David Olayinka MosakuOctober, 2014

MPLS Based Metro Ethernet Networks

Introduction• This presentation outlines an overview of

Traditional Metro Ethernet networks in contrast to MPLS based Metro Ethernet in a WAN environment.

What is Metro Ethernet?• “… generally defined as the network that bridges

or connects geographically separated enterprise LANs while also connecting across the WAN or backbone networks that are generally owned by service providers. The Metro Ethernet Networks provide connectivity services across Metro geography utilising Ethernet as the core protocol and enabling broadband applications” – from Metro Ethernet Forum

What is Metro Ethernet?[Cont’d]

• A metropolitan-area Ethernet, Ethernet MAN, or metro Ethernet network is a metropolitan area network (MAN) that is based on Ethernet standards. It is commonly used to connect subscribers to a larger service network or the Internet. – Source: Wikipedia

What is Metro Ethernet?[Cont’d]

• The Metro Ethernet Forum [MEF] often describes MetroE as Carrier Grade Ethernet Networks

The MEF, is the defining body for Carrier Ethernet, a global industry alliance comprising more than 220 organizations including telecommunications service providers, network equipment/software manufacturers, semiconductors vendors and testing organizations.The MEF’s mission is to accelerate the worldwide adoption of Carrier-class Ethernet networks and services.

The Ethernet Overview• Ethernet was initially developed as a LAN

standard for connecting at 10 Mbps speeds but has subsequently been upgraded to offer 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, and now 10 Gbps speeds over both copper and Fibre mediums. • Ethernet is one of the most significant disruptive

innovations of this generation—and has now evolved from Local Area Networks (LANs) to the Metro Area Network (MAN).

Attributes of Metro/Carrier Ethernet• Carrier Grade Ethernet, or Carrier Ethernet, is a

ubiquitous, standardized service defined by five attributes

1. Standardized services enable end users and service providers to coordinate in order to achieve data connectivity based on Carrier Ethernet between multiple end user sites as required by organizations around the globe.

Attributes of Metro/Carrier Ethernet [Cont’d]

2. Scalability enables the data connectivity of any number of multiple end user sites over any distance, whether it be metro, regional, national or intercontinental using Carrier Ethernet.

3. Reliability enables end users to rely on Carrier Ethernet to run their business and mission critical applications.

4. Service management enables service providers to rollout, maintain and troubleshoot data connectivity services based on Carrier Ethernet in a cost effective and timely manner.

Attributes of Metro/Carrier Ethernet [Cont’d]

4. Service management enables service providers to rollout, maintain and troubleshoot data connectivity services based on Carrier Ethernet in a cost effective and timely manner.

5. Quality of Service enables the use of a single network to run multiple services to multiple end-users running a wide variety of applications with different bandwidth and latency requirements - all by using Carrier Ethernet

Other Features of Metro-E

• Metro Ethernet services can be delivered not only over traditional (native) Ethernet-based networks but can also over other transport technologies. Examples of underlying transport

• MPLS-based Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)• IEEE 802.1ad Provider Bridges [VLAN Stacking “Q-in-Q”]• Ethernet over SONET/SDH [EoS]

What is MPLS?• Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a

mechanism in high-performance telecommunications networks that directs data from one network node to the next based on short path labels rather than long network addresses, avoiding complex lookups in a routing table. The labels identify virtual links (paths) between distant nodes rather than endpoints. –Wikipedia.

What is MPLS?• Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a

mechanism in high-performance telecommunications networks that directs data from one network node to the next based on short path labels rather than long network addresses, avoiding complex lookups in a routing table. The labels identify virtual links (paths) between distant nodes rather than endpoints. -