A splitting infrastructure for load balancing and security in an MPLS network

Several multi-path routing algorithms have been recently proposed to achieve load balancing and increase security. However, the functionalities required to split traffic flows over multiple paths have not been standardized yet. Multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) offers a suitable environment to implement multi-path routing algorithms, as multiple parallel label switched paths (LSPs) may be established to carry each a portion of a traffic flow. This paper focuses on a traffic splitting mechanism designed for MPLS networks. We propose a set of new operations to be performed by the edge routers and illustrate them with reference to a popular open source implementation of the MPLS stack. We implemented the new operations and give a demonstration of their functionality using an experimental testbed.