# BGP PIC Edge Requires Per-Prefix or Per-CE VPN Labels

DevFeed: [BGP PIC Edge Requires Per-Prefix or Per-CE VPN Labels](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/is-bgp-pic-edge-an-oxymoron-11107.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ipspace.net/2024/12/pic-edge-oxymoron/>)

Published: 2024-12-04T08:09:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [ipSpace.net blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ipspace-net-blog.md>)

Topics: [BGP](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/bgp.md>), [MPLS VPN](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mpls-vpn.md>), [Network](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/network.md>)

Tags: [bgp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bgp.md>), [blog-post](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/blog-post.md>), [ip-routing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ip-routing.md>), [mpls](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mpls.md>), [mpls-vpn](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mpls-vpn.md>), [network](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/network.md>)

## AI overview

This blog post explains how BGP PIC Edge is intended to switch traffic to a backup PE-CE path before full network convergence. It argues that the mechanism needs per-prefix or per-CE VPN labels; per-VRF labels would create a temporary micro-loop.

## Source excerpt

This blog post discusses an old arcane question that has been nagging me from the bottom of my Inbox for almost exactly four years. Please skip it if it sounds like Latin to you, but if you happen to be one of those readers who know what I'm talking about, I'd appreciate your comments. Terminology first: Prefix Independent Convergence allows entries in the forwarding table to point to shared next hops (or next-hop groups), reducing the FIB update bottleneck when changing the next hop for a large number of prefixes (for example, when dealing with a core link failure). More details in the initial blog post and PIC applicability to fast reroute. PIC Edge (as defined by vendor marketing) is the ability to switch to a backup CE route advertised to a backup PE router before the network convergence is complete. Here's (in a nutshell) how PIC Edge is supposed to work: Read more ...