pseudowire emulation edge-to-edge (PWE3)

For the emulation of virtual circuits over packet-switched networks, the IETF established the Pseudowire Emulation Edge-to-Edge(PWE3) working group in 2001. The task of this working group was to develop an architecture for service provider edge-to-edge pseudowires with the corresponding encapsulation techniques.

Concept of PWE3 with Pseudowires between Provider Edges (PE).

Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3), which is also known by the acronymVPWS, Virtual Private Wire Service, as an Ethernet service, supports a user-side point-to-point connection in which the service provider network emulates various connections between users via an MPLS tunnel, Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS).

MPLS tunneling described by PWE3.

This is of particular interest when the user is using ATM, Ethernet, Time Division Multiplex or Frame Relay( FR) between their different parts of the enterprise. Users can work with the existing Layer 2 connection, except that the existing services are routed encapsulated over the service providers' MPLS backbones.