Next Generation Multicast Virtual Private Network (NG-MVPN)

NG-MVPN stands for Next-Generation Multicast Virtual Private Network. It is a framework that has been designed for the transmission of IP Multicast traffic across BGP/MPLS VPNs. The control plane of NG-MVPN distributes information to enable end-to-end multicast routing exchange via BGP, with the key task being MVPN autodiscovery.

What does the “Next Generation” part of the name indicate? Well, the primary difference between MVPN and NG-MVPN lies in the methods and technologies they use to handle multicast traffic within VPNs.

NG-MVPN is a newer framework that aims to address scalability and efficiency issues. It introduces several enhancements, including:

• P-Multicast Service Interfaces (PMSI): Abstracts the underlying multicast transport, providing a separation between the multicast service layer and the transport layer.
• Autodiscovery: NG-MVPN automates the discovery process of multicast VPN members, which simplifies the management and scaling of the service.
• BGP-based signaling: Uses BGP for signaling, which can be more scalable and efficient compared to traditional methods.
• Support for advanced transport technologies: NG-MVPN can leverage newer transport technologies such as Multipoint LDP (mLDP), P2MP RSVP-TE LSPs, and others, which can offer more efficient and scalable multicast distribution methods.

In essence, NG-MVPN is designed to be more scalable and efficient, with better integration of multicast and unicast services within the same VPN architecture, while traditional mVPN might use older methods that can be less optimal for large-scale multicast VPN deployments.