IP next generation label switching

This paper proposes the forwarding of IPv6 packets using label switching techniques, with the same advantages of the multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) architecture. The paper proposes the mapping of all MPLS header fields into the IPv6 header, raising several advantages like the simplicity of the model and the decrease of overhead. This mapping is called IP next generation label switching - or just IPngLS - and can work concurrently with MPLS, i.e. IPv6 packets are forwarded by IPngLS and IPv4 packets are forwarded by MPLS. To test IPngLS with real world networks, an implementation was developed within the Linux kernel.