Reliance Globalcom's backbone network is based on Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS), an IETF standard that integrates Layer 2 information about network links into Layer 3 to simplify and improve IP packet exchange. Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) is an MPLS application that allows geographically dispersed sites to share an Ethernet broadcast domain. When VPLS is deployed over an MPLS platform, the result is a best-of-breed approach that provides the reliability, security and ease of use of Ethernet along with the scalability, multipoint-to-multipoint support, resiliency and QoS features of MPLS. The technologies work together as follows:

When packets enter an MPLS-based network, Label Edge Routers (LERs) give them a label that contains information based on the data source, data application and data destination. Once this classification is complete, different packets are assigned to corresponding Labeled Switch Paths (LSPs). With the attached packet labels and pre-defined LSPs, the processing time required to direct packets toward their destinations is reduced dramatically, providing a significant performance advantage over native TCP/IP-based networks. This MPLS scheme also provides for automatic sub-second failover to secondary network paths in the event of a network-impacting event.

Another well-known benefit of MPLS is its ability to support sophisticated QoS-based traffic management strategies based on data-stream type and customer preference. For example, network operators can assign customer video and voice packets highest priority, and email and other static content lower priority in order to eliminate the possibility of performance degradation for more sensitive applications.

Using VPLS, Reliance Globalcom provisions Ethernet VLANs over dedicated MPLS LSPs. VPLS is the ideal platform over which to offer transparent, multipoint Ethernet solutions.