What is Carrier Ethernet?

Ethernet has long been accepted as an inexpensive, scalable data-networking solution in LAN
environments; however, the stringent quality of service (QoS) expectations of todays service
offering require that service providers find solutions to tap into the cost-effectiveness of Ethernet
without sacrificing the benefits of connection-oriented (albeit it costly) time-domain
multiplexing (TDM) solutions such as SONET/SDH.

Comprehensive Ethernet testing immediately at service turn-up is now essential in order to

ensure service quality and increase customer satisfaction. Customer service level agreement
(SLAs) dictate certain performance criteria that must be met, with the majority documenting
network availability and mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) values, which are easily verified.
However, Ethernet performance criteria are more difficult to prove, and demonstrating
performance availability, transmission delay, link burst ability and service integrity cannot be
done precisely with only a single ping command. Carrier Ethernet, therefore, is the extension of
Ethernet that enables service providers to provide premium Ethernet services.

Transport Media
The diagram below outlines the different media used within a Carrier Ethernet network and
indicates where they are commonly deployed:

Copper

To this day, copper cabling (i.e., insulated twisted copper wires) is still one of the most widely
used media in Carrier Ethernet due to its existing vast deployment and its relatively low cost. It is
almost everywhere as it was the media of choice to deliver plain old telephony service (POTS) to
homes and businesses. Leveraging this infrastructure, service providers can avoid building out
new and costly networks, as they address markets with lower-rate traffic of up to 1 Gigabit per
second (Gbit/s) and begin to carry higher-speed traffic (in some cases up to 10 Gbit/s). Ethernets
inherent scalability gives carriers a highly flexible platform for delivering incremental services to
smaller enterprises, branch offices, cellular towers and other sites. However, copper is subject to
both electromagnetic interference and cross-talk, which can negatively affect the reliable transfer
of digital dataand at high speeds, the problem is even worse.

Microwave

Ethernet is also used for mobile backhaul, the distance from a cell tower to a switching office or
between switching offices. The medium used is actually microwave-over-the-air. Microwave
radio is a popular infrastructure choice for wireless operators. Ethernet-enabled microwave is
becoming an increasingly important component of a wireless infrastructure. The increasing
interest in microwave is driven by the higher bandwidth demands at the base station sites and the
requirement to provide a substantial reduction in operational costs of backhauling the data traffic.
The growth of the wireless industry combined with the proliferation of the mobile backhaul will
only contribute to increase the use of microwave radio as a transport medium.

Fiber

Since fiber can carry much more information than copper, carrier Ethernet service providers
typically use fiber to transport high-speed traffic (usually 1 Gbit/s or more) over long distances
or within the network core. Fiber is used with SONET/SDH, dense wavelength-division
multiplexing (DWDM) or optical transport networks (OTNs). Fiber cabling may have an initial
higher cost, but even at the fastest speeds, it is entirely resistant to both cross-talk and
electromagnetic interference, therefore it can provide much more reliable data transmission. As
the demand for bandwidth and speed increases, the need to implement fiber on networks, even at
the business site, is growing. However, the main issue with fiber is the high cost of deployment
and maintenance.

Carrier Ethernet Network Services

The two basic Ethernet service types defined by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) are:

Ethernet Line (e-Line)

Delivering point-to-point connectivity, E-Line services are used to create Ethernet private line
services, Ethernet-based Internet access services and point-to-point (P2P) Ethernet VPNs.

E-Line Variants

Ethernet Private Lines

This service consists of a P2P connection that uses dedicated bandwidth, either virtually
concatenated SONET/SDH channels or reserved packet bandwidth in a packet-switched network.
The customers Ethernet frames stay strictly separated from others at the Ethernet layer, and the
customer will always have the contracted bandwidth rate available (also known as the committed
information rate (CIR)). In this regard, the Ethernet private line is much like legacy TDM-based
private lines, yet offers the benefit of a native Ethernet interface to the customer and to the
network operators edge equipment. Like typical TDM private lines, the Ethernet private line can
be deployed to support a number of different carrier services such as Ethernet Internet, network
services access or LAN-to-LAN interconnectin which the customer owns one or both ends of
the connection. The Ethernet private line is the simplest E-Line service to deploy. Service
providers typically provide these services from a multiservice provisioning platform (MSPP),
which acts as the demarcation between the customers network and the carriers SONET/SDH
transport network.

Ethernet Virtual Private Line

For the Ethernet virtual private line, the rules are slightly different. In this service, the customer
still gets point-to-point connectivity, but over shared bandwidth instead of dedicated. The shared
bandwidth can be a TDM channel in the transport network or the switched-fabric bandwidth of
switches and routers in the packet network. The service can either be offered as best-effort or
with SLAs specifying CIR and other critical network parameters, such as latency. This service is
quite similar to frame relay and its model of creating networks using permanent virtual circuits
(PVCs). MEF defines Ethernet virtual private line service as a P2P Ethernet virtual connection
(EVC) between two subscribers. Multiple EVCs can be combined to provide hub-and-spoke
architectures in which multiple remote offices all require access to a head office, or multiple
customers all require access to managed services from an operators point of presence (POP).

Ethernet LAN (e-LAN)

Delivering multipoint-to-multipoint (any-to-any) connectivity, E-LAN services are designed for

multipoint Ethernet VPNs and native Ethernet transparent LAN services.

E-LAN Variants

Ethernet Private LAN

An Ethernet private LAN (EPLAN) service provides multipoint connectivity over dedicated
bandwidth, i.e., it can connect two or more subscribers. Subscriber data sent from one customer
site can be received at one or more of the other customer sites. Each site is connected to a
multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet virtual circuit (EVC) and uses dedicated resources so that the
different customers Ethernet frames are not multiplexed together. As new sites are added, they
are connected to the same multipoint EVC, thus simplifying provisioning and service activation.
From a subscriber standpoint, an EPLAN makes multiple LAN sites look like a single, yet
immense, LAN.

Ethernet Virtual Private LAN

The Ethernet virtual private LAN (EVPLAN) has gone by many names over the past two years,
from virtual private LAN service (VPLS) to transparent LAN service (TLS) to virtual private
switched network (VPSN). Regardless of how it is termed, the EVPLAN is a network service
providing layer 2 multipoint connectivity between Ethernet-edge devices. Customer separation is
accomplished via encapsulation using VLAN tags or other encapsulation technologies such as
MPLS. The EVPLAN is a cost-effective service for the service provider, as it can leverage
shared transmission bandwidth in the network. However, because it is a multipoint service, it can
be complex to administer. The operator must implement protection, bandwidth profiles,
congestion management, buffering, etc.these are much more complex to implement in
EVPLANs when compared to P2P services.

Carrier Ethernet Applications

Carrier Ethernet services are mainly used in two segments:

Business Services

The deployment of carrier Ethernet services within businesses will continue to grow with the
demand of higher and higher bandwidth; this is driven by the requirements of enterprisesnot
only for data services, but also for voice and video services over their network.

Site-to-site access, data centers, server consolidations, disaster recovery, service orientated
architecture, internet access, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and converged networking are just a
few applications that require high bandwidth and low latency.

One of the major benefits of Ethernet for business services is cost reduction. Global availability
of standardized services reduces the cost of implementation. The familiarity of IT departments
with Ethernet makes the implementation of Carrier Ethernet services easier and cheaper. In
essence, Carrier Ethernet brings the benefits of the Ethernet cost model to metro and wide-area
networks. New applications requiring high bandwidth and low latencywhich was previously
not possible or prohibited due to high costscan now be implemented.

Another major benefit of Carrier Ethernet is performance. That is, in part because inherently,
Ethernet networks require less processing to operate and manage. They also operate at higher
bandwidths than other technologies. It is also the most suited solution for voice, video and data
because of its low latency and delay variation. Carrier Ethernet services also provide a high level
of flexibility, which is ideal for applications such as site-to-site access that by the nature can
have unpredictable and varying bandwidth requirements.

Mobile Backhaul Services

As the backhaul network infrastructure evolves to support packet-based transmission, mobile

operators face numerous challenges, resulting from the shift from managing network
performance to managing service performance. Testing the network with a simple ping is no
longer an option. In addition to assessing the networks performance, operators now must
constantly validate and measure key performance indicators on a per-service basis.

Today, and in the years to come, backhaul networks will be made of a mixture of both E1/T1 (for
voice) and Ethernet/IP (for data services) technologies. This hybrid-network approach offers an
economical solution for potential traffic bottlenecks with the increased traffi c of non-real-time
data.

As carrier Ethernet networks mature, wireless backhaul will eventually become totally packet-
based; this will simplify network architecture, reduce costs and provide the necessary scalability
for expected growth with data-centric applications.

Key Performance Indicators

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are specific traffic characteristics that indicate the minimum
performance of a specific traffic profile. The following KPIs directly influence the performance
of backhaul networks.

Frame delay, or latency, is the difference in time from the moment a frame or packet
leaves the origination port and the moment it arrives at the destination port. It has a direct
impact on the quality of real-time data, such as voice or video. Management services such
as synchronization protocols, which communicate between the BSC and mobile devices,
must have a very fast response time. This helps to ensure quality voice transmission, cell
handoffs, signaling and reliable connectivity.
Frame loss is a serious problem for all real-time services such as voice or live video, as
well as for synchronization and management of traffic control. Lost packets cause poor
perception quality, and lost control packets increase latency and may cause connectivity
failuresand even dropped calls.
Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that can be forwarded. This
measurement is a ratio of the total amount of traffic forwarded during a measurement
window of one second. Bandwidth can either be committed or excess with different
performance guarantees.
Frame delay variation, or packet jitter, refers to the variability in arrival time between
packet deliveries. As packets travel through a network, they are often queued and sent in
bursts to the next hop. Random prioritization may occur, resulting in packet transmission
at random rates. Packets are therefore received at irregular intervals. This jitter translates
into stress on the receiving buffers of the end nodes, where buffers can be overused or
underused when there are large swings of jitter. Real-time applications are especially
sensitive to packet jitter. Buffers are designed to store a certain quantity of video or voice
 packets, which are then processed at regular intervals to provide a smooth and error-free
transmission to the end user. Too much jitter will affect the quality of experience
(QoE)where packets arriving at a fast rate will cause buffers to overfill, leading to
packet loss; while packets arriving at a slow rate will cause buffers to empty, leading to
still images or sound.

Key Technologies Overview

MPLS

IP/multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), an IEEE standard, is an established transport method

that transparently switches data (packets or frames) from multiple protocols (ATM, frame relay,
Ethernet, etc.) across an all-IP backbone. With full class-of-service (CoS) and virtual LAN
(VLAN) support, MPLS is an ideal solution for carriers wanting to extend the life of legacy
TDM-based services in the core. Modifications are being made to the standard to increase traffic
engineering capabilities (MPLS-TP), which will enable IP/MPLS to support the advanced quality
of service needed to extend the solution out to the metro edge.

MPLS-TP

With the movement toward packet-based services, transport networks have to encompass the
provision of packet-aware capabilities while enabling carriers to leverage their installed transport
infrastructure investments. MPLS transport profile (MPSL-TP) is a derivative of MPLS designed
for transport networks. It supports the capabilities and functionalities needed for packet-transport
network services and operations through combining the packet experience of MPLS with the
operational experience and practices of existing transport networks. MPLS-TP enables the
deployment of packet-based transport networks that efficiently scales to support packet services
in a simple and cost-effective way.

PBB-TE

Provider backbone bridge traffic engineering or PBB-TE (also referred to as PBT) is an

alternative Ethernet-based implementation that enables carrier-grade provisioning and
management of connection-oriented transport services across an all-IP MAN and core network
by disabling the flooding/broadcasting and spanning tree protocol features. It is an evolution of
MAC-in-MAC by making it connection-oriented. PBB-TE separates the Ethernet service layer
from the network layer; its flexibility also allows service providers to deliver native Ethernet
initially and MPLS-based servicesi.e., virtual private wire service (VPWS) or virtual private
LAN service (VPLS)if and when they are required.

PTN

The packet transport network (PTN) is the next generation of networks designed around the best
elements of traditional TDM technologies and the emergent packet technologies. It is typically
deployed at two layers. At the access layer, PTN provides convergence of multiple services by
converging TDM and packets into the PTN cloud. TDM packets are encapsulated and forwarded
as packets in the PTN cloud while native Ethernet/IP packets are encapsulated and forwarded in
the same PTN cloud.

PTN networks overcome many of the challenges of carriers by providing the efficient data
transport of packetized technologies with the fault detection and resiliency of TDM-based
networks. Service providers can now leverage the inherent advantages of Ethernet and TDM
technologies, such as cost effectiveness, flexibility, multiservice applications as well as quality
of service.

PWE3

Pseudo wire emulation edge-to-edge (PWE3) is a mechanism that emulates the essential
attributes of a service such as ATM, frame relay or Ethernet over a packet switched network
(PSN). PWE3 only provides the minimum required functionality to emulate the wire. From the
customer perspective, it is perceived as an unshared link or circuit of the chosen service. PW3
specifies the encapsulation, transport, control, management, interworking and security of
services emulated over PSNs.

To maximize the return on their assets and minimize their operational costs, many service
providers are looking to consolidate the delivery of multiple service offerings and traffic types
onto a single IP-optimized network. PWE3 is a possible solution since it emulates Ethernet frame
formats over IP networks.

Circuit Emulation Services

Circuit emulation services (CES) is a technology used to carry T1/E1 services over asynchronous
networks such as ATM, Ethernet. This paper focuses specifically on circuit emulation over
Ethernet (CESoS). Service providers can now manage and provision time division multiplexing
(TDM) leased lines via CESoS and endpoints terminating in the public switched telephone
network (PSTN) or between enterprise endpoints. With this technology, service providers can
now use TDM applications to leverage the advantages inherent in Ethernet such as: flexibility,
cost-effectiveness and simplicity.

Ethernet OAM

Ethernet OAM draws on and includes existing standards such as IEEE 802.1ag for connectivity
fault management (CFM), ITU-T Y.1731 for performance monitoring, 802.3ah or EFM
(Ethernet in the first mile) for link monitoring, fault signaling and remote loopback for the access
network.

OAM standards are used to troubleshoot networks, monitor performance, verify configuration
and manage security. OAM functionality allows network operators to measure QoS attributes,
such as availability, frame delay, frame delay variation (jitter) and frame loss. Ethernet OAM can
also provide remote loopback, a feature often used to troubleshoot networks where all inbound
traffic is immediately reflected back on the link.
At the device level, OAM protocols generate messages that are used by operations staff to help
identify problems in the network. In the event of a fault, the information generated by OAM
helps the operator troubleshoot the network to locate the fault, identify which services have been
impacted and take the appropriate action. Also, just as it is important to keep the customers
services running, operators must be able to prove that is the case, this is usually measured against
an SLA, and the operator must have the performance measurements to manage customer SLAs.
Finally, administration features include collecting the accounting data for the purpose of billing
and network usage data for capacity-planning exercises.

Effective end-to-end service control also enables carriers to avoid expensive truck rolls to locate
and contain faults, thereby facilitating reduction of maintenance costs. Intrinsic OAM
functionality is therefore essential in any carrier-class technology and is a must have capability
in intelligent Ethernet network termination units.

Synchronization

As the network moves toward Ethernet as the transport technology of choice, synchronization
remains a major issue. As Ethernet and TDM technologies continue to coexist, technologies like
circuit-emulation services (CES) provide capabilities to map TDM traffic on Ethernet
infrastructure and vice versa, enabling a smooth changeover for network operators transitioning
to an all-packet network.
To interconnect these two technologies, frequency synchronization is key, since the TDM
technologies have frequency-offset tolerances that are much more restrictive than the
asynchronous Ethernet technologies. Ethernet relies on inexpensive holdover oscillators and can
stop transmitting traffic or buffer data, while TDM technologies rely on the continuous
transmission and presence of synchronization reference. Synchronous Ethernet solves these
issues by ensuring frequency synchronization at the physical level.

However, since SyncE is a synchronization technology based on layer 1, it requires that all ports
on the synchronized path be enabled for SyncE. Any node that is non SyncE-enabled on the path
will automatically break the synchronization from this node. This is an issue for network
providers that have a multitude of Ethernet ports between the primary synchronization unit and
the edge device that needs synchronization as all the ports must be SyncE-enabled to synchronize
to the edge. Such requirements can increase the cost of deployments as hardware and software
upgrades can dramatically increase the total cost of ownership. SyncE also only focuses on
frequency synchronization and does not guarantee phase synchronizationalthough the phase
requirements can be somewhat assessed via SyncE.

Many services need synchronization, but wireless base stations today have the largest stake in
frequency and time distribution. The frequency stability of the air interface between the cell
tower and the handset supports handing off a call between adjacent base stations without
interruption. Synchronization for base stations is therefore central to the QoS that an operator
provides.

The next packet synchronization technology, the Precise Time Protocol (PTP) also referred to as
the IEEE 1588v2, is specifically designed to provide high clock accuracy through a packet
network via a continuous exchange of packets with appropriate timestamps. In this protocol, a
highly precise clock source, referred to as the grand-master clock generates timestamp
announcements and responds to timestamp requests from boundary clocks, thus ensuring that the
boundary clocks and the slave clocks are precisely aligned to the grand-master clocks. By relying
on the handover capability and the precision of the integrated clocks in combination with the
continuous exchange of timestamps between PTP-enabled devices, frequency and phase
accuracy can be maintained at a sub-microsecond range, thus ensuring synchronization within
the network. In addition to frequency and phase synchronization, ToD synchronization can also
ensure that all PTP-enabled devices are synchronized with the proper time, based on coordinated
universal time (UTC).

The great advantages of PTP is that as a packed-based technology, only boundary and slave
clock needs to be aware of the nature of the packets and therefore synchronization packets are
forwarded as any other data packets within the network. This flexibility reduces the cost of
ownership as the main upgrade to the networks are limited to synchronization equipment
contrarily to the SyncE approach that requires both synchronization equipment and upgrade of
all Ethernet ports on the link to SyncE specifications.