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Carrier Ethernet

Ethernet is the ubiquitous protocol used in residential and enterprise networks and is increasingly migrating into service provider networks. For example, IDC [1] predicts that the global market for Ethernet Services will grow to $34 billion by 2013.

Some of that growth is a migration from legacy services such as Frame Relay, ATM, and TDM, but it is also driven by service providers augmenting business and residential data services with "triple play" multimedia services such as Voice-over-IP, IPTV, and Video-on-Demand.

In addition, network economics have shifted sharply. Ethernet used to be low cost, short range and relatively slow. But is now increasingly fast, dense and long range, while still being very affordable - making 100GbE look very cost effective.

It is therefore not surprising that service providers are increasingly offering Ethernet as the service, where users can connect to the network with an ubiquitous and familiar RJ45 jack. To build such a Carrier Ethernet service, a service provider must construct (at a minimum) two network layers.

  • They must provide an Ethernet layer that runs transparently from customer premise to customer premise. The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) specifications enable service providers to provide this layer in a standardized way. The MEF specifies various topologies for the service including point-to-point (E-LINE) and multipoint (E-LAN and E-TREE).

  • They must implement a transport layer over which Ethernet is carried. This is private to the service provider and is not standardized by the MEF, but it is an essential component of providing a Carrier Ethernet service. It must carry the Ethernet layer in such a way that the MEF specifications are honored.

IP/MPLS networks are an excellent solution to the transport layer requirement. Ethernet traffic is transported as pseudowires using MPLS label switched paths (LSPs) inside an outer MPLS "tunnel", with both point-to-point (Virtual Private Wire Service - VPWS) and multipoint (Virtual Private LAN service - VPLS) services. Similarly, non-Ethernet traffic (such as legacy Frame Relay or ATM) can also be transported using pseudowires, using the same network, thereby allowing carriers to serve multiple markets simultaneously. IP/MPLS networks are scalable and dynamic, provide granular QoS, and can be traffic engineered to maximize use of carrier infrastructure while maintaining customer SLAs. They can also be set up to provide protection and fast failover, to give resiliency in the case of link or network failure.

Metaswitch has vast experience in supplying MPLS and IP Routing protocol software products to communications equipment manufacturers, including a significant number of the MEF's member companies, helping them build enterprise devices, edge devices and core routers that help carriers deploy Carrier Ethernet services.

Features and Benefits

The Metaswitch solution for communications equipment manufacturers building mobile backhaul devices offers the following features and benefits.

  • Portable and scalable implementations of the MPLS and IP Routing standards
  • Rich support for pseudowires, layer 2 and layer 3 VPNs, and Traffic Engineering
  • Both static (managed) and dynamic (signaled) LSPs
  • Full protection switching and fast restoration – delivering resilience within the network
  • Built-in high availability and software upgrade – delivering resilience within a network element
  • Deployed in many MEF-certified devices
  • Engineering of the very highest quality.

Solution Elements

The Metaswitch solution for communications equipment manufacturers building Carrier Ethernet devices is based on the following elements.


[1] IDC report, September, 2009