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Tomorrow's network will mostly carry packets. As a result, an evolution of existing time-division multiplexing (TDM)-based transport networks is taking place, and new architectures optimized to carry packets are being defined. The function of a transport network is to carry information between service edge devices. These devices could be Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs), gateways, T1/E1 aggregators, broadband remote access servers (BRAS), etc. Traditional transport systems based on SDH/SONET platforms provide low-speed bandwidth granularity network services as well as high-speed long-haul transmission services. Circuit-switched transport network services with fixed bandwidth granularity (64 Kbps, 1.5 Mbps, 2 Mbps, 50 Mbps, 150 Mbps, 600 Mbps, etc.) were emulated using connection-oriented, packet-switched (CO-PS) technologies and similar managed-bandwidth services. However, in the access/aggregation and metro domains, there is a desire by carriers to simplify packet transport networking in order to reduce capital expenditures (CapEx) and operational expenses (OpEx) in their next-generation networks.
MPLS is considered a leading connection-oriented packet transport networking technology. Recently many carriers have shown their desire to converge their next-generation core networks onto MPLS, and subsequently have deployed their core networks using MPLS. Given the deployment of MPLS networks and the desire to align packet networking with more traditional transport operations methods, this standardized approach is known as MPLS Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) in the IETF (groups - MPLS, PWE3, and CCAMP) and the ITU-T SG15.
In addition to offering traditional transport operational models for packet networking, there is a requirement to interconnect the MPLS-based client customer network to the server operator network using MPLS in order to provide simple managed-bandwidth services. In this case, the customer network and the operator network are managed as independent entities (that is customer and operator), so that they can be decoupled functionally and operationally to maintain the client-server relationship.
The MPLS-TP proposal contains a set of compatible technology enhancements to existing MPLS standards to extend the definition of MPLS to include support for traditional transport operational models. This proposal adopts all of the supporting quality of service (QoS) and other mechanisms already defined within the standards, but also brings the benefits of path-based, in-band Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) protection mechanisms found in traditional transport technologies.
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