Network Working Group                                        N. Sprecher
Internet-Draft                                             Y. Weingarten
Intended status: Informational                    Nokia Siemens Networks
Expires: July 8, December 25, 2011                                       K. Hong
                                                                 L. Fang
                                                     Cisco Systems, Inc.
                                                         January 4,
                                                           June 23, 2011

    Migration Considerations and Techniques for Multiprotocol Label
        Switching Transport  Profile based Networks and Services
                draft-sprecher-mpls-tp-migration-03.txt
                draft-sprecher-mpls-tp-migration-04.txt

Abstract

   MPLS-TP defines a packet-based network architecture and a
   comprehensive set of tools that allow service providers to reliably
   deliver next generation services and applications, in a simple,
   scalable, and cost-effective way.  Such services are BW-hungry based
   and require strict guaranteed SLA.  Delivering next generation
   services over an MPLS-TP based network in an economic way, enables
   service providers to remain competitive while increasing their
   revenues.

   This document presents the motivations for migrating from different
   legacy transport networks and services to MPLS-TP, and discusses the
   considerations and strategies for the migration.

   The document also proposes specific activities and techniques needed
   to ensure a smooth migration path from the different transport
   networks and services to MPLS-TP.

Status of this Memo

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
     1.1.  Overview of MPLS-TP  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
     1.2.  Motivations for Upgrading Networks . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
   2.  Terminology and References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
     2.1.  Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
   3.  General Migration Considerations and Strategies  . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
     3.1.  Migration models . . . . . . . . .  7
     3.1.  Island model . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
       3.1.1.  Island model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8
     3.2.
       3.1.2.  Phased model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
     3.3. 10
       3.1.3.  Integrated model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
     3.2.  Migration strategies . . 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
   4.  Migrating from TDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 13
     4.1.  Main motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 13
     4.2.  Migration Activities and Techniques  . . . . . . . . . . . 11 13
   5.  Migrating from ATM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14
     5.1.  Main motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14
     5.2.  Migration activities and Techniques  . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14
   6.  Migrating from Ethernet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14
     6.1.  Main motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14
     6.2.  Migration activities and Techniques  . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14
   7.  Migrating from MPLS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 15
     7.1.  General note on migrating MPLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
     7.2.  MPLS-TE  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
       7.1.1. 15
       7.2.1.  Main motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
       7.1.2. 15
       7.2.2.  Migration activities and Techniques  . . . . . . . . . 11
     7.2. 15
     7.3.  IP/MPLS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
       7.2.1. 15
       7.3.1.  Main motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
       7.2.2. 15
       7.3.2.  Migration activities and Techniques  . . . . . . . . . 11 15
   8.  Migrating from pre-standard MPLS-TP (T-MPLS) . . . . . . . . . 11 16
     8.1.  Main motivation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 16
     8.2.  Migration activities and Techniques  . . . . . . . . . . . 11 16
   9.  Manageability Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 16
   10. Security Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 16
   11. IANA Considerations  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 16
   12. Acknowledgments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 16
   13. References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 16
     13.1. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 16
     13.2. Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 17
   Authors' Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 17

Editors' Note:

   This Informational Internet-Draft is aimed at achieving IETF
   Consensus before publication as an RFC and will be subject to an IETF
   Last Call.

   [RFC Editor, please remove this note before publication as an RFC and
   insert the correct Streams Boilerplate to indicate that the published
   RFC has IETF Consensus.]

1.  Introduction

1.1.  Overview of MPLS-TP

   The Transport Profile for MPLS (MPLS-TP) is being specified in the
   IETF as part of a joint effort with the ITU-T to develop a definition
   of the MPLS network that will fulfill the strict requirements for
   transport networks that are accepted by the ITU-T.  This profile will
   be based on the definitions of the MPLS, MPLS Traffic Engineering,
   and Multi-Segment Pseudo-Wire architectures defined in [RFC3031],
   [RFC3985], and [RFC5659].

   The requirements for MPLS-TP are detailed in [RFC5654].  These
   requirements were developed in full cooperation between the IETF and
   ITU-T, and reflect the needs to adhere to the architecture of MPLS
   while including the enhanced level of service transparency, and
   Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) functionality
   required for stable transport networks.  The requirements for the OAM
   functionality are further developed and defined in [MPLS-TP-OAM],
   providing the list of OAM procedures to be supported by MPLS-TP.

   The architecture for MPLS-TP is defined in [RFC5921] and builds upon
   the experience of the MPLS architecture.  The architecture is
   designed to allow MPLS-TP networks to operate whether the
   configuration was implemented by use of control-plane signaling or a
   management application.  In addition, the MPLS-TP architecture is
   designed to support networks that may not be using IP forwarding and
   addressing.  The framework defines the different service structures
   supported by MPLS-TP and the interworking between these service
   structures and existing MPLS services.  Also defined are the
   characteristics of the profile that defines MPLS-TP.  This synergy of
   architectures guarantees the service provider the ability to provide
   services with guaranteed and strict Service Level Agreements in a
   highly scalable robust network while reducing operational costs.

   A main focus of MPLS-TP is the definition of OAM functionality for
   MPLS data paths that support the transport services.  MPLS-TP
   provides a comprehensive set of OAM tools for fault management and
   performance monitoring, supporting the network and the services at
   different nested levels (i.e. at the end-to-end level, a segment of a
   path, and link level).  The OAM tools may be used to monitor the
   network infrastructure, to enhance the general behavior, and
   performance level of the network.  The tools may also be used to
   monitor the service level offered to the end customer, allowing
   verification of the SLA parameters, and enabling rapid response in
   the event of a failure or service degradation.  The OAM tools help
   reduce OPEX, minimizing the overhead of trouble shooting, and
   enhancing customer satisfaction which, in turn, helps to enable the
   delivery of high-margin premium services.

   The architectural constructs and the methodology of the OAM
   functionality is defined by [MPLS-TP-OAM-Fwk].  This includes the
   definition of the transport entities that are monitored by the OAM
   procedures and detailed description of how the OAM procedures are
   applied to these transport entities.  A central issue in MPLS-TP OAM
   is the independence of the OAM from the existence of an operational
   control plane in the network.  This feature is supported by the
   creation of an in-band control channel that is used to transmit the
   OAM procedures across the transport paths.  A cornerstone of the
   definition of the OAM procedures is to use existing IETF OAM tools as
   the basis of the MPLS-TP OAM procedures wherever possible, this
   principle is used as the underlying foundation for the definition of
   the OAM tools defined for MPLS-TP.

   Protection mechanisms for the MPLS-TP transport paths are described
   in [MPLS-TP-Surviv] and are conformed with different topological
   configurations of the network.

1.2.  Motivations for Upgrading Networks

   The growth of packet traffic has significantly increased, driven by
   the high demand and penetration of new packet-based services and
   multimedia applications, across the access, aggregation and core
   networks and is expected to continue to increase.  With the movement
   toward packet-based services, the transport network has to evolve to
   encompass the provision of packet-aware capabilities while enabling
   carriers to leverage their installed, as well as planned, transport
   infrastructure investments.

   Carriers are in need of technologies capable of efficiently
   supporting packet-based services and applications on their transport
   networks with guaranteed Service Level Agreements (SLAs).  The need
   to increase their revenue while remaining competitive forces
   operators to look for the lowest network Total Cost of Ownership
   (TCO), and as such requires investment in equipment and facilities
   (Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)) and Operational Expenditure (OPEX) be
   minimized.

   There are a number of technology options for carriers to meet the
   challenge of increased service sophistication and transport
   efficiency, with increasing usage of hybrid packet-transport and
   circuit-transport technology solutions.  To address this challenge,
   it is essential that packet-transport technology be available that
   can provide reliability, operational simplicity - preserving the look
   and feel to which service providers have accustomed, multi-layer
   operations, resiliency, control, and multi-technology management.

   Transport carriers require control and deterministic usage of network
   resources.  They need end-to-end control to engineer network paths
   and to efficiently utilize network resources.  They require
   capabilities to support static (management-plane-based) or dynamic
   (control-plane-based) provisioning of deterministic, protected, and
   secured services and their associated resources.  For transport
   carriers, it is also important to ensure smooth interworking of the
   packet transport network with other existing/legacy packet networks,
   and provide mappings to enable packet transport carriage over a
   variety of transport network infrastructures.

   MPLS is a maturing packet technology and it is already playing an
   important role in transport networks and services.  The development
   of MPLS-TP has proposed a set of compatible technology enhancements
   to existing MPLS standards to extent the definition of MPLS toward
   supporting traditional transport operational models.  These
   enhancements inherit all the supporting QoS, recovery, control and
   data plane mechanisms already defined within standards.  MPLS-TP will
   enable the deployment of packet-based transport networks that will
   efficiently scale to support packet services in a simple and cost-
   effective way.

2.  Terminology and References

2.1.  Acronyms

   This draft uses the following acronyms:

   MPLS-TP Multiprotocol Label Switching - Transport Protocol
   OAM     Operations, Administration, and Maintenance

3.  General Migration Considerations and Strategies

   A migration strategy is necessary for service providers to ensure the
   smooth migration process in a cost-efficient and scalable way.
   Smooth migration is required to enable service providers to maintain
   their existing investments in the installed base for as long as
   economically justifiable.

   Smooth migration is required to enable service providers to maintain
   their existing investments in the installed base for as long as
   economically justifiable.

   For service providers, smooth migration path and minimize seamless
   interworking between the investment installed networks and the MPLS-TP based
   network, also eliminates the risks associated with fork-lifting a
   new-technology or implementation upgrade onto the whole network in
   one day.  Such an approach allows service providers to ensure that
   the new equipment. implementations work as expected in live networks and that
   the customers' quality of experience is maintained and not affected.

   The migration should be a smooth and seamless transfer of technology
   while continuing to support the services that generate the revenues.
   This means that the migration strategy should address the following
   considerations:

   o  Cost-effective - Minimize the number of migration steps, stay
      within budget for both operating (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX)
      expenses.

   o  Service continuity - perform the switchover without a service
      break to existing customers and their services.  Service
      performance, availability and subscriber experience should
      reaminremain unaffected.

   o  Provide a reliable fall-back - don't burn your bridges until the
      new connections are secure and robust enough to maintain the
      service-level agreements.

   o  Minimum switchover time - when everything is in place need to
      minimize the side-effects by minimizing the time needed to have
      the new service platform performing.

   o  Aspects of data-plane, OAM and recovery mechanisms, control plane
      and management-plane

   Different migration models have been discussed in the literature. literature,
   each with distinct advantages and disadvantages.  The most basic
   model, forklifting the new technology, in our case MPLS-TP, onto the
   network involves simultaneously upgrading the entire network to work
   with the new technology.  This type of migration is very risky if the
   new technology does not work as expected in the live network after
   disabling the legacy technology.  In order to minimize the risk, it
   could be possible to install an entire parallel network based on
   MPLS-TP and then switch over from the legacy network to the MPLS-TP
   network.  However, this would be very costly, i.e. purchasing
   equipment for two parallel networks, and again could not guarantee
   that the new technology network would work as planned.  This, in
   turn, would cause a major disruption of services.  Therefore, in

   Note that, theoretically, one could build an entire parallel network,
   switch the traffic over to the new network and then pull down the old
   network.  It is complicated or even impossible to coordinate such an
   upgrade across the entire network.

   The forklift migration is neither practical nor recommended.
   However, it can be performed locally across a section of the network.

   In the following descriptions we concentrate on the following models:

   o  Island model - introducing the MPLS-TP in separate sub-domains of
      the network.  The transport paths may cross the different
      technology domains that are connected interconnected by gateways.  See
      section 3.1 for more details.

   o  Phased model - where the existing equipment is slowly upgraded
      with new MPLS-TP capabilities as needed.  For more details see
      section 3.2.

   o  Integrated model - network nodes are either legacy nodes or dual-
      mode nodes supporting both legacy and MPLS-TP capabilities.  See
      section 3.3 for more details.

   It should be noted that not all of these models are relevant to
   migration from specific legacy technologies.  The relevance for each
   technology of the particular migration model will be discussed in the
   sections below that discuss the specific technologies.

3.1.  Migration models

3.1.1.  Island model

   In this migration model presented previously in [RFC5145] the service
   provider introduces clusters of MPLS-TP nodes that are interconnected
   with the legacy clusters through border nodes.  The border nodes act
   as gateways, that are responsible for the mapping or adaptation of
   protocol elements that may be transmitted between legacy and MPLS-TP
   nodes.

   The island model is applicable when new pieces of network are
   introduced, or when a localized forklift is performed.

   End-to-end services may traverse between the islands.  The
   configuration of the transport paths may be "balanced" or
   "unbalanced".  In a balanced path configuration both endpoints of the
   path are nodes of the same technology, but the path may have crossed
   islands of the other technology in the middle of the path, see
   Figure 1.  An unbalanced path configuration would be if the path
   starts at a node of one technology and ends at a node supporting the
   second technology, see Figure 1.

        +----+   +--+   +----+   +--+   +----+  +--+   +----+
        |Lgcy|   |LN|   |Brdr|   |TP|   |Brdr|  |LN|   |Lgcy|
        |    |==========|    |==========|    |=========|    |
      ..|........Service...Transport...Path.................|...
        |    |==========|    |==========|    |=========|    |
        |Conn|   |  |   |Gtwy|   |  |   |Gtwy|  |  |   |Conn|
        +----+   +--+   +----+   +--+   +----+  +--+   +----+
        .                . .              . .              .
        |     Legacy     | |    MPLS-TP   | |    Legacy    |
        |<----Island---->| |<---Island--->| |<---Island--->|

                  LN - one or more Legacy Nodes
                  TP - one or more MPLS-TP LSR
           Brdr Gtwy - Border node that acts as gateway
           Lgcy Conn - Legacy node that where service connects

                      Figure 1: Balanced island path

            +----+   +--+   +----+   +--+   +----+
            |Lgcy|   |LN|   |Brdr|   |TP|   | TP |
            |    |==========|    |==========|    |
        ....|...Service...Transport...Path.......|...
            |    |==========|    |==========|    |
            |Conn|   |  |   |Gtwy|   |  |   |Conn|
            +----+   +--+   +----+   +--+   +----+
            .                . .              .
            |     Legacy     | |    MPLS-TP   |
            |<----Island---->| |<---Island--->|

                    LN - one or more Legacy Nodes
                    TP - one or more MPLS-TP LSR
             Brdr Gtwy - Border node that acts as gateway
             Lgcy Conn - Legacy node that where service connects
                      TP  Conn - MPLS-TP LER

                     Figure 2: Unbalanced island path

   The tools that may be used at the border, gateway, gateway nodes may be based
   on either layered networks - only when using balanced islands, or on an interworking or mapping function between
   protocols.  An MPLS-TP
   island would provide the  The layered network solution through (which may be seen also as an overlay
   network) tools are applicable only in the use case of
   an LSP between Layered networks
   are used to separate the domains belonging to different technologies.
   MPLS-TP LSPs provide TE-links to carry legacy traffic, when possible. traffic.  The gateways
   adapt the legacy traffic and multiplex it over the TE-links.  When
   interconnection is based on interworking or mapping tools, service or
   network interworking is used between the islands through gateways
   which are responsible for mapping protocols&apos elements.

   This model is very useful when upgrading the network in stages, where
   new MPLS-TP equipment is upgraded in clusters that form an island.
   These islands can be slowly expanded and merged until they create a
   single MPLS-TP network.  Whenever the islands are expanded or merged
   make-before-break procedures should be employed in order to keep
   services running.

3.2.

3.1.2.  Phased model

   In this model the existing equipment is upgraded with the features
   and functionality of the new technology.  The new functionality is
   introduced as needed, while ensuring interoperability with the legacy
   technology.  This is highly dependent upon the equipment possibility to upgrade
   the equipment, either software or firmware, to support the new
   functionality and upon the support of all the equipment from different
   vendors to implement for the same functionality. set of capabilities.

   The advantage of this model is that it allows the service provider to
   quickly support enhanced capabilities on his existing equipment.
   However, this model is not applicable to all legacy technologies.
   For this to work the new capabilities need to be backward compatible
   with the legacy technology, and all of the vendors, involved in the
   migration, need to implement the new capabilities specified by the
   service provider.

3.3.

3.1.3.  Integrated model

   This model allows the operator to run services over two clouds of the a network simultaneously.  One cloud would continue to support the
   legacy technology, while the second cloud would support the new
   MPLS-TP services.  The services would be routed to the proper cloud
   by have new "dual-mode" nodes that would nodes, which
   support an integrated MPLS-TP and legacy functionality, see in the legacy
   networks, as is depicted in Figure 3.  These dual-mode nodes would
   route

   A mandatory requirement in this model is that the different services to MPLS-TP and the paths
   legacy technologies can co-exist in the different technology
   clouds.  This avoids the need for interworking that same network.  There is required in no
   requirement for interworking.

   Existing services would be routed either through legacy nodes or
   through the island model described in section 3.1.

                     ______________________________________
                   _/    Service Provider's Network new dual-mode nodes.  New services would be routed
   through new dual-mode nodes.

               -----------------------------------------
              |  ---     ---     ---     ---            |
              | | L |---| L |---| L |---| L |           |
              |  ---     ---     ---     ---            |
              |             \           /             ____     ___       ____     \___
                _/            _/    \___/               |
              |              \    _/    \__         /                |
              |               \       /                 |
              |                \ --- /               \__/ ...     \_     \___   ---     ---    |
              |                 | L |---| L |---| L |   |
              |                /| T |...| T |...| T |   |
              |               /  ---     ---     ---    |
              |              /              .......   ...    \        \    :               :     |    +--------|   ...Legacy Logical Network ..  |---+
              |        ---  /     :               :     |    |.........\..   ..    ..                ../....|
              |       |    |.         \   ___....  ___     __      _/    .| L |/     ---             ---    |
              |  +----+        \_/   \____/   \___/  \____/     +----+       |
            ....|Dual|                                         |Dual|... T |.....| T |...........| T |   |
              |        ---       ---             ---    |
              |         :                         :     |
            ****|Mode|          ____     ___       ____        |Mode|***
              |  +----+        _/    \___/   \    _/    \__     +----+         :                         :     |
              \
              | *        /               \__/         \_    *|        ---      ---      ---     ---    |
               \
              | ******* /***                          **\****|   /
                \ +--------|    ***MPLS-TP Logical Ntwrk***  |---+  /
                 \____      \      ***    *****   *****     /       |
                      \      \   ___  ****___  ***__      _/      /
                       \      \_/   \____/   \___/  \____/    ___/
                        \____________________________________/

                     .... - T |....| T |....| T |...| T |   |
              |        ---      ---      ---     ---    |
              |                                         |
               -----------------------------------------

               Key:

                ---
               | L | Legacy service path
                     **** - Node
                ---

                ---
               | D | Dual-Stack Node
                ---

                ---
               | T | MPLS-TP service path Node
                ---

                ---  Legacy MPLS LSP

                ...  MPLS-TP OAM-capable LSP

                    Figure 3: Integrated model network

   Gradual migration is supported by this model.  The dual-mode nodes
   are either legacy nodes that are upgraded to support MPLS-TP
   functionality.  Services can be switched gradually from the legacy
   transport paths to the MPLS-TP paths as they become available, using
   make-before-break procedures.  Eventually, as all the service paths
   are transferred to MPLS-TP the legacy technology cloud can be taken
   off-line.
   switched off.  New devices will support MPLS-TP functionality only.

3.2.  Migration strategies

   The migration process will be a gradual process and it should be
   tailored for each service provider&aposs network.  Minimizing risks,
   controlling costs, and recognizing the impact on the end-customer are
   complicating factors that create a myriad of challenges to be
   addressed, monitored, measured and managed throughout the entire
   migration process.

   The network migration process, as well as the operation and
   management, and policy during the migration process needs to be
   planned.

   When selecting a migration model and defining the migration steps,
   issues such as the following need to be considered and evaluated:

   o  Existing deployed networks and services.

   o  Service provider&aposs network deployment plans and objectives
      (including the need for investment protection, window for the
      migration time, etc.).

   o  Effects on the network operation, management costs.

   o  Risks and reliable fallback.

   o  End-customers&apos demand.

   o  Security and operational policy

4.  Migrating from TDM

4.1.  Main motivation

4.2.  Migration Activities and Techniques

   When considering the different strategies outlined in section 3 in
   relationship to migration from TDM-based networks, the service
   provider will need to realize that this type of migration involves a
   hardware upgrade for the network equipment.  This indicates that it
   is not practical to plan a phased migration, that is based on
   upgrading the existing network elements.

   An integrated model migration would be a good candidate for this type
   of migration.  The plan would involve installing dual-mode TDM/MPLS
   nodes into the network.  Continuing the support of voice and control
   (e.g. timing information) traffic over the TDM sub-network, while
   simultaneously using the MPLS-TP capabilities to support existing and
   new data services.  Transferring the existing data services would use
   make-before-break procedures defined by MPLS.  As more and more
   services are transferred to the MPLS-TP environment native MPLS-TP
   nodes can be supported

   Another candidate for implementing a graduated migration strategy
   would be based on the Island model.  The service provider would
   install new MPLS-TP nodes in well defined clusters within the
   network.  Dual-mode border nodes would be used to interconnect
   between the native TDM islands that would support existing services
   and the MPLS-TP islands.

5.  Migrating from ATM

5.1.  Main motivation

5.2.  Migration activities and Techniques

6.  Migrating from Ethernet

6.1.  Main motivation

6.2.  Migration activities and Techniques

   When considering the different strategies outlined in section 3 in
   relationship to migration from Ethernet-based networks, the service
   provider will need to realize that this type of migration involves a
   hardware upgrade for the network equipment.  This indicates that it
   is not practical to plan a phased migration, that is based on
   upgrading the existing network elements.

   An integrated model migration would be a good candidate for this type
   of migration.  Both Ethernet and MPLS-TP can exist side-by-side
   within the network.  In addition, it is possible to install dual-mode
   nodes that can support both Ethernet services and MPLS over Ethernet
   services.  Continuing the support of legacy services over the
   Ethernet sub-network, while simultaneously using the MPLS-TP
   capabilities to slowly encapsulate some of these existing legacy
   (over either PWs or L2VPN structures) and support new data services.
   Transferring the existing data services would use make-before-break
   procedures defined by MPLS.  As more and more services are
   transferred to the MPLS-TP environment native MPLS-TP nodes can be
   supported

   Another candidate for implementing a graduated migration strategy
   would be based on the Island model.  The service provider would
   install new MPLS-TP nodes in well defined clusters within the
   network.  Dual-mode border nodes would be used to interconnect
   between the native TDM islands that would support existing services
   and the MPLS-TP islands.

7.  Migrating from MPLS

7.1.  General note on migrating MPLS

   MPLS-TP is a profile of the general MPLS toolkit which supports all
   of the tools required to ensure scalable, quality transport.  Data
   services in MPLS-TP use the same forwarding mechanisms supported by
   standard MPLS.  Many of the capabilities provided by MPLS-TP are
   already provided by MPLS and GMPLS, and there is no preclusion of
   using any of these capabilities in an MPLS-TP network.

7.2.  MPLS-TE

7.1.1.

7.2.1.  Main motivation

7.1.2.

7.2.2.  Migration activities and Techniques

7.2.

7.3.  IP/MPLS

7.2.1.

7.3.1.  Main motivation

7.2.2.

7.3.2.  Migration activities and Techniques

   As pointed out in the general note, MPLS-TP is a particular profile
   of the tools already supported by IP/MPLS.  Therefore, for the most
   part, this migration is essentially a software upgrade of both the
   network equipment and possibly the management system.  Any of the
   migration models presented in Section 3 are relevant candidates for
   implementing the migration plan from IP/MPLS to MPLS-TP.

   Gradually upgrading the MPLS network elements with the new MPLS-TP
   tools, by employing a phased migration plan, would enhance the
   general behavior of the network.  This provides a very cost-effective
   switchover to the high-quality network service layer that is
   supported by the improved OAM tools of MPLS-TP.

   It is also possible to create islands of MPLS-TP nodes in order to
   offload services from the current IP routers while continuing to
   provide high-quality service by managing the transport paths using
   the advanced OAM tools.  The two systems can work side-by-side.
   However, it is important to realize that the new MPLS-TP
   capabailities are only available, for a transport path, if supported
   by all hops that the path traverses.

8.  Migrating from pre-standard MPLS-TP (T-MPLS)

8.1.  Main motivation

8.2.  Migration activities and Techniques

9.  Manageability Considerations

10.  Security Considerations

11.  IANA Considerations

   This informational document makes no requests for IANA action.

12.  Acknowledgments

13.  References

13.1.  Normative References

   [RFC5654]  Niven-Jenkins, B., Ed., Brungard, D., Ed., Betts, M., Ed.,
              Sprecher, N., and S. Ueno, "Requirements of an MPLS
              Transport Profile", RFC 5317, February 2009.

   [MPLS-TP-OAM]
              Busi, I., Ed. and B. Niven-Jenkins, Ed., "Requirements for
              OAM in MPLS Transport Networks",
              draft-ietf-mpls-tp-oam-requirements, Work in Progress.

   [MPLS-TP-OAM-Fwk]
              Busi, I., Ed. and B. Niven-Jenkins, Ed., "A Framework for
              MPLS in Transport Networks",
              draft-ietf-mpls-tp-oam-framework, Work in Progress.

   [MPLS-TP-Surviv]
              Sprecher, N. and A. Farrel, "Multiprotocol Label Switching
              Transport Profile Survivability Framework",
              draft-ietf-mpls-tp-survive-fwk, Work in Progress.

13.2.  Informative References

   [RFC3985]  Bryant, S. and P. Pate, "Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-
              Edge (PWE3) Architecture", RFC 3985, March 2005.

   [RFC3031]  Rosen, E., Viswanathan, A., and R. Callon, "Multiprotocol
              Label Switching Architecture", RFC 3031, January 2001.

   [RFC5659]  Bocci, M. and S. Bryant, "An Architecture for Multi-
              Segment Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-Edge", RFC 5659,
              October 2009.

   [RFC5145]  Shiomoto, K., "Framework for MPLS-TE to GMPLS Migration",
              RFC 5145, March 2008.

   [RFC5921]  Bocci, M., Ed., Bryant, S., Ed., Frost, D., Ed., Levrau,
              L., Ed., and L. Berger, Ed., "A Framework for MPLS in
              Transport Networks", RFC 5921.

   [RFC5920]  Levrau, L., Ed., "A Framework for MPLS in Transport
              Networks", RFC 5920.

Authors' Addresses

   Nurit Sprecher
   Nokia Siemens Networks
   3 Hanagar St. Neve Ne'eman B
   Hod Hasharon,   45241
   Israel

   Email: nurit.sprecher@nsn.com

   Yaacov Weingarten
   Nokia Siemens Networks
   3 Hanagar St. Neve Ne'eman B
   Hod Hasharon,   45241
   Israel

   Email: yaacov.weingarten@nsn.com
   Kyung-Yeop Hong
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   300 Beaver Brook Road
   Boxborough, Massachusetts  01719
   USA

   Email: hongk@cisco.com

   Luyuan Fang
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   300 Beaver Brook Road
   Boxborough, MA  01719
   USA

   Email: lufang@cisco.com