SC441 Computer Networks – Independent Study
Boston University
Metropolitan
Ethernet
Networks
Estella Kang
Matt Powers
Metro Ethernet Networks

Typically covers several hundred
miles of concentrated metropolitan
areas

Explosion of Internet traffic and IP
services demand for rapid scalability
and dynamic functionality
SONET/SDH Implementation

Metro core and metro access ring
topology

ADM

DACS

TDM
SONET/SDH Constraints

Complex, multi-tiered, hierarchical
network

Limited Scalability

Expensive
Metro Ethernet Networks



Service and operational cost reduced
Scalable – up to 100Gbps
Simple – fewer protocol conversion
Services Provided by MEN




Full suite of carrier-class Ethernet
services
Ethernet switching
Statistical multiplexing functionality
Bandwidth-on-demand service
Metro Ethernet Network
Advantages






Service and management
Scalability
Network Reliability
Co-existence with existing
infrastructure
Topological flexibility
Reduction in operational and
network costs
Multi-Protocol Label
Switching (MPLS)

Label switching to forward data by
mapping VLAN tags to label switched
paths (LSPs)

Load sharing by switching path around
bottlenecks to less congested links

Dedicated backup LSP and fast reroute
when a connection failure occurs
Questions?