Nokia MPLS key terms

A routing protocol used inside a single administrative domain to exchange reachability information between routers. OSPF and IS-IS are the common examples in service provider cores.

A link-state interior gateway protocol that runs directly over Layer 2 and uses a two-level hierarchy. It scales well in large provider networks and carries traffic-engineering extensions.

A link-state interior gateway protocol that runs over IP and uses areas to limit flooding. Area 0 forms the backbone to which other areas attach.

A path-vector protocol that exchanges routes between autonomous systems and carries policy. It selects a single best path per prefix and is the control plane for inter-domain routing.

A BGP extension that carries address families beyond IPv4 unicast, such as VPN-IPv4, IPv6, and Layer 2 VPN. It uses route distinguishers and extended communities to separate customer contexts.

A BGP router that reflects routes learned from one client to other clients, removing the need for a full mesh of iBGP sessions. It uses cluster IDs and originator IDs to prevent loops.

A set of IP networks under one administrative authority that presents a consistent routing policy to the outside world. It is identified by a unique number used in BGP path attributes.

A source-routing architecture in which the ingress node encodes a path as an ordered list of segment identifiers carried in the packet header, so core nodes need not hold per-path state.

Segment routing applied to an MPLS data plane, where segment identifiers are encoded as MPLS labels. It removes the need for LDP and RSVP-TE in many core designs.

A segment identifier bound to an IGP prefix so that traffic to that prefix follows the shortest path. It can be an index into an SRGB or an absolute label value.

The range of MPLS labels reserved on a node for global segment identifiers. Consistent SRGB configuration across nodes keeps prefix SIDs meaningful end to end.

Topology-independent loop-free alternate: a fast-reroute method that precomputes a backup path using segment routing to steer around a failed link or node without transient loops.

Label Distribution Protocol: it advertises label bindings for IGP prefixes so that MPLS forwarding can be built hop by hop. It is the classic alternative to segment routing in the core.

A signaling protocol that establishes explicitly routed traffic-engineered label-switched paths with reserved bandwidth. It supports fast reroute but requires per-path state in the core.

An eight-byte value prepended to an IPv4 prefix to make it unique inside a provider's MP-BGP. It separates overlapping customer addresses but does not by itself control import or export.

A BGP extended community attached to VPN routes that controls which VRFs import or export them. Matching export and import targets build the any-to-any or hub-and-spoke topology.

Virtual Private Routed Network: Nokia's term for an IP VPN service instance on a router, equivalent to a VRF with MP-BGP and MPLS transport. Each VPRN has its own routing table and interfaces.

Virtual Private LAN Service: a multipoint Layer 2 VPN that emulates an Ethernet bridge across an MPLS network, learning MAC addresses per service instance.

A Nokia service model providing a point-to-point virtual leased line over MPLS or other transport. It forwards frames between two SAPs without MAC learning.

The customer-facing port or encapsulation where a service instance attaches on a Nokia service router. It defines how customer traffic is identified and mapped into the service.

The logical tunnel that carries service traffic from one service router to another across the MPLS core. It is bound to a transport type such as LDP, RSVP-TE, or segment routing.

A loop-prevention rule in multipoint Layer 2 services that stops a provider edge from forwarding a frame back toward the pseudowire it arrived on.

Multi-chassis link aggregation: two peer devices present one logical LAG to an access switch so that link or node failure does not break connectivity. It requires an inter-chassis control and data path.

A bundle of physical links treated as one logical interface using LACP or static configuration, increasing bandwidth and providing link-level redundancy.

Ethernet VPN: a BGP control plane that distributes MAC and IP reachability for Layer 2 and Layer 3 services. It replaces flood-and-learn with targeted signaling and supports multihoming.

Nokia's controller and orchestration suite for IP and optical networks. It provides service provisioning, path computation, assurance, and model-driven device configuration.

A network management protocol that uses XML-encoded remote procedure calls over a secure transport to read and change device configuration in a transactional way.

A data modeling language that defines the structure, types, and constraints of device configuration and state. It underpins NETCONF, RESTCONF, and model-driven telemetry.

gRPC Network Management Interface: a binary, schema-aware protocol for retrieving configuration and state and for subscribing to streaming telemetry from network devices.

A push model in which devices stream operational data to collectors on a schedule or on change, using YANG paths. It gives near-real-time visibility compared with periodic polling.

Path Computation Element Communication Protocol: it lets a router request or receive an explicit path from a central controller, commonly used for segment routing traffic engineering.

A mode where the device initiates the management session toward the controller, useful when devices sit behind NAT or firewalls and cannot accept inbound connections.

A filter that rate-limits traffic destined to a router's own CPU, protecting routing protocols and management access from floods and DoS attacks.

An ordered set of match rules that permits or denies traffic on an interface or service. It is a basic building block for filtering, policy routing, and control-plane protection.

A spoofing-defense check that drops a packet if its source address is not reachable through the interface it arrived on. Strict and loose modes differ in how they verify the reverse path.

Mechanisms that authenticate routing protocol sessions so that unauthorized peers cannot inject routes. BGP and other protocols sign or checksum their messages with a shared key.

Resource Public Key Infrastructure: a system of signed certificates and route origin authorizations that lets a router validate whether an AS is entitled to originate a prefix.

An IEEE Layer 2 security standard that encrypts and authenticates Ethernet frames hop by hop using keys negotiated by MKA, protecting links against wiretapping and injection.

A suite of protocols that authenticate and encrypt IP packets, typically used for site-to-site tunnels or remote access. It negotiates security associations with IKE.

Dense wavelength division multiplexing: it carries many independent wavelengths on one fiber pair, multiplying capacity without new fiber. Each wavelength behaves as a separate optical channel.

Reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer: a node that can switch wavelengths between fiber directions remotely, enabling flexible optical mesh networks without manual patching.

An ITU-T framing and management layer that wraps client signals in optical channel containers, adding forward error correction, performance monitoring, and standardized protection switching.

Transmission that encodes information in both amplitude and phase of light and detects it against a local oscillator, enabling high bit rates and electronic compensation of impairments.

The network that links separate data centers so workloads, storage, and services can communicate. It typically combines high-capacity optical transport with Layer 2 or Layer 3 extension.

A tunneling scheme that encapsulates Layer 2 frames in UDP/IP, extending a VLAN across a routed underlay. A 24-bit VNI allows far more segments than VLAN IDs.