What Is VPLS?
VPLS is a class of VPN or Virtual Private Network that connects multiple sites to form a single bridged domain. It is implemented using a MPLS or Multi-Protocol Label Switching Network. That makes it protocol-transparent so that all services, regardless of which location the are physically located at, appear to be on the larger LAN that serves all locations.
What Does Fully Converged Mean?
MPLS networks that are described as fully converged ensure that voice, video and data packets can co-exist without interference. This is done by managing class of service and bandwidth on the network.
When Should You Use VPLS?
VPLS might be the right service for your company or organization if you need to connect anywhere from a few to a few dozen locations as if they were on a single Local Area Network. Advantages of this approach, compared to a private network arrangement with individual point to point connections back to headquarters, include lower latency, higher efficiency, and lower cost... perhaps much lower cost.
What is Latency?
It is the time delay in the network. In other words, how long it takes to get a packet from node to node. The lower limit is set by the speed of light, which equates to 1 msec per 186 miles in a vacuum.
MPLS Network Speeds
MPLS networks can run at any network speed and are being adopted by major carriers as the multipoint to multipoint technology of choice. For this reason, MPLS is fast replacing Frame Relay.