RFC 2340 (rfc2340) - Page 1 of 14
Nortel's Virtual Network Switching (VNS) Overview
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group B. Jamoussi
Request for Comments: 2340 D. Jamieson
Category: Informational D. Williston
S. Gabe
Nortel (Northern Telecom) Ltd.
May 1998
Nortel's Virtual Network Switching (VNS) Overview
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
memo is unlimited.
Copyright Notice
Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
Abstract
This document provides an overview of Virtual Network Switching
(VNS).
VNS is a multi-protocol switching architecture that provides COS-
sensitive packet switching, reduces the complexity of operating
protocols like PPP and frame relay, provides logical networks and
traffic segregation for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), security and
traffic engineering, enables efficient WAN broadcasting and
multicasting, and reduces address space requirements. VNS reduces the
number of routing hops over the WAN by switching packets based on
labels.
VNS has been proven in production networks for several years.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ............................................ 2
2 What is VNS? ............................................ 3
3 VNS Header ............................................. 5
4 VNS Label Distribution .................................. 7
5 Logical Networks (LNs) .................................... 7
6 VNS Routing ............................................. 8
7 VNS Forwarding .......................................... 9
7.1 Unicast ................................................ 9
7.2 Multicast .............................................. 9
8 Traffic Engineering ..................................... 10
Jamoussi, et. al. Informational
