Light Reading - Telecom News, Analysis, Events, and Research
Networking the Telecom Industry
Sign up for our Free Telecom Weekly Newsletter
Connect with us

Mobile World Congress Videos

Light Reading's Show Site: Barcelona, Spain  |  February 27 - March 1

Telecom News Analysis  

MEF Sticks a '2.0' on Carrier Ethernet

no ratings

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) is announcing Carrier Ethernet 2.0 on Thursday -- a blanket name for new specifications that will enable improved Ethernet service interconnect between carriers.

Those specifications include performance objectives for the three classes of service the MEF had previously defined -- Ethernet Private Line (EPL), Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) and Ethernet LAN (ELAN). By specifying performance objectives, classes of service become quantifiable in a way that can be preserved from one carrier to another. The official MEF video discusses this in more detail:


The MEF is also expanding the number of identified Ethernet services to eight. The eight services come in four types -- E-Line, E-LAN, E-Tree and E-Access -- each with private line and virtual private line variants.

Why this matters
Despite the hoopla about a "New Ethernet" being introduced by Bob Metcalfe himself, it turns out there's no new protocol involved. So, what makes this worthy of a "2.0" moniker?

"I believe this is generationally more advanced," MEF President Nan Chen tells Light Reading. The MEF's earliest work was about simply defining Carrier Ethernet services, while the 2.0 model is "more about taking advantage of deployed carrier Ethernet infrastructure to efficiently deliver the bandwidth or services."

Specifically, there's now increased potential for interconnecting carriers' Ethernet services the same way they can interconnect T1 lines, he says.

Nan Chen raises a glass to the new generation of Ethernet.
Even if it doesn't include The Blues Brothers.

For more
Relive the buildup to Carrier Ethernet 2.0 -- the tension lasted two whole weeks, you know -- and learn why the Blues Brothers reference in the caption above is funny:

— Craig Matsumoto, Managing Editor, Light Reading
Newest Comments First       Display in Chronological Order
Daniel Bar-Lev
User Ranking
Sunday February 26, 2012 3:22:21 PM
no ratings

CE 2.0 certification means a consolidation of a set of MEF certification tests into a brand that is easily recognized and appreciated by all stakeholders. CE 2.0 certification provides a very clear and cost-effective framework for service providers and equipment vendors to prove compliance in one fell swoop with a series of MEF specifications developed by the 190 strong MEF membership - for example MEF 6.1, MEF 10.2, MEF 23.1, MEF 33 and so on. It's the way MEF certification is represented that has taken a leap forward by orienting it to the well known services like the new Multi-CoS, managed E-Lines and E-LANs in CE 2.0 as well as the altogether new E-Access and E-Tree introduced in CE 2.0. When enterprises, service providers, operators and equipment vendors can all refer to CE 2.0 certification, the markets will align faster and grow faster which benefits everyone.

 

Daniel/MEF

Phil Harvey
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 5:37:03 PM
no ratings

So who, besides the MEF and its testing partners, really benefits from a CE2.0 certification program?

The carriers still need to do their own testing and it would add costs to the vendor side. I guess I'm unclear on how much red tape CE2.0 cuts vs. CE1.0, which was a tad more trailblazing.

ph

desiEngineer
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 5:31:57 PM

Phil,

You ask a very valid  question.  The answer is no, things won't work seamlessly.  You have to use ethernet 2.0 cables, pwe3 2.0 e-line, l2vpn 2.0 e-lan.  IEEE and IETF will have their work cut out...

What are we going to do? (wrings hands and runs off-stage, wailing)

-desi

Phil Harvey
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 4:40:25 PM
no ratings

Is there likely to be a scenario where a carrier just plugs in and uses CE2.0 gear just because it has been certified? 

They would test it themselves first, right? 

Craig Matsumoto
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 4:31:20 PM
no ratings

Certification for the 8 service types would be available in the second quarter, Nan Chen says. Presumably, some products will actually get certified around that time too.

Craig Matsumoto
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 4:30:34 PM
no ratings

Ah - I had forgotten about that. So this is really Carrier Ethernet 3.0? (or 2.1? Who's in charge of decimal-point-advancement, anyway?)

Flook
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 4:15:03 PM
no ratings
1 saves

Any idea when we might see MEF-certified CE 2.0 products?

Phil Harvey
User Ranking
Thursday February 23, 2012 12:13:57 PM
no ratings

http://www.lightreading.com/video.asp?doc_id=152009

You heard (watched it, read it, whatever) here first.

The blogs and comments are the opinions only of the writers and do not reflect the views of Light Reading. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
Official Mobile World Congress Site: www.mobileworldcongress.com