8 Best-Selling MPLS Books Millions Trust and Use

Jean-Philippe Vasseur, with a master’s in computer science, teams up with Mario Pickavet and Piet Demeester to tackle the complex challenge of network recovery across several critical layers, including optical, SONET-SDH, IP, and MPLS. You’ll get a deep dive into protection and restoration techniques, supported by theoretical analyses and real-world examples, such as multi-layer escalation strategies that optimize network resilience. The book’s detailed exploration of protocols and simulation results means you gain not only practical know-how but also a strong conceptual foundation. If your work depends on robust network design and recovery strategies, this book equips you with the insights to evaluate and implement effective solutions.

The breakthrough moment came when Santiago Alvarez, leveraging over a decade of hands-on experience with MPLS and QoS at Cisco Systems, wrote this detailed resource. You’ll gain a clear understanding of how to implement QoS in IP/MPLS networks, from foundational architectures to advanced traffic management techniques like policing, shaping, and active queue management. The book walks you through Cisco IOS and IOS XR software configurations, emphasizing practical examples such as MPLS Traffic Engineering (TE) and its DiffServ extensions. If your work involves designing or operating networks that require strict performance guarantees for voice, video, and data, this book offers the insights and technical depth you need.

This personalized MPLS book explores proven techniques and practices tailored to your background and professional goals. It examines key concepts such as label switching, traffic engineering, and VPN design with a focus that matches your interests and network experience. Through this tailored approach, you engage deeply with MPLS fundamentals and advanced applications relevant to your work, enhancing your understanding of network scalability and resilience. By combining widely validated knowledge with your specific needs, this book reveals practical insights into MPLS configurations and performance optimizations. It offers a unique opportunity to concentrate on topics that matter most to you, fostering a rich learning experience that builds expertise efficiently and effectively.

John William Evans and Clarence Filsfils developed this book from their deep expertise in network architecture and QoS design, aiming to demystify the complexities of managing quality of service in multiservice networks. You’ll find detailed explanations of key concepts such as traffic engineering, capacity planning, and admission control, alongside real-world case studies illustrating how QoS principles apply in practice. For example, the book walks through actual network designs and configurations, showing both successes and pitfalls in deployment. If you manage or design IP and MPLS networks and want to understand how to maintain performance across voice, video, and data traffic, this book gives you concrete frameworks and insights to improve your network’s reliability and user experience.

Drawing from his extensive experience as the world's first Alcatel-Lucent Service Routing Architect, Zhuo Xu delves deep into the intricacies of deploying Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) over IP/MPLS networks. You gain detailed insights into building scalable, resilient Ethernet Layer 2 VPNs, including protocols like RSVP-TE and innovations such as PBB-VPLS. The book thoroughly examines service resiliency, QoS, and practical deployment architectures, making it especially valuable for network engineers and architects who design carrier-grade WANs. If your work involves MPLS backbone design or enterprise VPN services, this guide offers concrete technical frameworks without getting lost in unnecessary jargon.

Peter Tomsu and Gerhard Wieser bring their engineering expertise to this focused exploration of MPLS virtual private networks, aiming to clarify the intricacies of design and deployment for network professionals. You learn how MPLS VPNs operate, how they differ from other networking approaches, and the nuts and bolts of route distribution, label encapsulation, and VPN topologies. The book’s detailed charts and diagrams support complex concepts, making it a solid choice if you’re involved in network architecture or systems engineering. While it’s technical, the text is approachable enough to benefit those looking to deepen their practical understanding of MPLS VPNs specifically.

This tailored MPLS guide explores practical steps to achieve fast, effective results in your network projects. It focuses on your specific interests and background to deliver a personalized learning journey, combining widely validated MPLS knowledge with your unique goals. The book covers essential concepts, from foundational techniques to advanced actions, ensuring you can rapidly implement what matters most to you. By matching your skill level and objectives, it reveals how to navigate MPLS configuration, troubleshooting, and performance optimization in a clear, focused way. This engaging resource invites you to master MPLS through a custom approach that accelerates skill development while respecting proven practices.

Carlos Pignataro, Ross Kazemi, and Bil Dry bring their extensive experience with Cisco technologies to this detailed exploration of multiservice switching networks. You’ll learn how to manage and design multiservice switching architectures with a focus on MPLS and PNNI protocols, including practical guidance on QoS maintenance, VPN deployment, and redundancy planning. The book breaks down complex concepts like VSI protocol troubleshooting and hierarchical PNNI signaling into actionable knowledge, especially useful for engineers working with Cisco's BPX, IGX, and MGX product lines. If you’re involved in designing or operating large-scale service provider or enterprise networks, this book offers a methodical approach without unnecessary jargon.

Eric Osborne and Ajay Simha bring decades of hands-on MPLS engineering experience to this detailed guide on traffic engineering. You learn how to optimize network paths beyond shortest-route protocols by balancing traffic loads to prevent congestion, using MPLS TE's constraint-based routing and RSVP for tunnel setup. Chapters cover practical design scenarios, configuration tips, and troubleshooting methods, including Fast Reroute to reduce packet loss. This book suits network engineers and architects aiming to maximize existing infrastructure efficiency and improve service reliability in large-scale MPLS deployments.

Drawing from extensive experience in Cisco networking, James Regan and James Reagan crafted this study guide specifically to help candidates conquer the Implementing Cisco MPLS exam, 640-910. You gain focused preparation tools including assessment tests, hundreds of practice questions, and comprehensive coverage of MPLS technologies such as frame-mode and cell-mode implementations on Cisco IOS platforms. The book drills into MPLS VPN technology with practical insights on running OSPF within a VPN, making it a solid resource for network engineers aiming to deepen their MPLS expertise. This guide suits those preparing for certification rather than casual learners or broad networking beginners.