Label Mis-Switching Rate analysis in satellite MPLS networks

In satellite multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks, the channel fading results in high probability of label transmission error, which causes the erroneous switching of packets. In the context of network-wide performance, only a few poor-quality links will cause severe packet loss and degrade the whole system´s performance dramatically. Therefore, the data link layer protection for MPLS labels is necessary in satellite MPLS networks. A new metric, namely, Label mis-switching rate (LMSR) is introduced to measure the capability of label protection. The LMSR for three error control techniques are analyzed, and the analytical results are in excellent agreement with the simulation experiments. According to the results, LMSR could be a valuable metric for satellite MPLS network design and analysis.