metro Ethernet forum (MEF)

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), founded in 2001, has set itself the task of establishing Ethernet in city networks, known as the Metro Ethernet Network( MEN).

MEF specifies services that already exist in the LAN environment and are also offered in city networks. These Ethernet services include services provided as point-to-point links and others in multipoint-to-multipoint configuration; furthermore LAN services over VLANs, local area networks over Multi-Protocol Label Switching( MPLS) or LAN over IP. Other services include circuit emulation and services that require a specific quality of service( QoS). Traffic management attributes defined by the MEF include Committed Information Rate( CIR), Committed Burst Size( CBS), Excess Information Rate( EIR), and Excess Burst Size (EBS). Transmission profiles can be assigned per Ethernet User Network Interface( UNI), Ethernet Virtual Connection( EVC) and 802.1p Class of Service( CoS). In addition, the MEF defines Frame Delay, Frame Delay Variation (FDV) and Frame Loss Ratio.

In Virtual Private Networks( VPN), the MEF has defined two services at Layer 2: E-Line to support point-to-point VPNs, E-Tree for bidirectional point-to-multipoint connections, and E-LAN for multipoint-to-multipoint VPNs. In the Carrier Ethernet 2.0( CE 2.0) version, E-Access is added as an additional service. At the transport layer, the forum will address topics such as multi- protocol label switching (MPLS), link aggregation and wavelength division multiplexing(WDM).

Behind Lifecycle Service Orchestration is the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), which is a large industrial consortium promoting activities under the Third Network Initiative. In addition, the MEF is defining the Lifecycle Service Orchestration( LSO) functions and programming interfaces for streamlining and automating lifecycles for services.

The Metro Ethernet Forum is composed of network component manufacturers, technology vendors and network operators.