carrier Ethernet (CE)
Ethernet is a LAN technology by origin. However, to enable Ethernet to be used in communications services in urban and wide- area networks, the Metro Ethernet Forum( MEF) has developed Ethernet into a carrier-enabled enabling technology for different communications services, specifying several attributes: scalability, quality of service( QoS), reliability, service management and standardized services.
While end users are increasingly deploying multimedia services such as triple-play, enterprises are concerned with business connectivity services that require Ethernet traffic to be carried across core networks and into access networks.
Carrier Ethernet ( CE 1.0) is a standardized network service provided on traditional Ethernet networks. It can likewise operate on other transport mechanisms, on MPLS-based Layer 2 VPNs, over IEEE 802.1ad Provider Bridges( PB), 802.1ah Provider Backbone Bridges( PBB), or on Ethernet over Sonet (EoS). In addition, the further development goes to the increasing transport of multi- gigabit Ethernet over existing 10 Gbit/s or 2.5 Gbit/s transmission links in optical transport networks.
The characteristics of Carrier Ethernet CE 1.0
Carrier Ethernet is characterized by standardized services, scalability, reliability, quality of service (QoS) and service management. It provides high flexibility and better cost efficiency of Ethernet services in wide area networks. For Carrier Ethernet deployment, the Metro Ethernet Forum has defined several standardized service types: E-Line, a virtual point-to-point link; E-Tree, a point-to-multipoint link; and E-LAN, a virtual link in a multipoint-to-multipoint configuration. As for enterprise customers, they are very interested in Ethernet services because they are generally faster, more flexible and less expensive than legacy technologies such as time division multiplexing, Synchronous Digital Hierarchy( SDH), Frame Relay or ATM. Carrier Ethernet is also of particular interest to service providers because it allows them to extend their existing services.
The layer model of Carrier Ethernet
The layer model of Carrier Ethernet consists of only three layers. At the bottom layer is the transport infrastructure with the optical transport network( OTN), while the layer above is responsible for Ethernet transport and the connection concept. This can be E-LAN, E-Line or E-Tree. And the top layer is the services infrastructure with Carrier Ethernet Transport( CET) multimedia services. The transport concept of Carrier Ethernet is supported by the scalable transport infrastructure, the Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET).
The standardization of Carrier Ethernet is driven by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) but also by the International Telecommunication Union ( ITU), the Internet Engineering Task Force( IETF) and the IEEE. Carrier Ethernet CE 2.0 is the further development of Carrier Ethernet CE 1.0. It was standardized in 2012 and is characterized by a more comprehensive range of services.