[c-nsp] gigabit ethernet ring for metro ethernet deployment

[Eric Helm]

Saku Ytti wrote:
> On (2007-01-05 21:21 -0500), Bill Wichers wrote:
> 
>>>> RPR is a technology I feel needs to be implemented in Cisco's switch
>>>> lineup. At this point RPR is not where it needs to be, I have queried
>>>> Ethernet". EAPS accomplishes this but is one vendor centric (Extreme
>>>> Networks)
>> I would love to see Cisco implement something like this. It would be great
>> for protected Metro Ethernet deployments, and would be a lot better (for
> 
> RPR is excellent technology, but it requires hardware support, so
> what ever cisco gear you have today, it's not going to be doing
> RPR when the code is there.
> It's crying shame that RPR standard bodies didn't spec RPR-lite 
> or whatnot that would be software equivalent of it (with of course
> poorer performance), replacing EAPS and all other proprietary hacks.
> Your best bet of having something similiar in cisco, is to hope
> cisco will implement their own EAPS like software hack, question
> you should address to your account team.
> 

It appears that Cisco is interested in Nortel's Provider Backbone
Transport technology. Maybe that will be their answer for Metro Ethernet
rings. Doubtful it will run on their lower end switches, so you may as
well look at MPLS/VPLS or something anyhow.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=112918

/Eric