DSCP Powers MPLS Networks

By Deepika Mala, TMCnet Contributor

Multi- protocol label switching is a solution that allows service providers to continue to measure up to increasing demands prompted by new services while simultaneously managing the current traffic taking place on the infrastructure. It can even act as a supplement to the Internet Protocol version 4 packet. 

In the IPv4 packet with the MPLS label, the differentiated services code point with MPLS Switching EXPerimental bits can work together or independently to provide much better quality of service.

In fact, DiffServ uses six bits of IPv4 type of service to convey its differentiated services code point. The last two bits are then saved for experimental use.

According to Cisco (News - Alert), “EF-Express forwarding is a low-loss, low-latency, low-jitter, assured-bandwidth, end-to-end service. The DSCP value for EF is 46. Often values are indicated in hexadecimal such as 0x3F. Hexadecimal uses the base16 format with a 0x prefix followed by eight bits. HSD-High Speed Data is the default with no guaranteed priority. The DSCP value for Default is 0. AF-Assured Forwarding is based on four levels of priority or drop precedence. Drop precedence is usually high-medium-low, meaning there are 12 levels of AF from DSCP 10 to 38.”

User can also replace Differentiated Services Code Points with MPLS Switching EXPerimental bits. To do this, one may need some mapping if the DSCP uses more than the three precedence bits. 

Further, pipe and short-pipe assume that the service provider and the customer want to leverage different quality of service policies. Thus, the service provider will then transfer the Differentiated Services Code Point without changing the values transparently. 

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