Path computation element: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:03, 8 July 2012

Revision as of 00:54, 10 July 2012

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In computer networks, a '''path computation element''' (PCE) is a system component, application, or network node that is capable of determining a finding a suitable route for conveying data between a source and a destination.<ref name=pce-rfc>RFC 4655, [http://www.ietf.org/http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4655.txt "A Path Computation Element (PCE)-Based Architecture"]</ref>

Routing can be subject to a set of constraints, such as Quality of Service (QoS), policy, or price. Constraint-based path computation is a strategic component of traffic engineering in [[MPLS]] and [[GMPLS]] networks. It is used to determine the path through the network that traffic should follow, and provides the route for each [[Label Switched Path]] (LSP) that is set up.

Path computation has previously been performed either in a management system or at the head- end of each LSP. But path computation in large, multi-___domain networks may be very complex and may require more computational power and network information than is typically available at a network element, yet may still need to be more dynamic than can be provided by a management system.

Thus, a PCE is an entity capable of computing paths for a single or set of services. A PCE might be a [[Computer network|network]] node, network management station, or dedicated computational platform that is resource-aware and has the ability to consider multiple constraints for sophisticated path computation. PCE applications compute Labellabel Switchedswitched Pathspaths for MPLS and GMPLS Traffictraffic Engineeringengineering. The various components of the PCE architecture are in the process of being standardized by the [[IETF]]'s ''PCE Working Group''.<ref name=pce>IETF's Working Group, [http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/pce-charter.html "Path Computation Element (pce)"]</ref>.

PCE represents a vision of networks that separates route computations from actual packet forwarding.

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| url=http://manolodominguez.com/content/common/pdf/cv/publications/JITEL2008.pdf

| title=Descubrimiento de PCE inter-AS: una aportación a la computación de LSP en sistemas multidominio.

| author=M. Domínguez-Dorado, José-Luis González-Sánchez, J. Domingo-Pascual. Libro de actas de las VII Jornadas de Ingeniería Telemática (JITEL'08). Págs. 80-8680–86. ISBN 978-84-612-5474-3. Alcalá de Henares (ESPAÑA), Septiembre de 2008.

}}</ref><ref>{{cita web

| url=http://manolodominguez.com/content/common/pdf/cv/publications/NETWORKS2008.pdf

| title=PILEP: a contribution to PCE-based interdomain path computation.

| author=M. Domínguez-Dorado, José-Luis González-Sánchez, J. Domingo-Pascual. Proceedings of the 13th International Telecommunications Network Strategy and Planning Symposium (NETWORKS'08). pp. 1-71–7. IEEE catalog number CFP08568-USB. ISBN 978-963-8111-68-5. DOI 10.1109/NETWKS.2008.4763712. Budapest (HUNGARY), October, 2008.

}}</ref><ref>{{cita web

| url=http://manolodominguez.com/content/common/pdf/cv/publications/CITA2009.pdf

| title=RI-CUBE: Dotando al PCE de información abstracta de ingeniería de tráfico interdominio.

| author=M. Domínguez-Dorado, José-Luis González-Sánchez, J. Domingo-Pascual, J. Carmona-Murillo. Proceedings of the V Iberoamerican Conference on Telematics (CITA'09). pp. 14-2114–21. ISBN 978-84-613-2679-2. Gijón (SPAIN), May, 2009.

}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

==Specifications==

* {{cite web|url=http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/pce-charter.html |title=Path Computation Element (pce) -– Charter |publisher=Ietf.org |date=2012-07-03 |accessdate=2012-07-08}}

==External links==