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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 1
Ethernet over Transport
Technology White Paper
by Steve Gorshe, Principal Engineer
Issue No. 1: July, 2005
PMC-Sierra, Inc.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 2
Legal Information
Copyright
Copyright 2005 PMC-Sierra, Inc. All rights reserved.
The information in this document is proprietary and confidential to PMC-Sierra, Inc., and for its
customers internal use. In any event, no part of this document may be reproduced or
redistributed in any form without the express written consent of PMC-Sierra, Inc.
PMC-2050704 (01)
Disclaimer
None of the information contained in this document constitutes an express or implied warranty
by PMC-Sierra, Inc. as to the sufficiency, fitness or suitability for a particular purpose of any
such information or the fitness, or suitability for a particular purpose, merchantability,
performance, compatibility with other parts or systems, of any of the products of PMC-Sierra,
Inc., or any portion thereof, referred to in this document. PMC-Sierra, Inc. expressly disclaims
all representations and warranties of any kind regarding the contents or use of the information,
including, but not limited to, express and implied warranties of accuracy, completeness,
merchantability, fitness for a particular use, or non-infringement.
In no event will PMC-Sierra, Inc. be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental or
consequential damages, including, but not limited to, lost profits, lost business or lost data
resulting from any use of or reliance upon the information, whether or not PMC-Sierra, Inc. hasbeen advised of the possibility of such damage.
Trademarks
For a complete list of PMC-Sierras trademarks and registered trademarks, visit:
http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/
Patents
Relevant patent grants may exist.
http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/http://www.pmc-sierra.com/legal/8/8/2019 Ethernet Over Transport
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 3
Abstract
A convergence of technology and applications has created an increased desire for Ethernet
WAN connectivity. In many ways, Ethernet is an obvious technology choice. It simplifiesenterprise network administration, and provides a ubiquitous, inexpensive infrastructure of
existing Ethernet interfaces on enterprise equipment. The development of VCAT and GFPallows efficient transport of Ethernet frames through SONET/SDH networks. In addition,
Ethernet bridge and router technology requires less provisioning and administration than
technologies such as ATM. As some carriers begin a migration to using packet switching
technology such as MPLS in their core networks rather than traditional circuit switching,
Ethernet again looks like an excellent fit as an access technology.
This white paper describes how standards are developing to provide Ethernet WAN
connectivity and primarily focuses on the set of new standards for Ethernet transport over public
networks developed by ITU-T Study Group 15 (SG15). It discusses the Ethernet services that
are being considered over public WANs; transport network models that can be used to supportEthernet services; the Ethernet-based user network interfaces (UNIs) and network-to-network
interfaces (NNIs) required for transport network equipment to carry Ethernet services;
Operations and Maintenance (OAM) capabilities; and protection and restoration technologies
that can be used to guarantee carrier-grade service reliability for Ethernet WAN services.
About PMC-Sierra
PMC-Sierra is a leading provider of high-speed broadband communications and storage
semiconductors and MIPS-Poweredprocessors for Enterprise, Access, Metro Optical
Transport, Storage Area Networking and Wireless network equipment. The company offers
worldwide technical and sales support, including a network of offices throughout NorthAmerica, Europe and Asia. The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market
under the PMCS symbol and is included in the S&P 500 Index.
About the Author
Steve Gorshe, Ph.D. is a Principal Engineer in the Product Research Group and oversees ICs for
SONET, optical transmission and access systems.
Currently, Steve is a senior member of the IEEE and co-editor for the IEEE Communications
magazines Broadband Access Series. He is the chief editor for the ATIS OPTXS Committee
(formerly T1X1), which is responsible for SONET and optical network interface standards. Heis a recent recipient of the Committee T1 Alvin Lai Outstanding Achievement Award for his
standards work and has been a technical editor for T1.105, T1.105.01, T1.105.02, and T1.105.07
within the SONET standard series as well as the ITU-T G.7041, G.8011.1, G.7043, and G.8040
recommendations. He has 26 patents issued or pending and several published papers.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 5
Table of Contents
Legal Information...........................................................................................................................2
Copyright................................................................................................................................. 2Disclaimer ...............................................................................................................................2
Trademarks............................................................................................................................. 2
Patents.................................................................................................................................... 2
Abstract .........................................................................................................................................3
About PMC-Sierra................................................................................................................... 3
About the Author ..................................................................................................................... 3
Revision History ......................................................................................................................4
1 Preface .................................................................................................................................... 8
2 Why Ethernet Over the Public WAN? ..................................................................................... 9
3 Service Types and Characteristics........................................................................................ 12
3.1 Ethernet Connection (EC) Defined ............................................................................. 12
3.2 Ethernet Connection (EC) Attributes........................................................................... 15
3.2.1 Network Connectivity ..................................................................................15
3.2.2 Transfer Characteristics.............................................................................. 17
3.2.3 Separation (Customer and Service Instance)............................................. 18
3.2.4 Link Type.....................................................................................................18
3.2.5 Connectivity Monitoring...............................................................................18
3.2.6 Bandwidth Profile ........................................................................................ 18
3.2.7 UNI List ....................................................................................................... 18
3.2.8 Preservation................................................................................................ 19
3.2.9 Survivability................................................................................................. 19
3.3 Ethernet Private Line (EPL) Service ........................................................................... 19
3.4 Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) Service.............................................................. 21
3.5 Ethernet Private LAN (EPLAN) Service ...................................................................... 22
3.6 Ethernet Virtual Private LAN (EVPLAN) Service ........................................................24
4 Ethernet Client Interfaces .....................................................................................................254.1 Multiplexed Access......................................................................................................25
4.2 VLAN Mapping ............................................................................................................ 26
4.3 Bundling ...................................................................................................................... 27
4.4 Bandwidth Profile ........................................................................................................ 27
4.5 Layer 2 Control Protocol Processing ..........................................................................27
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 6
4.6 Summary of UNI Service Attributes for Different Services.......................................... 27
5 Protection and Restoration ................................................................................................... 29
5.1 Service Protection or Restoration Provided by the Transport Network ...................... 29
5.2 Service Restoration at Layer 2.................................................................................... 30
6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 31
A Related Standards Activity .................................................................................................... 32
B Definitions ............................................................................................................................. 34
C References............................................................................................................................ 35
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 7
List of Figures
Figure 1 Illustration of Ethernet Service Areas (ITU-T Rec. G.8011)........................................ 13
Figure 2 Illustration of Private and Virtual Private Connections................................................14Figure 3 Network Connectivity Examples..................................................................................16
Figure 4 Network Portion of the Multipoint-to-Multipoint Topology (ITU-T Rec.G.8011) .................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 5 EPL Service Illustration ............................................................................................... 19
Figure 6 EPLAN Illustrations .....................................................................................................22
Figure 7 Service Multiplexing Example ..................................................................................... 26
List of Tables
Table 1 Summary of the Types of Ethernet Services................................................................ 14
Table 2 Ethernet Connection Service Attributes (Derived from ITU-T Rec.G.8011) .................................................................................................................... 15
Table 3 EPL Connection Characteristics (Derived from ITU-T Rec. G.8011.1)........................ 20
Table 4 EVPL Connection Characteristics ................................................................................ 21
Table 5 EPLAN Expected Connection Characteristics ............................................................. 23
Table 6 EVPLAN Expected Connection Characteristics........................................................... 24
Table 7 UNI Service Attributes Common to All Services .......................................................... 25Table 8 Service-dependent UNI Service Attributes................................................................... 25
Table 9 Summary of UNI Service Attributes for EPL and EVPL Services ................................ 28
Table 10 Summary of Related Standards Activities.................................................................. 32
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 8
1 Preface
Due to a convergence of business requirements for higher data connectivity rates and flexible
services, and the availability of new data transport technology, Ethernet has become thetechnology of choice for WAN connectivity both from the perspective of the enterprise and
from the perspective of the carrier (network operator).
This white paper examines the popularity of Ethernet over Transport and what factors
enterprises and carriers need to consider. Included in the discussion is an overview of Ethernet
services that are being considered for delivery over public WANs as well as the attributes and
characteristics that must be defined in order to provide these services. This discussion is based
on the Ethernet transport work done for the ITU-T Study Group 15 (SG15) and its series of new
standards. (See Appendix A.)
This paper also examines the Ethernet-based user network interfaces (UNIs) and network-to-
network interfaces (NNIs) that are required for transport network equipment carrying Ethernetservices as well as Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) capabilities. (Some
OAM capability is already available in Ethernet services deployed over SONET/SDH (server
networks), but additional capabilities are required at the Ethernet Client layer.) The paper
concludes with a summary of some of the protection and restoration technologies that can be
used to guarantee carrier-grade service reliability for Ethernet WAN services.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 9
2 Why Ethernet Over the Public WAN?
On the enterprise side of the public WAN, Ethernet is the dominant technology. There are many
reasons why there is growing interest in Ethernet WAN connection services:
At the enterprise, where it is the dominant technology, network administrators are already
familiar and comfortable with Ethernet.
A number of applications, including voice and video, are already being encapsulated into
Ethernet and run over enterprise network LANs.
More and more companies have a number of remote offices that need to exchange data with
the headquarters office or with each other. There can be significant advantages to placing
data on common servers that can be accessed by all sites.
The increased importance of the Internet for business applications has led to an increasing
desire for incrementally higher WAN interface rates.
It is desirable to have a single Internet firewall at one site that is accessed on the enterprise
network by all sites.
Most enterprise WAN data access today uses Frame Relay connections at rates of fractional
DS1, full-rate DS1, fractional DS3, and full-rate DS3. In some cases, the data services use ATM
instead of Frame Relay either for the customer connection or as a method of transporting the
data through the core network. Frame Relay-based services suffer from a lack of scalability in
terms of both high-speed connections and ubiquitous multipoint networks. ATM suffers from
being somewhat provisioning-intensive in large networks and bandwidth inefficient.
At the other end of the spectrum, some customers use WDM or dark fiber for their WAN or
MAN connections with native Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gbit Ethernet, or Fibre Channel. However,
WDM equipment is expensive and not ubiquitously deployed, and dark fiber is not universally
available, which limits the applications for these approaches. Another drawback of WDM and
dark fiber applications is that unless they use the new G.709 Optical Transport Network
standard [1], there is no embedded overhead for carriers to monitor the quality of the connection
or provide protection switching in order to guarantee their service level agreements (SLAs).
Some larger customers use high-speed SONET OC-N / SDH STM-N connections, which
typically terminate the Ethernet frames and re-encapsulate the data into PPP, and use Packet
over SONET/SDH (PoS) for transmission through a SONET/SDH pipe. On the carrier (network
operator) side, the situation is somewhat complicated. In the wake of the telecom bubble burstin 2000, carriers face two clear drivers. First, they must deploy any new services on their
existing SONET/SDH networks. Throughout the 1990s, carriers invested heavily in building
SONET/SDH-based fiber optic networks, including developing the Operations, Administration,Maintenance and Provisioning (OAM&P) systems to run them. The enormous capital
investment required to build an overlay network for data transport, be it native Ethernet orDWDM-based, makes overlay networks unrealistic. Fortunately, SONET/SDH has proven
flexible enough to handle the challenge.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 10
Recent developments that extend the useful life of SONET/SDH include:
Virtual concatenation (VCAT) [2][3] to create more flexible data channel sizes.
Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) [4] to increase the flexibility and functionality
of VCAT.
Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) [5][6] to encapsulate data frames for robust and
bandwidth-deterministic transport.
Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) technology that provides a very flexible technology for data
access onto SONET/SDH access and metro rings.
A second driver for carriers is the desire to generate new, revenue-bearing services. With data
traffic continuing to grow faster than voice, offering WAN connectivity with higher bandwidth
and enhanced service capabilities appears to be a natural direction for new services. Equipment
and device manufacturers, who are also interested in building new products, have also seen
WAN connectivity as a natural direction.
Ethernet is in many ways an obvious technology choice for WAN connectivity. The job of
enterprise network administration is simplified if all their sites can be treated as part of the same
Ethernet network. In addition, Ethernet interfaces are relatively inexpensive and are ubiquitous
on enterprise equipment. The development of VCAT and GFP allows efficient transport of
Ethernet frames through SONET/SDH networks. In addition, Ethernet bridge and router
technology requires less provisioning and administration than technologies such as ATM. As
some carriers begin a migration to using packet switching technology such as MPLS in their
core networks rather than traditional circuit switching, Ethernet again looks like an excellent fit
as an access technology.
The IEEE, ITU-T Study Group 15 and 13, Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), and Internet
Engineering Task Force are working on developing Ethernet transport standards. (Refer toAppendix A.) This level of standards activity is a good indication of how many companies and
organizations are interested in Ethernet WAN.
OAM is critical once Ethernet is extended beyond the customer premise, especially when
multiple transport service providers carry the traffic. In fact, although it is being actively
addressed by multiple standards bodies, including the ITU-T SG13, IEEE, and the MEF,
Ethernet currently lacks some of the OAM capabilities that will be required to monitor and
guarantee service level agreements (SLAs). In a multiple carrier environment, for example,
OAM is crucial for determining the locations of problems and degradations when they occur.
From a transport network provider standpoint, this OAM requirement is an area where
SONET/SDH really shines. The OAM capabilities inherent in the SONET/SDH backbone allow
full monitoring and protection of the transmission facilities and transport path through theSONET/SDH network.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 11
Note that the relatively low cost of Ethernet enterprise equipment has created a customer
expectation that Ethernet WAN interfaces should be less expensive than DS1/DS3 Frame Relay
interfaces. For the carriers, even if the Ethernet connectivity is provided through their
SONET/SDH backbone network, they still have to develop new OAM&P procedures and tools
to provide the service. Therefore, even though customers and carriers agree that Ethernet (overSONET/SDH for the carriers) is the most attractive technology for high-speed WAN
connectivity, there is an inherent conflict between carriers needing to invest in equipment and
management system upgrades and customers demanding and expecting to pay less for Ethernet-
based services.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 12
3 Service Types and Characteristics
The description of Ethernet transport services varies depending on ones vantage point. This
white paper approaches Ethernet transport from the perspective of a transport network orservice provider, rather than from a customer view of Ethernet transport services, and follows
the approach of the ITU-T G.8011 recommendation [9] in its discussion of the service types andcharacteristics of Ethernet. (The G.8011.x series covers specific services within the framework
of G.8011.)
One can say that the goal of the network provider is to make Ethernet service look like an
extension of the customers Ethernet LAN. In order to provide this transparency, the network
provider must take into account a number of items that are not necessarily directly visible to the
customer. These items are presented in this section in terms of Ethernet connection attributes
and their associated parameters.
3.1 Ethernet Connection (EC) Defined
An Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC), otherwise known as an Ethernet Connection (EC),
provides a connection between two or more customer UNIs such that the Ethernet frames
(service frames) associated with the EVC can only be transferred between its associated UNIs
and not to any others. Note that to be consistent with ITU-T G.8011, this white paper uses the
more generic term, EC, rather than EVC.
Figure 1 illustrates an EC with its different reference points from the standpoint of both the
Ethernet MAC layer network (ETH) and Ethernet physical layer network (ETY). Figure 1 also
illustrates the three different Ethernet service areas in a multi-carrier Ethernet connection:
Access (UNI-C to UNI-N)
End-to-end/customer-to-customer (UNI-C to UNI-C)
Edge-to-edge/intra-carrier (UNI-N to UNI-N)
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 13
Figure 1 Illustration of Ethernet Service Areas (ITU-T Rec. G.8011)
Operator FD Operator FD
TransportTransportTransport
OperatorOperatorOperatorBBBsss
NetworkNetworkNetwork
TransportTransportTransport
OperatorOperatorOperatorAAAsss
NetworkNetworkNetwork
UNIAttributes Ethernet ConnectionAttributes
demarc
Customer Customer
UNI-N UNI-NUNI-C UNI-C
FD
ETHETH
demarc
Access AccessUNI-N to UNI-N
UNI-C to UNI-C
NNIAttributes
NNI
FD
ETYETY
Operator FD Operator FD
Notes
1. FD = Flow Domain
2. Diagram reprinted with permission from ITU-T Recommendation G.8011.
From a customers perspective, the EC connectivity can be one of two types:
Line connectivity (point-to-point)
LAN connectivity (point-to-multipoint or multipoint-to-multipoint)
From a transport network viewpoint, these line and LAN connections can either be provided:
Through dedicated transport channels, including router bandwidth (private service)
Through a shared medium (virtual private service)
The difference between a private line connection and a virtual private line connection is
illustrated in Figure 2. The service type variations are summarized in Table 1.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 14
Figure 2 Illustration of Private and Virtual Private Connections
SONET/SDH/PDH/OTN
Carrier Network
Customer AEquipment
Ethernet
PHY
CarrierEquipment
CarrierEquipment
Customer AEquipment
Ethernet
PHY
Customer BEquipment
Customer BEquipment
SONET/SDH/PDH/OTH
Carrier Network
Customer AEquipment
EthernetPHY
CarrierEquipment
CarrierEquipment
Customer AEquipment
EthernetPHY
Customer BEquipment
Customer BEquipment
a) EPL for two customers, each with their own TDM channel
b) EVPL for two customers where they share a TDM channel for increased
efficiency
Table 1 Summary of the Types of Ethernet Services
Connectivity Resource Sharing Service Type
Dedicated EPL (Ethernet Private Line)Point-to-point
Shared EVPL (Ethernet Virtual Private Line)
Dedicated EPLAN (Ethernet Private LAN)Multipoint
Shared EVPLAN (Ethernet Virtual Private LAN)
Note
1. The Metro Ethernet Forum(MEF) refers to EPL and EVPL as E-Line services, and EPLAN andEVPLAN as E-LAN services.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 15
3.2 Ethernet Connection (EC) Attributes
Various EC service attributes must be taken into account in a transport or service provider
network. Table 2 lists these attributes.
Table 2 Ethernet Connection Service Attributes (Derived from ITU-T Rec. G.8011)
EC Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
Network connectivity Point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, multipoint-to-multipoint
Address (deliver conditionally or unconditionally)
Drop Precedence (drop randomly, drop conditionally, or not applicable)
Transfer characteristics
Class of Service
CustomerSeparation
Service instance
Spatial or logical
Link type Dedicated or shared
Connectivity monitoring Sub-layer monitoring: On demand, proactive, none
Inherent monitoring: Proactive
Bandwidth profile Specified
UNI list An arbitrary text string to uniquely identify the UNIs associated with the EC.
VLAN ID (yes or no)Preservation
Class of Service (yes or no)
Survivability None, or server-specific
3.2.1 Network Connectivity
One way in which Ethernet services can be characterized is by the type of desired customer
connectivity. The types of connectivity are:
Point-to-point
Point-to-multipoint
Multipoint-to-multipoint
Figure 3 shows examples of these different connectivity types. Figure 3 (a) shows a basic point-
to-point connection between customers through a transport network. Figure 3 (b) shows a
popular point-to-multipoint topology known as hub-and-spoke. Figure 3 (c) through (e) show
examples of various multipoint-to-multipoint topologies.
Care must be taken to avoid confusing the customer connectivity (logical topology) with the
physical topology of the underlying network providing that connectivity. For example,
Figure 3 (b) and Figure 3 (d) use the same physical topology. The difference between a hub-
and-spoke and a star network is that a star network provides arbitrary multipoint-to-multipoint
connectivity between all the customer nodes while a hub-and-spoke network connects the hub
customer node to each of the spoke customer nodes (point-to-multipoint). Any connectivity
between spoke nodes would have to be provided by a router at the customers hub node.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 16
A logical hub-and-spoke network could be provided over the physical topology of any of the
networks in Figure 3 (b) through (e). Figure 3 (c) through (e) illustrate common transport
network topologies. In reality, a transport network will often consist of a combination of star,
ring, and more arbitrary mesh sub-networks.
Figure 3 Network Connectivity Examples
TRANSPORT
NETWORKCE CE
a) Point-to-pointTRANSPORT
NETWORK
CE
CE
CE
CE
CE
b) Hub and spoke
TRANSPORTNETWORK
CE
CE CE
CE
CE
TRANSPORT
NETWORK
CE
CE CE
CE
CE
c) Ring
d) StarTRANSPORT
NETWORKCE
CE CE
CE
CE
e) Arbitrary
CE = Customer Edge
When discussing multipoint-to-multipoint connectivity, it is common to refer to the network
topological componentthat provides the desired forwarding of information between source and
destination UNIs as aflow domain (FD)1. In the example shown in Figure 4, if customers M and
1 A topological component describes a portion of a layer network in terms of the topological relationship
between the (flow) points.
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Ethernet over TransportWhite Paper
Document No.: PMC-2050704, Issue 1 17
N are exchanging data, each is connected to a FD, with the flow domains being connected
through an Ethernet link flow (LF) over the ABC network entity.
Figure 4 Network Portion of the Multipoint-to-Multipoint Topology (ITU-T Rec. G.8011)
ETH FD
ETH FD
ETH FD
ETH LF
ETH LF
ETH LF
ABCnetwork entity
PQRnetwork entity
XYZnetwork entity
ETH UNI
ETH UNI
ETH UNI
ABC, PQR, XYZ are server layer networks (can all be the same or different).They may be CO-CS, CO-PS, CLPS
Customer M Customer N
Note
1. Diagram reprinted with permission from ITU-T Recommendation G.8011.
A point-to-point connection can be characterized as either not having a flow domain or as
having a flow domain with only twoflow points (that is, two end points of the networkconnection). The point-to-point connection is typically described as not having a flow domain
since a flow domain implies a layer network with inherent switching/routing and other layer
network capabilities. A flow domain with only two points is really the degenerate case of a
multipoint network and leaves open the potential of adding additional flow points (UNIs) to the
network.
3.2.2 Transfer Characteristics
The transfer characteristics of a network relate to what frames are to be delivered to the
destination unconditionally, delivered conditionally, or are to be dropped. In the case of
Ethernet, the three parameters that determine the disposition of a frame are:
Address
Drop Precedence (DP)
Class of Service (CoS)
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For the address, a frame either can be delivered unconditionally, regardless of its destination
address, or be delivered for only some destination addresses. The DP indicates the relative
priority of the frame if it encounters a congestion situation in which frame dropping must occur.
If dropping is based on the DP, frames are said to be dropped conditionally. Another option
would be dropping randomly (that is, drop the overflow frames from a full queue). For someservices, frames cannot be dropped and hence DP is not applicable. The CoS parameter, which
is based on the DP and indicates the frames class queuing, is not fully defined at this time.
3.2.3 Separation (Customer and Service Instance)
Separation refers to how the traffic of each customer or service instance is kept separate from
the traffic of others. In the case of customer separation, the traffic from different customers is
separated. In the case of service instance separation, the different service instances are
separated, even for the same customer. A spatial separation implies a circuit switched network
(for example, a TDM network in which each customer has its own TDM channel or facility, or a
virtual circuit such as in an ATM network). Logical separation implies that customer or service
instance traffic is separated at the packet level (that is, based on per-packet information such asaddress or tag values).
3.2.4 Link Type
A link can either be dedicated to a single customer service instance or shared among multiple
service instances. For a dedicated link, a single customer service instance has a one-to-one
mapping to a set of one or more Ethernet links and the associated server layer trail (that is, a
spatial separation from other service instances). As such, the service instance does not compete
for bandwidth/resources (transport and switch fabric bandwidth) with other service instances,
and does not allow multiplexing on the access link (see Figure 2(a)). On the other hand, a
shared link allows more than one service instance to share that link, (that is, logical separation)
which means that the service instances can compete for the link resources (see Figure 2(b)).
3.2.5 Connectivity Monitoring
Connectivity monitoring is the mechanism by which network nodes determine their ongoing
connectivity to their neighbor nodes in that layer network.
3.2.6 Bandwidth Profile
A bandwidth profile specifies that parameters that a traffic flow must meet at a UNI or NNI.
Policing of the bandwidth profile is typically done at the edge of the transport network.
3.2.7 UNI List
For the purposes of management and control, a service provider assigns an arbitrary string to
uniquely identify each UNI.
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3.2.8 Preservation
Preservation refers to whether a customers Ethernet frame VLAN ID and/or CoS are preserved
through the transport network. If the value is preserved, it will have the same value at the egress
UNI that it had at the ingress UNI of the transport network. In some circumstances, however, itmay be necessary or desirable to change these values within the transport network. For example,
the service provider may perform a translation between the VLAN ID values that a customer
uses on the customer side of the network to a different set of VLAN IDs that are used within the
service provider network. Another example is that if a frame fails to meet the specified
bandwidth profile, the ingress node may choose to let it pass into the transport network but will
set its DP value to a higher value so that it is prioritized for dropping if it encounters congestion.
3.2.9 Survivability
Survivability pertains to the ability of the network to continue to provide service under
situations in which a fault(s) exists in the network.
3.3 Ethernet Private Line (EPL) Service
EPL, as illustrated in Figure 5 and Figure 2, consists of point-to-point Ethernet connections
using reserved, dedicated bandwidth. With EPL, the transport network effectively looks like a
piece of wire from the Ethernet client perspective. From the transport network provider
standpoint, however, the transport network (server layer) provides the performance monitoring
and protection capabilities required for guaranteeing the service level agreement (SLA) with thecustomer.
Figure 5 EPL Service Illustration
SONET/SDH/PDH/OTH(or ATM/MPLS CIR)
Carrier NetworkCustomerEquipment
EthernetPHY
CarrierEquipment
CarrierEquipment
CustomerEquipment
EthernetPHY
The primary advantages of EPL are the simplicity of setting up a dedicated circuit, and the
security for the traffic that is inherent when it is isolated in its own TDM channel2. Sharing
bandwidth can lead to greater bandwidth efficiency in the transport network due to statistical
multiplexing gains, however it is more difficult to administer since it requires additional effort(for example, traffic engineering and monitoring) in order to guarantee the customer SLA.
2 It is also possible to provide EPL and EPLAN using constant rate ATM or MPLS virtual circuits instead
of TDM circuits.
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EPL service is described in ITU-T G.8011.1 [10]. The EPL connection characteristics are
summarized in Table 3.
Table 3 EPL Connection Characteristics (Derived from ITU-T Rec. G.8011.1)
EC Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
Network connectivity Point-to-point
Address - deliver unconditionally
Drop Precedence - not applicable
Transfer characteristics
Class of Service
CustomerSeparation
Service instance
Spatial or logical (always connection oriented)
Link type Dedicated
Connectivity monitoring None, on-demand, or proactive
Bandwidth profile Committed information rate (CIR) and committee burst size (CBS)
UNI list An arbitrary text string to uniquely identify the UNIs associated with the EC.
VLAN ID is preservedPreservation
Class of Service is preserved
Survivability None, or server-specific
ITU-T G.8011.1 defines two types of EPL services:
Type 1 EPL, where the characteristic information (CI) transferred between the UNIs is the
Ethernet MAC frames. The Ethernet preamble, start of frame delimiters, and inter-frame
characters are discarded, and the Ethernet MAC frames are then encapsulated (for example,
into GFP-F) and mapped into the transport channel.
Type 2 EPL, which is only defined for 1 Gbit/s Ethernet, treats the 8B/10B line code
information as the CI to be transferred between the UNIs. The data and control code
information from the Ethernet signals 8B/10B line code characters are translated into a
more bandwidth-efficient 64B/65B block code, and multiple 64B/65B codes are then
mapped into a GFP frame (GFP-T).
The primary advantages of Type 2 EPL are the preservation of control codes (primitive
sequences of special line code characters) and lower mapping latency. While is possible to
also define Type 2 EPL for 4B/5B encoded 100 Mbit/s Ethernet, there has been no formal
request for this service so far.
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3.4 Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) Service
EVPL is also a line service; however, the line can be derived from a flow domain. It allows the
sharing of network resources among multiple customers or service instances in order to achieve
efficient use of those resources. EVPL is illustrated in Figure 2(b).
In addition to increasing the efficient use of transport network resources, another potential
advantage of EVPL is the reduction of the number of UNIs required at the customer edge. This
is illustrated in Figure 7 in Section 4.1. For the customer edge node on the left to connect to four
other nodes would require four different UNIs and their associated ports. Service multiplexing
is the packet multiplexing of multiple ECs onto a single UNI.
EVPL is specified in the ITU-T Recommendation G.8011.2. The EVPL connection
characteristics are summarized in Table 4. For virtual connections, the separation is typically
logical (that is, at the packet level). Due to the sharing of network resources, it is possible that
frames will be dropped because of congestion. In addition, as discussed above, a service
provider may wish to perform VLAN ID translation at the boundaries of the transport network.
Table 4 EVPL Connection Characteristics
EC Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
Network connectivity Point-to-point
Address (deliver conditionally or unconditionally)
Drop Precedence (drop randomly or drop conditionally, depending on theExcess Information Rate (EIR) and Committed Information Rate (CIR)parameters)
Transfer characteristics
Class of Service
CustomerSeparation
Service instance
Logical or spatial
Link type Shared or dedicated
Connectivity monitoring Sub-layer monitoring: On demand and/or proactiveInherent monitoring: Proactive
Bandwidth profile Specified Based on CIR and Committed Burst Size (CBS) (and in somecases also on EIR and Excess Burst Size (EBS))
UNI list An arbitrary text string to uniquely identify the UNIs associated with the EC.
VLAN ID (yes or no)Preservation
Class of Service (yes or no)
Survivability None, or server-specific
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3.5 Ethernet Private LAN (EPLAN) Service
An EPLAN provides LAN-type connectivity between multiple customer sites through dedicated
channels. Figure 6 illustrates some of the different basic transport network topologies that can
support this service. From the customer viewpoint, these topologies are equivalent (that is, thecarrier network architecture is transparent to the customer).
Figure 6 EPLAN Illustrations
Carrier Network
CustomerEquipment
CustomerEquipment
CustomerEquipment
EthernetPHY
EthernetPHY
Ethernet
PHY
a) Mesh-type connectivity
CarrierNetwork
CustomerEquipment
CustomerEquipment
CustomerEquipment
EthernetPHY
EthernetPHY
b) Traffic hauled to a centralized switch point(s)
Carrier Network
CustomerEquipment
CustomerEquipment
CustomerEquipment
EthernetPHY
EthernetPHY
c) Edge node serves as a bridge or router
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In Options 1 and 3, the carrier does the switching at the edge of the network. Option 3 does the
switching at one end of the network rather than at each end. In Option 2, the traffic is brought to
a centralized switch (or a number of centralized switch points) in a star connection. Since the
switching is performed at Layer 2 in these examples, an MSPP can be used to implement
Options 1 and 3.
Open issues to be resolved for an EPLAN standard include:
How do the customer and carrier specify the bandwidth requirements? For example, if the
traffic was evenly distributed among the different customer nodes, the bandwidth between
nodes could be specified based on CIR. The more realistic scenario, however, is that
multiple customer nodes will want to simultaneously communicate with a single node (for
example, remote sites communicating with a headquarters office). A safe policy would be to
reserve enough bandwidth for each node to simultaneously receive data at full rate fromeach other node; however, this would too inefficient to be practical.
Closely related to the above issue, how much buffering must the carrier provide to handle
congestion, and what will the discard policy be?
Is protection handled at Layer 1 (for example, SONET APS) or Layer 2?
Although EPLAN is still under study, its expected connection characteristics are summarized in
Table 5.
Table 5 EPLAN Expected Connection Characteristics
EC Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
Network connectivity Multipoint-to-multipoint (and probably point-to-multipoint)
Address - deliver unconditionally
Drop Precedence (for further study)
Transfer characteristics
Class of Service
CustomerSeparation
Service instance
Spatial or logical (always connection oriented)
Link type Dedicated
Connectivity monitoring None, on-demand, or proactive
Bandwidth profile Committed information rate (CIR) and committed burst size (CBS)
UNI list An arbitrary text string to uniquely identify the UNIs associated with the EC.
VLAN ID is preservedPreservation
Class of Service is preserved
Survivability None, or server-specific
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3.6 Ethernet Virtual Private LAN (EVPLAN) Service
EVPLAN is a combination of EVPL and EPLAN. The transport channel bandwidth is shared
among different customers, as are the routers in the carrier network. Ultimately, the sharing of
bandwidth in the transmission channels and switch fabrics gives EVPLAN the potential for verycost-effective carrier network resource utilization. Clearly, however, EVPLAN is the most
complicated network architecture to administer.
The open issues regarding EVPLAN transport architectures include all of those already
discussed for EVPL and EPLAN; although, the magnitude of some of these issues is greatly
increased for EVPLAN, which in turn restricts some of the potential solution space. For
example, the tagging mechanism to differentiate the data from different customers, and the
different data flows within each customer data stream, must have an adequately large address
space. (For example, the 4K-address space of VLAN tags makes them impractical for large
EVPLANs. Also, their applicability to only Ethernet frames further lessens their appeal for a
generic data network.)
Although EPLAN is still under study, its expected connection characteristics are summarized in
Table 11-7.
Table 6 EVPLAN Expected Connection Characteristics
EC Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
Network connectivity Multipoint-to-multipoint (and probably point-to-multipoint)
Address (deliver conditionally or unconditionally)
Drop Precedence (drop randomly, drop conditionally, or not applicable)
Transfer characteristics
Class of Service
CustomerSeparationService instance
Logical
Link type Shared
Connectivity monitoring None, on-demand, or proactive
Bandwidth profile Specified
UNI list An arbitrary text string to uniquely identify the UNIs associated with the EC
VLAN ID (yes or no)Preservation
Class of Service (yes or no)
Survivability None, or server-specific
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4 Ethernet Client Interfaces
The client interface (that is, the UNI) for Ethernet services will typically be an Ethernet physical
interface. In the past, the UNI for WAN data connections was typically based on telecom signals(for example, DS1, DS3, fractional-DS1, etc.), which required either special customer
equipment (for example, a T1 multiplexer) or special WAN port cards on customer routers.
Being able to use an Ethernet interface is advantageous for enterprise customers. Ethernet
interfaces are typically less expensive than telecom WAN interfaces, especially for higher bit
rates, and are supported by relatively inexpensive Ethernet LAN routers. Using an Ethernet
interface also allows enterprise network administrators to keep their OAM in the Ethernet
domain and allows carriers to handle the telecom signal domain.
The Ethernet UNI service attributes that are common for all services are shown in Table 7 and
the attributes that are service dependent are shown in Table 8.
Table 7 UNI Service Attributes Common to All Services
Layer UNI Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
MAC service IEEE 802.3 frame format
UNI ID Arbitrary text string to identify each UNI instance
ETH
UNI EC ID Arbitrary text string to identify each EC instance
PHY speed 10 Mbit/s, 100 Mbit/s, 1 Gbit/s, or 10 Gbit/sETY
PHY medium IEEE 802.3 Physical interface
Table 8 Service-dependent UNI Service Attributes
Layer UNI Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
Multiplexed access Yes, no
VLAN mapping Specify
Bundling Yes, no, all-to-one
Bandwidth profile For further study for most services
ETH
Layer 2 controlprotocol processing
Block, process, or pass per protocol on ingressGenerate, or none per protocol on egress
ETY PHY mode Full duplex, half duplex, or auto-negotiation
The UNI service attributes common to all services are reasonably self-explanatory so are not
discussed in this paper. The service-dependent attributes are explained as follows.
4.1 Multiplexed Access
This aspect of the UNI relates to whether a customer edge node has an individual UNI
associated with each of the far-end UNIs to which it is connected, or whether a UNI is shared
for the connections to multiple other customer UNIs. These cases are illustrated in Figure 7.
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Figure 7 Service Multiplexing Example
TRANSPORT
NETWORK
CE
CE
CE
CE
CE
4 x UNI
TRANSPORT
NETWORK
CE
CE
CE
CE
CE
UNI
a) Multiple point-to-point EPL
(one EVC per UNI)
b) Service multiplexed UNI(e.g., for multiple EVPL)
4.2 VLAN Mapping
Ethernet (per IEEE 802.1Q) allows the insertion of tags into Ethernet MAC frames in order to
create virtual LANs (VLANs). When a customer desires to preserve this VLAN segregation of
traffic through the WAN, the carrier may simply preserve the entire MAC frame, including the
VLAN tag.
It is possible that both the customer and service provider desire to use VLAN technology. If the
service provider also wishes to use VLAN technology, then it must either must insert a second(stacked) VLAN tag into the MAC frame, or perform a translation of the customer VLAN tag
at the ingress in order to conform to the service providers VLAN tag assignments, and then
restore the customer VLAN value at the egress.
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4.3 Bundling
Bundling refers to whether multiple customer VLAN IDs can be mapped into a single EC at a
UNI. The case where all VLAN IDs are mapped to a single EC is called all-to-one bundling. It
should be noted that all-to-one bundling and multiplexed access are mutually exclusive.Multiplexed access refers to the multiplexing of multiple ECs into a UNI. Mapping all VLAN
IDs into a single EC means that there is a single EC at that UNI rather than multiple ECs.
4.4 Bandwidth Profile
The bandwidth profile refers to the characteristics of the traffic that a customer presents to the
network at the UNI. The parameters include such things as guaranteed committed information
rate (CIR), peak information rate (PIR), burst sizes, and what is done with excessive traffic.
4.5 Layer 2 Control Protocol Processing
Layer 2 Control Protocols are used by enterprise network bridges for a variety of functions.
Depending on the protocol application and the WAN service, these protocols can either be
passed transparently through the WAN, processed (with the network provider equipment acting
as a peer to the customer equipment), or discarded at the UNI.
4.6 Summary of UNI Service Attributes for Different Services
The UNI service attributes are currently only defined for EPL service (ITU-T G.8011.1). These
attributes are summarized in Table 9. EVPL and EVPLAN (especially EVPLAN) will typically
make use of bundling and multiplexed access and have more complex bandwidth profiles.
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Table 9 Summary of UNI Service Attributes for EPL and EVPL Services
Layer UNI Service Attribute Service Attribute Parameters and Values
EPL
Multiplexed access NoVLAN mapping No
Bundling All-to-one
Bandwidth profile CIR, Committed Burst Size (CBS)
ETH
Layer 2 control protocolprocessing
All are passed except PAUSE frames, which are discarded.(The network equipment providing the UNI-N may generatePAUSE frames.)
ETY PHY mode Full duplex
EVPL
Multiplexed access Yes or No
VLAN mapping Yes or No
Bundling Yes or All-to-oneBandwidth profile For further study
ETH
Layer 2 control protocolprocessing
Specified in G.8011.2
ETY PHY mode Full duplex
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5 Protection and Restoration
For WAN transport, service protection is typically provided by the underlying transport
network. However, service restoration can also be provided only at the Ethernet layer usingEthernet protocols. Both approaches are summarized briefly here.
5.1 Service Protection or Restoration Provided by the TransportNetwork
Transport networks have traditionally been engineered for ultra-high service availability in
order to ensure reliable communications for emergency voice traffic. The objective is for a fault
to be detected and the service restored through a protection switching action within 60 ms
(10 ms for the detection and 50 ms to complete the switch). A protection switch action is
defined as the routing of the traffic from the failed facility or equipment to backup facilities or
equipment that has been reserved in advance3. In most cases, the protection channels arepermanently reserved, with their bandwidth either being unused during fault-free conditions, or
carrying low-priority traffic that can be dropped if the channel is required for protection. In the
case of TDM transport systems such as SONET/SDH, the protection switch is between TDM
channels or fibers [15]. In the case of ATM, the protection switch is between virtual circuits
[16].
The Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) provides an alternative approach for restoring
data services. For constant bit rate services such as voice, it is necessary to have protection
bandwidth that is at least equal to the service bandwidth. In the case of packetized data,
however, it is possible in many cases to maintain the service connection at a lower data rate inthe event of a network problem. LCAS provides this capability through its control of virtually
concatenated SONET/SDH, asynchronous/PDH, or OTH channels.
Virtual concatenation is the construction of a larger channel through the combining of multiple
smaller member channels. The data is then interleaved onto the constituent member channels in
a byte-by-byte round-robin basis. The individual members can take different routes through the
transport network with the network element (NE) that terminates the virtually concatenated
channel providing the buffering to compensate for the differences in delay that result from the
different routes. 4
3 In mesh networks that are constructed with digital cross connect systems (DCS), it is possible to have
the DCSs restore the traffic by communicating among each other to determine the protection path through
the network in response to a fault. While this approach typically allows the network operator to reserve
much less overall network bandwidth for protection, it can be difficult to meet the 50 ms switch time.
4 Virtual concatenation is described in S. Gorshe, A Tutorial on SONET/SDH, PMC-Sierra white paper
PMC-2030895.
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In the event that a subset of the members fail, the LCAS provides the signaling mechanism
between the virtually concatenated channels source and sink to allow the source to place the
traffic onto only those members that have not failed. This allows for a very powerful new
paradigm for network operators since, for services that can tolerate the reduced data rate during
faulted conditions, the operator can now provide very fast service restoration without having toreserve dedicated protection channels.
5.2 Service Restoration at Layer 2
When constructing a complex Ethernet network, it is important that only a single switching path
exist between any pair of nodes. Otherwise, loops would exist that cause instability in
forwarding tables and would cause broadcast data to be unnecessarily multiplied (that is,
broadcast storms).
The Ethernet solution to this issue is the spanning tree protocol (STP). The STP sends Layer 2
control protocol messages between the Ethernet nodes in order to establish an overlaid logicaltree structure on the network. Messages are periodically sent between adjacent nodes to confirmthat no changes have occurred to the network connectivity. When a fault occurs, the node
detecting the failure (that is, the change in network connectivity) will initiate a new spanning
tree construction. The network is then unavailable for the 30 to 60 seconds that it can take for
the STP to resolve. A new rapid STP (RSTP) protocol has been developed, but it still takes
seconds to resolve.
While this is a very powerful and flexible service restoration tool, there are several issues when
it is applied to Ethernet WAN services. Of course, the larger the network in terms of number of
nodes and geographical reach, the slower the STP resolution. Another potential issue occurs if
the network operator uses Ethernet routing technology within its network. Here, conflicts
between customer and network operator STPs must be avoided. Another issue is the interactionof the 50 ms protection switching (for example, SONET/SDH) with the STP. If the Ethernet
node and the transport network node both detect the fault, it would cause unnecessary extended
network unavailability if the STP were initiated for a fault that will be quickly protected by the
SONET protection switch. It is desirable, then for the Ethernet node to wait at least 50 ms to see
if the problem clears before it initiates the STP.
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6 Conclusion
A convergence of technology and applications has increased the importance and value of wide-
area Ethernet data transport services. This white paper has introduced some of the newtechnology and standards in development that will enable carriers to provide these services.
This includes a discussion of Ethernets connection services, client interfaces, and protectionand restoration abilities.
What makes the development of Ethernet transport service attractive is its evolutionary
approach. It builds on the customers capital investment in Ethernet technology, and the
transport providers existing SONET/SDH backbone networks and OAM procedures. All of the
pieces are currently in place for offering EPL services. The tools and standards to provide the
more complicated ELAN, EVPL, and EVPLAN services are currently being developed by the
various standards bodies.
While some proprietary data transport solutions exist, carriers require standards-based solutions,which Ethernet data transport provides, for any significant deployment of new services. The use
of standards helps guarantee that the solution will be available from multiple vendors, will be
stable and supported for many years, and ideally will be less expensive due to economies of
scale. While each carrier will probably want to offer variations on the basic service types in
order to differentiate themselves from their competitors, the services discussed in this paper
provide the framework from which they can build.
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A Related Standards Activity
The information in this white paper primarily focuses on the output of the Ethernet transport
work in ITU-T Study Group 15 (SG15) and its series of new standards. SG15 is the ITU-T bodyresponsible, among other things, for standards related to public transport networks.
The current level of standards activity is a good indication of how many companies and
organizations see Ethernet WAN as the next key step both for Ethernet and for the public
transport network providers (that is, carriers). The major standards activities and their status are
summarized in Table 10.
Table 10 Summary of Related Standards Activities
Organization Activities Status
IEEE
802.3ae 10 Gbit Ethernet, which includes a WAN PHY interface to simplifyinterfacing to a SONET/SDH or G.709 OTN network
Approved
802.17 Resilient Packet Rings: Working on a ring-based network foraccess and metro applications
Approved
802.3ah(EFM)
Ethernet in the First Mile, where work includes OAM aspects forEthernet Links (especially access links)
Approved
802.1 ad Provider Bridge specification This is the Q-in-Q standard. In Progress
802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management, or Ethernet Service OAM In Progress
802.1ae MAC Security (MacSec), including authentication, authorizationand encryption
In progress
ITU-T SG15(With input from ANSI T1X1)
G.8011.1(Q11)
Ethernet Private line service Approved
G.8011.2(Q11)
Ethernet Virtual Private line service Approved
G.8012(Q11)
Ethernet UNI and Ethernet Transport NNI Approved
G.8010(Q12)
Ethernet Layer Network Architecture, which is largely to translatethe IEEE 802 network material into ITU-T transport networkterminology and models
Approved
G.8011(Q11)
Ethernet over Transport Ethernet Service Characteristics Approved
G.esm
(Q12)
Ethernet over Transport Ethernet Service Multiplexing, which
covers the multiplexing protocol(s) required to implement EVPLand EVPLAN
In Progress
G.8021[7](Q9)
Characteristics of Ethernet transport network equipment functionalblocks
Approved2004 (1stphase)
Y.ethps
(Q3)
Ethernet protection switching In progress
Q2 Studying Ethernet OAM aspects relating to access In progress
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Organization Activities Status
ITU-T SG13
Y.1730 Requirements for OAM functions in Ethernet-based networks andEthernet services
Approved
Y.ethoam
(Q3)
End-to-end and edge-to-edge aspects of Ethernet OAM includingPM
In progress
Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)
The MEF is studying various aspects of Ethernet MANs, including Ethernet architecture, service model,service definition, traffic management, UNI and NNI definition and OAM. The MEF work is covering allpossible OAM flows, such as end-to-end, edge-to-edge, access, inter-provider, intra-provider, etc.
MEF1 Ethernet Services Model, Phase 1 Approved
MEF2 Requirements and Framework for Ethernet Service Protection inMetro Ethernet Networks
Approved
MEF3 Circuit Emulation Service Definitions, Framework andRequirements in Metro Ethernet Networks
Approved
MEF4 Metro Ethernet Network Architecture Framework - Part 1: GenericFramework Approved
MEF5 Traffic Management Specification: Phase I Approved
UNI Type 1 Specification of UNI, data-plane aspects In progress
UNI Type 2 Specification of UNI, control-plane aspects (ELMI) In progress
EMS-NMS MIBS for Ethernet and network management In progress
MEF Architecturepart 2
Specifies functional elements of Ethernet trail, such as adaptation,conditioning, etc.
In progress
CES PDH Implementation agreement of PDH CES over Ethernet (includesboth AAL1 and Raw method)
In progress
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
PWE3 WG Working on defining an Ethernet transport over IP/MPLS usingMartini drafts (this is mainly EVPL service using UDP, L2TP orMPLS as multiplexing layer)
In progress
PPVPN WG Requirements for Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) In progress
L2VPN WG Working on framework and service requirements of Ethernet-basedVPN, and defining EVPLAN service using IP/MPLS
In progress
Note that each standards organization has its own areas of expertise. The majority of the
standards that will be required for the public transport network are being developed in the Q12
and Q11 groups of ITU-T SG15. This work was partitioned not only logically by topic, but also
in a manner that allowed for the earliest possible approval of useful standards/
recommendations. The initial set of standards was approved in mid-2004 (see Table 10).
ITU-T SG15 has established liaison contact with the other standards organizations and forums
where their input is required or desired. For example, the G.ethsrv work is expected to use a
considerable amount of input from the MEF regarding the definition of services.
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B Definitions
The source of these definitions is the G.809 ITU-T recommendation.
Term Definition
Access group A group of co-located "flow termination" functions that are attached to thesame "flow domain" or flow point pool link".
Characteristic Information(CI)
A signal with a specific format, which is transferred on "flows". The specificformats are defined in technology-specific standards.
Flow An aggregation of one or more traffic units with an element of commonrouting.
Flow domain A topological component used to effect forwarding of specific characteristicinformation.
Flow point A "reference point" that represents a point of transfer for traffic unitsbetween topological components.
Flow point pool A group of co-located flow points that have a common routing.Flow point pool link A "topological component" which describes a fixed relationship between a
"flow domain" or "access group" and another "flow domain" or "accessgroup".
Flow termination A "transport processing function". There are two types of flow termination, aflow termination sink and a flow termination source.
Link flow A "transport entity" that transfers information between "ports" across a flowpoint pool link.
Topological component An architectural component, used to describe the transport network in termsof the topological relationships between sets of points within the same layernetwork.
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C References
[1] ITU-T Recommendation G.709 (2001), Interfaces for the optical transport network
(OTN).
[2] ITU-T Recommendation G.707 (2003), Network node interface for the Synchronous
Digital Hierarchy (SDH).
[3] ITU-T Recommendation G.7043/Y.1343 (2004), Virtual concatenation of Plesiochronous
Digital Hierarchy (PDH) signals.
[4] ITU-T Recommendation G.7042 (2004), Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) for
Virtual Concatenated signals.
[5] ITU-T Recommendation G.7041/Y.1303 (2003) - The Generic Framing Procedure (GFP).
[6] ITU-T Recommendation G.8040 (2004), GFP frame mapping into Plesiochronous Digital
Hierarchy (PDH).
[7] ITU-T Recommendation G.8021/Y.1341 (2004), Characteristics of Ethernet transport
network equipment functional blocks.
[8] ITU-T Recommendation G.809 (2003), Functional architecture of connectionless layer
networks.
[9] ITU-T Recommendation G.8011/Y.1307 (2004), Ethernet Services Framework.
[10] ITU-T Recommendation G.8011.1/Y.1307.1 (2004) Ethernet Private Line Service.
[11] ITU-T Recommendation G.8011.2/Y.1307.2 (2005) Ethernet Virtual Private Line Service
[12] ITU-T Recommendation G.8012/Y.1308 (2004), Ethernet UNI and Ethernet NNI.
[13] ITU-T Recommendation G.805 (2001), Generic functional architecture of transport
networks.
[14] ITU-T Recommendation G.8010/Y.1306 (2004), Ethernet Layer Network Architecture.
[15] ITU-T Recommendation G.808.1 (2003), Generic Protection Switching Linear Trail and
Subnetwork Protection.
[16] ITU-T Recommendation I.630 (2000) ATM Protection Switching.
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