Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a label switching technology that provides the ability to set up connection-oriented paths over a connectionless IP network. MPLS facilitates network traffic flow and provides a mechanism to engineer network traffic patterns independently from routing tables. MPLS sets up a specific path for a sequence of packets. The packets are identified by a label inserted into each packet. MPLS is not enabled by default and must be explicitly enabled.
MPLS is independent of any routing protocol but is considered multiprotocol because it works with the Internet Protocol (IP), Asynchronous Transport Mode (ATM), and frame relay network protocols.