Ethernet LAN service (MEF) (E-LAN)
EthernetLAN Service (E-LAN) is a multipoint service for dedicated, inter-site connections. Specified by the Metro Ethernet Forum( MEF), this Carrier Ethernet Service allows providers to establish multipoint-to-multipoint connections and define the attributes for the classes of service( CoS) and bandwidth requirements.
Thanks to the selection criteria for the required bandwidth and service prioritization, providers can offer a wide variety of services over their own infrastructure and define the appropriate quality of service agreements(SLAs). In this way, voice, data and real-time services such as Internet television( IPTV) or VoIP can be combined.
From the customer's point of view, the E-LAN service is comparable to a Virtual Private LAN Service( VPLS), where all customer sites are interconnected as if they were part of a local network. Using such an Ethernet service, enterprise-wide voice and data networks with distributed sites can be established across Metro Ethernet networks without having to change the customer's LAN structure.