ABSTRACT
In Multi-Protocol Label Switching with traffic engineering extensions (MPLS-TE), paths need to be determined for traffic trunks and the path selection can be done either administratively by an operator or automatically by underlying routing protocols. For scalability reasons, the automation of the path selection process is preferred. However, most classic interior gateway protocols (IGPs) do not optimize network resources because they lack the capability to assess resource availability. Put another way, the routing criteria of these IGPs are based on shortest paths that are calculated using a simple additive metric, whereas factors such as resource availability and traffic characteristics are not considered.
