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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/rfc/rfc4655.txt "A Path Computation Element (PCE)-Based Architecture"]</ref>
==Description==
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.
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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 label switched paths for MPLS and GMPLS traffic engineering. 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]].
== PCE extensions ==
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