenue is still from frame relay services. "IP VPNs are a much riskier story," said Cote, "We are very dependent on the vendors. We have to integrate with our existing equipment and with our customers." But the benefits of network management and scalability provided by MPLS, and the security and services such as voice that can be added on top, more than justify the risk of being an early adopter, he said.

Concert highlights the class of service and security benefits of MPLS-based IP VPNs. Logan said MPLS allowed-concert to migrate its IP VPN traffic from a separate IP network--the way most carriers provision IP VPNs--onto its main Internet service network. "This will result in operational savings and the freeing up of 2.5 gigabit call capacity, which concert will use to sell other services," said Logan.

Europe leads the way

"MPLS remains the best technology for service providers to make money by providing value-added IP services to large enterprise customers," said Douglas Chapman, chief technology officer of Syndesis Ltd., of Ontario, Canada, a software provider that has helped implement large scale MPLS-based IP VPNs.

His belief is that Europe is ahead of United States in deploying MPLS-based IP VPNs. This is partly due to leased lines being relatively cheap in the U.S.. "I also think there is also a determination in Europe to lead the next wave of IP services," said Chapman.

COPYRIGHT 2001 EMAP Media Ltd.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group