2.7. USING TRAFFIC ENGINEERING TO ACHIEVE RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION
One of the most popular applications of traffic engineering is for the optimization of transmission resources. In this context, traffic engineering is deployed in one of two ways:
Selectively deployed only in parts of the network. The goal in this case is to route traffic away from a congested link. This can be thought of as a tactical application, aimed at solving an immediate resource problem.
Deployed throughout the entire network. The goal is to improve the overall bandwidth utilization and by doing so, delay costly link upgrades. This can be thought of as a strategic application of the technology, aimed at achieving a long-term benefit.
Both applications solve valid problems and the terms 'tactical' and 'strategic' should not be assigned any negative or positive connotations.
The classic example of a tactical MPLS-TE deployment is the problem of a scheduled link upgrade that gets delayed. What is needed is a temporary solution to move some of the traffic away from the link until the upgrade actually takes place. Another example is the requirement to optimize a particularly expensive resource, such as an intercontinental link.
The classic example of a strategic MPLS-TE deployment is traffic engineering the core of the network (the WAN links). Another example is a network spanning several geographic locations, where traffic engineering is required in only some of the regions. For example, a network with a presence ...
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