Supporting quality of service and VC merging in MPLS switches

Multiprotocol label switching integrates the performance and traffic management capabilities of data link layer 2 with the scalability and flexibility of network layer 3 routing. It is applicable to networks using any layer 2 switching, but has particular advantages when applied to ATM networks. It integrates IP routing with ATM switching to offer scalable IP-over-ATM networks. However, supporting quality of service in these switches is an important issue that needs special attention, as it´s a necessary requirement for today networks. But as MPLS combines different network technologies, to support quality of service in MPLS switches some other issues like VC merging should be considered too. In this paper, we go over supporting quality of service in MPLS switches and explore the necessary details.