The definitive guide to enterprise and carrier metro Ethernet applications

• Easy to read and understand, following the style of the best-selling Internet Routing Architectures
• Understand emerging metro Ethernet services such as point-to-point packet-leased line services and multipoint-to-multipoint VPLS
• Learn to scale your Ethernet LAN beyond the enterprise wall and across a geographically dispersed virtual private campus
• Understand the drivers and the challenges that carriers face in transforming the metro to address data services
• Understand the different metro deployment models using SONET/SDH, next-generation SONET/SDH, Ethernet over SONET/SDH (EOS), virtual concatenation, Generic Framing Protocol (GFP), and Resilient Packet Ring (RPR).
• Examine the VPLS model and how MPLS can extend an L2 service across the MAN and the WAN
• Learn about the characteristics of a GMPLS architecture

Metro networks have emerged as an area of growth for the networking industry and represent a major shift in how data services are offered to businesses and residential customers. This is not only a technology shift but also a shift in the operational and business models that will allow incumbent carriers to transform the metro to offer enhanced data services.

Ethernet has been the technology of choice for the enterprise and is now emerging as the access interface of choice for delivering data services in the metro. Emerging metro Ethernet services include packet-leased line services and virtual private LAN service (VPLS). These services are delivered over a wide mix of metro transport technologies such as SONET/SDH, next-generation SONET/SDH, Ethernet/WDM, and Resilient Packet Ring. With the simplicity, flexibility, and cost effectiveness of Ethernet networks comes the challenge of scaling Ethernet Layer 2 (L2) services over metro and WAN deployments.

Metro Ethernet looks at the deployment of metro data services from a holistic view. It gives a description of the current metro, which is based on TDM technology, and discusses the drivers and the challenges to be faced in transforming the metro to address data services.

Metro Ethernet discusses the mix of transport technologies deployed in the metro and the migration strategies that metro operators will adopt in moving from today's SONET/SDH network to an all-Ethernet network. You'll learn about the VPLS model and how you can use MPLS to extend an L2 service across the MAN and the WAN. You'll explore traffic engineering and how you can use RSVP TE to increase the reliability and availability of the metro service. Finally, you will examine an emerging MPLS technology called Generalized MPLS (GMPLS) and how it is used to facilitate the operation and deployment of metro networks. GMPLS presents a major shift in the operation and configuration of transport networks and will tremendously influence the future deployments of metro and WAN networks.

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press(r), which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.