Multipoint Label Distribution Protocol In-Band Signaling in a Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Table Context

Abstract

An IP Multicast Distribution Tree (MDT) may traverse both label switching (i.e., Multiprotocol Label Switching, or MPLS) and nonlabel switching regions of a network. Typically, the MDT begins and ends in non-MPLS regions, but travels through an MPLS region. In such cases, it can be useful to begin building the MDT as a pure IP MDT, then convert it to an MPLS Multipoint Label Switched Path (MP-LSP) when it enters an MPLS-enabled region, and then convert it back to a pure IP MDT when it enters a non-MPLS-enabled region.