This document specifies an architectural framework for the
application of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) to the
construction of packet-switched transport networks. It describes a
common set of protocol functions — the MPLS Transport Profile (MPLS-
TP) — that supports the operational models and capabilities typical
of such networks, including signaled or explicitly provisioned
bidirectional connection-oriented paths, protection and restoration
mechanisms, comprehensive Operations, Administration, and Maintenance
(OAM) functions, and network operation in the absence of a dynamic
control plane or IP forwarding support. Some of these functions are
defined in existing MPLS specifications, while others require
extensions to existing specifications to meet the requirements of the
MPLS-TP.

This document defines the subset of the MPLS-TP applicable in general
and to point-to-point transport paths. The remaining subset,
applicable specifically to point-to-multipoint transport paths, is
outside the scope of this document.

This document is a product of a joint Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF) / International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication
Standardization Sector (ITU-T) effort to include an MPLS Transport
Profile within the IETF MPLS and Pseudowire Emulation Edge-to-Edge
(PWE3) architectures to support the capabilities and functionalities
of a packet transport network as defined by the ITU-T.