What do you call traffic flows that are forwarded in the same way?

The term that describes traffic flows that are forwarded in the same way is the Forwarding Equivalency Class (FEC). In networking, particularly in the context of MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching), a Forwarding Equivalency Class refers to a set of packets that are treated the same way by a router or switch, meaning they share the same forwarding path and characteristics. This grouping allows for efficient handling and forwarding of packets, as all packets belonging to a specific FEC are processed uniformly.

When packets are classified into a Forwarding Equivalency Class, they may share the same label or exhibit identical treatment based on various parameters such as QoS (Quality of Service) requirements or destination address. This way, the network can ensure consistent and predictable performance for the flows belonging to that class, which can be crucial for applications requiring strict latency or bandwidth guarantees.

The other terms, while related to network traffic management, do not specifically define the concept of forwarding similar traffic uniformly. Traffic Aggregation Class and Connection Class might refer to broader categories of traffic without focusing specifically on the forwarding mechanism. Service Class typically relates to the prioritization of different services based on their requirements but does not inherently describe the action of forwarding the flows in the same manner.