label switched path (MPLS) (LSP)

The Label Switched Path(LSP) is a fixed path through an MPLS network, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), which starts at the Ingress Label EdgeRouter( LER) and ends at the Egress Label Edge Router.

On the LSP path, data packets are forwarded from one Label Switching Router( LSR) to the next Label Switch Router using label switching. The path is first established via the Label Distribution Protocol( LDP) or the Resource Reservation Protocol( RSVP) and then used by the IP packets. The data packets are forwarded via the label itself and no longer via the IP address.

Within the Label Switched Paths, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) provides mechanisms for traffic engineering( TE) and quality of service( QoS). The Label Switched Path can be viewed as a flexible tunnel over which bandwidth sharing is possible. The bandwidth of the tunnel is determined by the Committed Information Rate( CIR) and the Peak Information Rate( PIR). In addition, the bandwidth can be dynamically allocated, and the minimum bandwidth and peak bandwidth can also be configured.