Packet Transport Networks with MPLS and MPLS-TP technologies adoption at the metro area networks, bring economical and technical reasoning for MPLS / MPLS-TP evolution to the metro edge network domain. Orckit-Corrigent is validating this promise.
Carrier Ethernet market has reached the maturity phase. Service providers worldwide deploy Packet Transport Networks and use Ethernet-based switches and routers for the delivery of residential triple play, enterprise Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN, and mobile backhauling services.
In this mature environment, MPLS became the de-facto technology of choice. MPLS and MPLS-TP success is driven by the abilities to grow networks quickly, introduce new services and reduce expenditures. This was done due to a wide spectrum of features behind the concept of data and control plane separation and inherent traffic engineering.
Traditional concerns about MPLS cost and complexity are becoming obsolete. Economy of scale brought the technology hardware and software to reasonable prices. Wide deployment and standardization enable products interoperability even at the same metro area network. This opens the door for MPLS / MPLS-TP expansion to the smaller products that are located at the metro edge and act as the first level of metro aggregation.
From service provider's perspective, an entire metro network that is based on a single technology is a desired goal. Simpler and scalable service delivery can be achieved on a unified MPLS / MPLS-TP platform.
Unified MPLS / MPLS-TP technology guarantees coherent Quality of Service (QoS) across the network due to the technology best ability to assure high availability and resiliency with end-to-end protection schemes, inherent traffic engineering, and resource reservation.
Operations, Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P) is simpler when using a single technology and is also reducing costs. MPLS vast footprint formed a reliable set of OAM&P tools. For example, MPLS and MPLS-TP based signaling protocols eliminate the need to configure all the network elements along the route, and offer end-to-end service provisioning. In addition, network management requirements such as Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS) are also improved within an end-to-end MPLS / MPLS-TP environment that operates as a unified tool to monitor and control the network.
MPLS and MPLS-TP at the metro edge is not theoretical hypothesis. Orckit-Corrigent was the first telco vendor to implement Layer 2 MPLS and MPLS-TP technologies on a PTN switch that is targeting only the first level of metro aggregation. This vision got a validation from a Mexican wholesale Ethernet carrier - MetroNet, which selected this solution for deployment at his networking infrastructure.