The authoritative MPLS introduction for every networking professional. MPLS and related technologies offer the potential to dramatically improve network performance, efficiency, and quality of service. In MPLS and Label-Switching Networks, renowned communication specialist Uyless Black presents a detailed, practical introduction to these technologies, written specifically for network and communications professionals. Using practical examples and realistic configuration diagrams, Black explains each fundamental concept, protocol, and technique associated with MPLS, including: * How the MPLS protocol works, and how it can be applied in IPv4 and IPv6 environments * Maximizing quality of service: using MPLS to combat network latency and jitter * MPLS traffic engineering: building more resilient service provider and ISP backbones * Security and network management in MPLS-enabled networks--including rapid service restoration techniques * Using MPLS to build secure VPNs * New MPLS label distribution protocols Whether you're in an enterprise network or service provider environment, MPLS and Label-Switching Networks is the authoritative resource you need to understand MPLS technologies--and implement them for competitive advantage.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Because of its ability to significantly reduce the load placed on routers as they direct data packets to their destinations, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) has great potential as the Internet--as well as the private wide area networks (WANs) for which it was originally designed--continues to expand. MPLS and Label Switching Networks takes an implementation-neutral approach to explaining MPLS and its applications, enabling readers to better evaluate and interact with MPLS-enabled products. Author Uyless Black--known and generally respected for his work on IP networks and the transmission of voice over them--assumes that you have a working knowledge of IP and WAN concepts, but no particular familiarity with MPLS.
The approach in this book, while not completely academic, tends toward straightforward documentation of parts and behaviors. In a typical section, Black explains Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) by documenting the bit structure of LDP messages, and then listing and commenting on their possible functional contents. Line drawings help clarify the text, but this is, by and large, a book for people who like to learn by reading. Footnotes that reference RFCs and other documents add to the scholarly tone. You might also consider reading Jim Guichard's MPLS and VPN Architectures for a more Cisco-oriented approach and MPLS: Technology and Applications by Bruce Davie and Yakov Rekhter for another platform-neutral take on the subject. --David Wall
Topics covered: The operation and application of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). After arguing for the technology's applicability to a variety of networking problems, the book shows how MPLS fits into the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. It then gets into details, including message contents, label distribution via Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), and MPLS as applied to ATM and Frame Relay networks.
From the Back Cover
The authoritative MPLS introduction for every networking professional.
MPLS and related technologies offer the potential to dramatically improve network performance, efficiency, and quality of service. In MPLS and Label-Switching Networks, renowned communication specialist Uyless Black presents a detailed, practical introduction to these technologies, written specifically for network and communications professionals. Using practical examples and realistic configuration diagrams, Black explains each fundamental concept, protocol, and technique associated with MPLS, including:
- How the MPLS protocol works, and how it can be applied in IPv4 and IPv6 environments
- Maximizing quality of service: using MPLS to combat network latency and jitter
- MPLS traffic engineering: building more resilient service provider and ISP backbones
- Security and network management in MPLS-enabled networks—including rapid service restoration techniques
- Using MPLS to build secure VPNs
- New MPLS label distribution protocols
Whether you're in an enterprise network or service provider environment, MPLS and Label-Switching Networks is the authoritative resource you need to understand MPLS technologies—and implement them for competitive advantage.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Coverage, Easy Read, Sloppy Editing,
By Davis Ford (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
This review is from: MPLS and Label Switching Networks (Hardcover)
I read the entire book over the course of a weeklong vacation...mostly on the airplane. It's relatively easy to digest, and can be covered quite quickly.First, a few minor critiques: the book seemed rushed to print, possibly because of the new technology and publishing race to get books out. Addison Wesley typically publishes excellent quality books. There were grammatical and spelling errors, and a few diagram errors. Other than that, the book is clearly written. My other critique is when Black chooses to just block-quote large sections of the RFCs, instead of spending some time exploring the author's intent, and perhaps giving an example of his own to clarify these points. This, again, this is probably an indication of the "rush to print" syndrome. Other than that, he covers the RFCs well. He takes a vendor-independent approach, which is important to me, and precisely why I avoid most Cisco Press books. Half of the Cisco book on MPLS and VPN concerns learning IOS commands, which is useless to me. He first covers label switching basics -- why there is a need for it, what it is, what it does, and the different types of label switching and networks it can be applied to. Then he delves into MPLS specifics, following with LDP, the IETF's distribution protocol. He also covers RSVP and BGP as alternatives for distribution which is a nice touch. He then covers label switching with ATM and FDDI networks (the one chapter I skipped). Then he discusses DiffServ and how MPLS and DiffServ can work together. Then he discusses Traffic Engineering (a very useful chapter that discusses shaping, policing, etc. algorithms from a higher level). Many of these topics are covered in other texts I have, but Black explains it in layman terms, such that one can easily grasp the algorithms associated with traffic shaping for different classes of network traffic. It may turn out that I will have to implement MPLS on a switch. I bought the book to familiarize myself with it. It is not recommended for that level of detail (obviously). It gives an excellent text read of the topic, including some helpful design principles. If one is tired of the terminologically-thick RFCs - and tired of printing out ASCII tomes of RFCs, this book provides an easy read on the topic with which to verse yourself on the topic. However, nothing in the book isn't freely available in any RFC document, so it's simply a matter of reading preference. Read all the RFC docs and get the full story, or get a nice overview package which provides a medium-depth overview of MPLS and other QoS technologies and approaches. I would recommend the text for engineers that need to digest MPLS concepts very quickly, and then go on for the meatier stuff. I would highly recommend it to those in technical marketing / sales / writing who need to get the concepts down, as well.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Book, Bad Editing,
By Engineer Guy "James" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: MPLS and Label Switching Networks (Hardcover)
I read the whole book. I found it to be a good introduction to MPLS and Tag switching concepts. It does not go into extreme detail so it probably is not a good reference for someone building MPLS into a product. Unfortunately, the editing seems a bit rushed. I found problems with descriptions and diagrams in almost every chapter. I am not talking about picky grammatical errors but actual problems in the text and/or the diagrams that would be confusing or just didn't match with what I have learned from other sources. I personally recommend the Davie and Rekhter MPLS book as an in depth introduction to MPLS.
4.0 out of 5 stars
From the author,
This review is from: MPLS and Label Switching Networks (2nd Edition) (Paperback)
From Uyless Black: Some ten years after writing technical books and receiving reviews on them, I've decided to respond to the input from readers. I should have done so sooner, but here it is now. You will now see this note placed on the comments for each book that is listed on this site, so don't bother re-reading. The note is the same for all the technical books.
The "pros" comments have dealt mainly with an easy to understand format. The "cons" comments have focused on the books (a) not being suited for college classes, (b) too many typos, and (c) mere recitations of ITU and Internet standards. There are other positive and negative comments, but these four points stand out. The books were intended to be general references; general in relation to the topic itself. They were designed specifically to provide a relatively non-technical overview of ITU and Internet standards. They were used mostly by professionals who had degrees, and needed to (quickly) come to a general understanding of a set of standards. Afterwards, the readers could then go into the details of the standards themselves. Thus, my task was to distill many pages of highly detailed specifications into a few pages of summaries. One of the principal criticisms of the books was the very reason they were written. I fault myself and my three publishers for not catching the typos, of which there are just too many. I was being asked by my publishers and my clients to hurry-up and get the next summary text out the door, as the clients' projects were beginning. That is why I wrote so many books in a short time. The technologies were coming out in rapid succession, and people did not have the time to read perhaps thousands of pages of standards. I did not take sufficient time to proof. But my publishers, sometimes with two to three proof readers---and at least one technical expert---reading a manuscript also dropped the ball. I think my books provided a valuable service to my readers. My clients used them extensively, and I believe I was able to "short-cut" them to later read the details more efficiently. Nonetheless, in hindsight the books were insufficiently edited and written with too much haste. I've been quite surprised that these books are still being sold. Not because they do not have merit, but that they are out-dated. The market for them does not come from the publishers, but from being on the used book market. My recommendation to you is not to buy technical books that are (sometimes) over ten years old. One last point, which I hope you find humorous, perhaps ironic. Some readers compared some of my work unfavorably to an esteemed writer and lecturer. I read some his books. One contained a figure what was quite similar to a figure in one of my books; so similar in fact, that it included an error I had made in the figure. He did not source my figure, but led the reader to think it was his own creation----and his own error! I would welcome any thoughts you might have. You can send them to Blackssteets@aol.com.
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