1. MEF Technical Activities
Paul Bottorff, Co-Chair MEF Technical Committee

2. What is the MEF
The Metro Ethernet Forum is a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of optical Ethernet as the technology of choice in metro networks worldwide.
The Forum is comprised of leading service providers, major incumbent local exchange carriers, top network equipment vendors and other prominent networking companies that share an interest in metro Ethernet. It has 60 members as of February, 2002.

3. MEF Key Objectives
Build consensus and unite service providers, equipment vendors, end customers on optical Ethernet
Facilitate implementation of optical Ethernet standards to allow delivery of Ethernet services and make Ethernet-based metro transport networks carrier-class
Enhance worldwide awareness of the benefits of optical Ethernet services and Ethernet-based metro transport networks
Enable Ethernet applications and services, building on the physical transport specified by e.g. 10GEA

4. MEF Structure

5. MEF: Diverse Leadership
The MEF Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from:
BellSouth
SBC
France Telecom
Rockefeller Group Telecommunications Services
Agilent Technologies
Procket Networks
Atrica
Nortel Networks
Alcatel
For more information about the MEF leadership please visit

6. Marketing Committee Structure
Messaging Collateral
Sub-committee
Events
Sub-committee
Economic Analysis
Sub-committee
Marketing committee is divided into three areas

7. Technical Committee Structure
All Members
Areas
Architecture Sub-committee
Services
Sub-committee
Protocol &
Transport
Sub-committee
Management Sub-committee
Test
Methods
Sub-committee
Technical committee is divided into five specialization areas

8. Approach to Technical Standards
Use existing Standards and only fill the technical gaps for Metro Ethernet
IEEE 802
OIF
ITU
IETF
MPLS Forum
MEF
Etc.
Etc.
10 GE Alliance
Etc.
Etc.

9. Document Types Implementation Agreements Test Procedures
Building consensus on existing standards
Test Procedures
Promoting/Performing Interoperability testing
Position Statements
Proposing work for existing standards bodies
Technical Specifications
Developing new standards within MEF

10. TC Work Is Divided By Specialization Area
Technical Committee
All Members
Areas
Architecture Sub-committee
Services
Sub-committee
Protocol &
Transport
Sub-committee
Management Sub-committee
Test
Methods
Sub-committee

11. Architecture Metro Ethernet Network (MEN) Reference Model
User Network Interface (UNI)
Network to Network Interfaces (NNIs)
MEN Framework
defines the modeling conventions for the functional elements which compose a MEN
Provides common terminology for all MEF technical documents
The demark for customer or subscriber attachment
Ethernet Interworking NNI (EI-NNI)
Interface between autonomous systems

12. Services Ethernet Services Model Ethernet Definitions
Ethernet Line Services (ELINE)
Ethernet LAN Services (ELAN)
Circuit Emulation Service (CES)
Bandwidth Profiles Parameters
Committed Information Rate (CIR)
Peak Information Rate (PIR)

13. Transport and Protocol
Protection
Protection Framework describes a model and framework to deliver network protection schemes
EMF
Ethernet Multiplexor provides a subset of the functions under discussion at IEEE Provider Bridges
EoS
Agreements for transport of Ethernet over Sonet

14. Management Element Management System EMS/NMS Information Model
defines the requirements for the central systems which manage the network elements of a MEN
EMS/NMS Information Model
defines a vendor independent data model for information exchanged between the service provider’s NMS and the MEN EMS
OAM Management
defines end-to-end OAM for the service assurance

15. TC Rules and Procedures Protection Requirements d3
MEF Technical Committee Dash Board
MEF Technical Committee
Conformance &
Performance
Test
Area
Process Ad-Hoc
TC Rules and Procedures
Management
Area
Architecture
Area
Protocol & Transport
Area
Services
Area
MEN Architecture
QOS
QOS Framework d2
OAM&P
MEN Architecture FW Part 1 d1
MEN Architecture FW Part 2
MEN Architecture FW part 3
MEN Architecture FW part 4
MEN Architecture FW part 5
Ethernet
Services
Model d4
Ethernet
Services
Protection
Ethernet Services
OAM d4
Protection Requirements d3
Ethernet
Services
Definitions d2
Protection
Framework d3 TM
EMS Mgmt
UNI
UNI Requirements d2
MPLS Protection IA d1
Traffic Performance
Parameters d3
EMS Requirements d1
EoS
UNI Framework d3
EoS IA d1
CES
UNI PVC IA d1
EMS-NMS If
NI-NNI
CES Requirements d2
EI-NNI
Information Model d3
EMS-NMS
MPLS NI-NNI D1
EI-NNI TS d1
Legend
EMF
Gray Color = Not Approved Project
Orange Color = Approved Project
Blue Color = Draft Status
Green Color = Approved Standard
Red Color = Sent to Ballot
EMF TS d1

16. 16 Approved Drafts

17. Basic Metro Ethernet Model
Ethernet Service provided by Metro Ethernet Network (MEN)
Customer Equipment (CE) attaches to MEN at User-Network Interface (UNI) using 10, 100, 1000 Mbps Ethernet interface.

18. MEN Layered Network Model
Ethernet Services layer (ETH)
uses services from its Transport Layer(s)
provides services to its Application Services Layer(s)
Application Services
Layer (s)
(VoIP, IP, MPLS, PDH, ...)
Ethernet Services
Layer
(Ethernet)
Transport
Layer (s)
Domain
(802.3 PHY, SDH/SONET,
MPLS, OTN, ...)

19. MEF External Reference Points
Public Service
Networks
Internet, FR, etc.
UNI
Service Interworking SI-NNI
Metro Ethernet
Network (MEN)
Autonomy X
Metro Ethernet
Network (MEN)
Autonomy Y
Subscriber
Intercarrier
Network
Ethernet
Interworking
EI-NNI
Network
Interworking
NI-NNI
Transport
Network
Metro Ethernet
Network (MEN)
Autonomy X

20. MEF External Reference Point
User Network Interface (UNI)
Reference point between Metro Ethernet Network (MEN) and directly/virtualized attached interfaces of customer equipment.
Interfaces between MEN and customer equipment.
Is the subscriber demark point
Service Interworking NNI (SI-NNI)
Reference point between MEN and other public service networks (IP).
Interfaces between MEN and other public services networks (ex: ATM, FR, T1/T3, IP-Sec, etc).

21. MEF External Reference Point (Cont.)
Ethernet Interworking NNI (EI-NNI)
Reference point between MENs in different autonomys
Network Interworking NNI (NI-NNI)
Reference point between MENs in same autonomy.
Interface between MEN and other public transport networks (GE, SDH/SONET, ATM, RPR, etc).

22. Services Definition
Customer Equipment
(CE)
User Network Interface (UNI)
Metro Ethernet Network
Service Provider Responsibility
Service Model: Services described as seen by CE, UNI to UNI

23. Ethernet Virtual Connection Types (EVC)
Point-to-Point
Multipoint-to-Multipoint
Leaf
Root
Leaf
Point-to-Multipoint

24. Some Service Features
Bandwidth Profile: Defines the way in which less than the full physical bandwidth of UNI can utilized by the subscriber. Basis of the “pay for the bandwidth that you need” capability of an Ethernet Service.
Service Multiplexing: Multiple EVCs accessible at a single UNI. Reach multiple destinations across the MEN via a single UNI, e.g., a Gigabit Ethernet UNI.
Interworking Function: Non-Ethernet services via an Interworking Function (IWF), e.g., TDM over Ethernet
IWF
IWF

25. Ethernet Line Service (ELINE)
ELINE service is Point-to-Point and may describe both Private Lines and Virtual Private Lines
May build a Frame Relay like service

26. ELINE Service Multiplexing
In this example a single site has multiple ELINE connections to other sites multiplexed over a single UNI.

27. Ethernet LAN Service (ELAN)
Service is Multipoint-to-Multipoint fully connected

28. Protection Model
Multiple levels of service resiliency enabled by flexible protection mechanism
Application Protection Constraint Policy
MEF Protection Mechanism
End-to-End Path Protection
Aggregated Line and Node Protection
Topology
Transport

29. Aggregated Line and Node Protection
Detour Path
Network Element
Ingress Network Element
Network Element
Network Element
Egress Network Element
Primary Path
Network Element
Detour Path

30. End-to-End Path Protection
Network Element
Ingress Network Element
Network Element
Network Element
Egress Network Element
Primary Path
Network Element
Secondary Path
Network Element
Network Element

31. End-to-end OAM LMI LMI UNI Customer Edge Customer Edge
Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC)
LMI
Ethernet
Access
Network
Provider
Edge
Ethernet
Access
Network
Provider
Edge
Internet
Access
Metro
Ethernet
Network
Metro
Ethernet
Network
ISP
Router

32. OAM Management Availability Status Monitoring Scalability
Extensibility
Security
Tunnel and Transport Independence
Layer 3 Independence

33. Summary
MEF is working to fill the gaps between existing standards needed to standardize complete MEN systems.
Technical work is focused on
Customer Service Specifications
User Interface Definition
Network To Network Interface Definitions
Transport Network Features for Protection, QoS, and EoS
End-to-end Management
Network Element Management