Forwarding equivalence class
Encyclopedia
A Forwarding Equivalence Class (FEC) is a term used in Multiprotocol Label Switching
(MPLS) to describe a set of packets with similar and / or identical characteristics which may be forwarded the same way; that is, they may be bound to the same MPLS label.
Characteristics determining the FEC of a higher-layer packet depend on the configuration of the router, but typically this is at least the destination IP address. Quality of service
class is also often used. Thus, a Forward Equivalence Class tends to correspond to a label switched path
(LSP). The reverse is not true, however: an LSP may be (and usually is) used for multiple FECs.
Multiprotocol Label Switching
Multiprotocol Label Switching is a mechanism in high-performance telecommunications networks that directs data from one network node to the next based on short path labels rather than long network addresses, avoiding complex lookups in a routing table. The labels identify virtual links between...
(MPLS) to describe a set of packets with similar and / or identical characteristics which may be forwarded the same way; that is, they may be bound to the same MPLS label.
Characteristics determining the FEC of a higher-layer packet depend on the configuration of the router, but typically this is at least the destination IP address. Quality of service
Quality of service
The quality of service refers to several related aspects of telephony and computer networks that allow the transport of traffic with special requirements...
class is also often used. Thus, a Forward Equivalence Class tends to correspond to a label switched path
Label Switched Path
In MPLS networking, a Label Switched Path is a path through an MPLS network, set up by a signaling protocol such as LDP, RSVP-TE, BGP or CR-LDP. The path is set up based on criteria in the forwarding equivalence class ....
(LSP). The reverse is not true, however: an LSP may be (and usually is) used for multiple FECs.