[c-nsp] Cisco have a metro ethernet ring standard 'REP'

[sthaug at nethelp.no]

> ... not widely announced, but available in ME-series switches, from
> 12.2(40)SE.
> 
> http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps5532/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a0080878947.html
> 
> It has some but arguably not all the advantages of MRP or EAPS. Shame no
> opportunity for interop, I imagine it's 'not invented here' syndrome.

Maybe. There may also be patent issues involved - I don't believe all 
the finer details of EAPS are described in the RFC, for instance.

> I would probably look at using this if it were available on other
> platforms, though.

We have been waiting for this from Cisco, and will definitely look long
and hard at it. Note that it's also available for the ME3400 platform,
also in 12.2(40)SE.

The enormous advantage that EAPS has for us is precisely the fact that
it does *not* interoperate with standard (802.1d and friends) spanning
tree protocol. I haven't studied the details of REP yet, but I imagine
it operates the same way.

For us the lack of EAPS/MRP interoperability is a non-issue.

Steinar Haug, Nethelp consulting, sthaug at nethelp.no