Tag-switching architecture: overview

Tag switching is a way to combine the label-swapping forwarding paradigm with network layer routing. This has several advantages. Tags can have a wide spectrum of forwarding granularities, so at one end of the spectrum a tag could be associated with a group of destinations, while at the other a tag could be associated with a single application flow. At the same time forwarding based on tag switching, due to its simplicity, is well suited to high performance forwarding. These factors facilitate the development of a routing system which is both functionally rich and scalable. Finally, tag switching simplifies integration of routers and ATM switches by employing common addressing, routing, and management procedures.