MPLSIPVPN

MPLS IP VPN, commonly referred to as MPLS VPN or BGP/MPLS IP VPN, is a type of virtual private network that uses a provider’s label-switched backbone to connect multiple customer sites over a shared infrastructure. It delivers Layer 3 connectivity by carrying customers’ IP routes across the service provider’s MPLS core while keeping customer routing isolated from one another.

The architecture centers on provider edge (PE) and customer edge (CE) devices. The core network uses Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) to forward labeled packets along Label Switched Paths (LSPs). Each customer site is associated with a separate virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) instance on its PE router, which provides route isolation. To distinguish identical customer IP spaces, the architecture employs Route Distinguishers (RDs). Route Targets (RTs) control the import and export of VPN routes between VRFs. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), often in multiprotocol mode, distributes VPN routes between PEs.

Operation typically involves CE devices advertising customer routes to the corresponding PE, which imports them into the customer’s VRF and assigns MPLS labels for transport across the core. Remote PEs peel off labels, deliver traffic to remote CE devices, and maintain separation of customer VPNs within the same physical network. MPLS VPNs can support IPv4 and IPv6 and may be combined with QoS and traffic engineering features to meet service level requirements.

Compared with Layer 2 VPNs (such as VPLS), MPLS IP VPN provides scalable, address-space–preserving connectivity with strong route separation. It is widely deployed by service providers to offer enterprise-grade, multi-site connectivity with centralized management and performance guarantees.