It is further development on the MAC in MAC metro Ethernet idea, and continues on from PBB (802.1ad and 802.1ah) It gets rid of some of the Ethernet features such as broadcast and links the L2 Shortest path algorithm to ISIS. It is essentially for use in Large metro environments and some have gone as far to say replace or side by side with MPLS. It also hides the MAC addresses from the access/aggregation network through the metro or aggregation to aggregation environment. Say 1k subs = 5k macs are now reduced to 1 chassis mac for the pipe. Having this reduction then reduces the need for learning and obvious reduces the tax on the transit devices tables. There is also discussion that it will allow tighter SLA than MPLS. This is open to discussion esp with all the work going on in the MPLS world. It is being championed by a number of switch vendors and observed by the rest. Time will tell if it gets the acceptance it needs to become mainstream. BT are making noise about, supposedly a Chinese carrier have adopted it (name eludes me). Also a number of carriers (US, Europe and Asia) are keeping it in the watch list and options open during RFP periods. Obviously this is a very quick and dirty overview of what it is. Peter Gerard Creamer wrote:
On 30/11/2006 7:22 a.m., Peter Youngquest wrote:
I think the lack of replies is interesting. Quite telling, or maybe I am reading too much into it. ;-)
I'm still reading wikipedia trying to figure out what it does :^) Hard to be opinionated when your clueless. Actually, it's probably easier, but you get flamed...
So if you're reading that you mentioned something outside of the majority's experience, my vote is a 'yea'. Gerard