# MBGP Overview

| Note: Before you read this chapter, we recommend you be thoroughly familiar with both BGP and MPLS. For detailed information about those protocols, see Configuring BGP Routing and Configuring MPLS.

The BGP multiprotocol extensions (MP-BGP) enable BGP to support IPv4 services such as BGP multicast and BGP/MPLS virtual private networks (VPNs). BGP/MPLS VPNs are sometimes known as RFC 2547bis VPNs. Some of the applications for which you might use BGP/MPLS VPNs are to transport packets across an IP backbone, enable overlapping VPNs, operate inter-AS VPNs, enable multicast across VPNs, and provide carrier-of-carriers VPNs.