label switching

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
label switching

   <networking> A routing technique that uses information from
   existing IP routing protocols to identify {IP} {datagrams}
   with labels and forwards them to a modified {switch} or
   {router}, which then uses the labels to switch the datagrams
   through the network.

   Label switching combines the best attributes of {data link
   layer} (layer two) {switching} (as in {ATM} and {Frame Relay})
   with the best attributes of {network layer} (layer three)
   {routing} (as in {IP}).

   Prior to the formation of the {MPLS} Working Group in 1997, a
   number of vendors had announced and/or implemented proprietary
   label switching.

   (2007-10-17)