Nortel Networks
Passport 8600 Metro Ethernet Services
Bringing operational simplicity, flexibility, and enhanced scalability
of Ethernet Services to Nortel Networks Passport 8600, the Metro
Ethernet Services Module 8668 delivers on the promise of greater
control over cost of ownership.
No longer just a local area network (LAN) technology, Ethernet has evolved to Optical Ethernet, a viable option for intra-metro and wide area networking connectivity. Optical Ethernet now offers an attractive net-work access option for carriers seeking to deploy a wide range of data network services using Ethernet as the user interface, supporting point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and any-to-any
Product Brief
connection configurations as well as Ethernet Virtual Private LAN Switching (VPLS)-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) services. For enterprises that want to cost-effectively extend LANs at native rates into the MAN and WAN, Ethernet services are the answer. For carriers and service providers looking for a fast, reliable, and profitable way to beat bandwidth bottlenecks from LAN to MAN/WAN, Optical Ethernet is the answer. Optical Ethernet enables carriers to build next-generation infrastructures across the metro in support of Ethernet services, as well as support for back-hauling IP services.
• Extraordinary degrees of network and service scalability, supporting net-works of up to 16M Ethernet VPNs
What makes the Passport 8600
exceptional?
Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668
The new Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 for the Passport 8600 utilizes state-of-the-art network processor technology to implement Layer 2 VPN functions in a programmable format, while retaining the high-speed process-ing capabilities previously associated with fixed silicon implementations. The ability to program the network processor means that fast-moving changes in the standards defining how VPNs are implemented can be captured and brought to market quickly, and with reduced cost.
Ethernet VPN service topologies supported by the Ethernet Services Module 8668 include point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and any-to-any models. Implementation of these specific topologies gives service providers additional flexibility while improving overall resource utilization and net-work efficiency. Unknown unicast, multicast, and broadcast traffic are constrained within their respective service topologies, effectively limiting unnecessary broadcasting. For example, an enterprise customer with a head-quarters site and many branch offices would benefit from an Ethernet VPN service implemented in a point-to-multipoint or hub-and-spoke fashion. Leveraging a point-to-multipoint service topology, service providers can restrict the spokes to only communicate through the hub, thereby maximizing the effi-a reffi-ange of interfeffi-aces, including
10-Megabit to 10-Gigabit Ethernet, Packet-over-SONET/SDH, and ATM. With the addition of the Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668, Passport 8600 now delivers: • Carrier-based Layer 2 Ethernet
VPNs for seamless LAN/MAN/ WAN connectivity
• Complete customer separation via a well defined Ethernet user-to-network interface (UNI) and Layer 2 VPN scalability via a network-to-network interface (NNI)
• Industry-standard interworking with Nortel Networks and third-party Ethernet switched and transport networks, including support for H-VPLS U-PE functionality as described in draft-ietf-ppvpn-vpls-ldp-00.txt
• Multiple services (e.g., Internet access, TLS, VoIP, etc.) per UNI port for revenue generation • A flexible suite of traffic policing,
QoS, and statistics capabilities that allows carriers to offer multiple levels of service at different price points • Point-to-point, point-to-multipoint,
and any-to-any VPN topologies • Fibre ring access resiliency (when
used with Nortel Networks Metro Ethernet Services Unit 1800) with 50ms ring
• Broadband managed services to apartments and condominiums • Point-of-presence (PoP)
edge-to-core traffic aggregation
• Service provider operations toolkit with enhanced SLA monitoring supporting end-to-end performance monitoring and measurement capabilities Passport 8600
Nortel Networks leads the industry in delivering Optical Ethernet solutions with the Passport 8600 routing switch. This proven platform has been a work-horse for enterprises and a reliable profit-maker for service providers. Now it is leading the way in delivering scalable, feature-rich, Ethernet-based VPNs and next-generation Ethernet MAN infra-structure.
The Passport 8600 is a key component of Nortel Networks Optical Ethernet solution, delivering 1-Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet performance with Quality of Service (QoS) for business-critical applications and services. The Passport 8600 delivers premium perfor-mance and availability, QoS-based traffic prioritization, scalability, and support for
Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 supported access deployment models are: • Single enterprise service access via
a dedicated link
• Multiple enterprise service access via an Ethernet access link • Multiple enterprise service access
via an Ethernet access ring This flexibility makes it appropriate for both greenfield build-outs as well as demand-based add-ons to existing infrastructures. It supports point-to-point, point-to-multipoint-to-point, and any-to-any styles of connectivity.
Delineation
The primary responsibility of the Ethernet UNI is service demarcation. Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 goes beyond simple demarcation by allowing service providers to deliver multiple services per port. Separation of customer traffic is achieved through support for IEEE 802.1Q, pre-standard IEEE 802.1ad Q-in-Q, and Stacked Tag (used by Nortel Networks Metro Ethernet Services Unit 1800). Delinea-tion continues on the network side of the Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 with support for Nortel Networks pre-standard MAC-in-MAC on the NNI link. Economics are driving providers today to deliver more than one service to a particular customer while leveraging the same infrastructure. For example, multiservice operators (MSOs) are looking to deliver voice, video, VPN, and Internet access while leveraging the hybrid fiber/coax plant. This is now possible with the Passport 8600 with Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668.
Scalability
Nortel Networks Ethernet NNI, as implemented on Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668, contains a service label that is able to distinguish 16 million Ethernet VPNs. This simplifies opera-tions by removing any concerns about having to partition the unit to avoid overlapping VPN-IDs. The Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 sup-ports up to 4000 customer VLAN ID to provider service ID mappings per port if the customer device is directly connected to the Passport 8600. Up to 256,000 service end-point map-pings per Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 can be achieved when using the Metro Ethernet Services Unit 1800 to collect customer traffic. Each network processor (eight/module) supports up to 150 mapped UNIs and up to 336 transparent UNIs.
The Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 improves bandwidth efficiency by tunneling enterprise broadcast traffic inside provider unicast packets. In addition, Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668’s pre-standard MAC-in-MAC implementation uses the MAC-in-MAC addresses of the Ethernet UNIs (ingress ports), rather than customer MACs in the switch forwarding tables. This greatly reduces the number of MAC addresses that must be learned and maintained by switches in the service provider’s core infrastructure. Keeping the number of MAC addresses to a minimum reduces the aging out and relearning of MAC addresses, thus making network for-warding far more stable.
Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 supports up to 100,000 customer MAC addresses per Ethernet UNI port
(ingress port) with an ability to set hard and soft limits, per VPN service, for customer MAC address usage.
Reliability
The Passport 8600 architecture is designed to provide protection strate-gies at multiple levels to deliver “five-nines” reliability.
At the device level, the Passport 8600 is equipped with redundant, hot-swappable, components—switch fabrics, power supplies, and fan trays. Temperature sensors constantly monitor the compo-nents and cooling systems to maintain acceptable system conditions.
At the trunk level, a feature called Distributed Multi-Link Trunking (DMLT) provides redundancy by enabling trunk groups to be configured across different slots in the same chassis. In the event of a failure, links would remain active, because other modules in the trunk group could take over. Network-level redundancy is provided by several key features:
• Multi-Link Trunking on each standard Ethernet port
• 50ms failover based when using fibre ring-based access with Metro Ethernet Services Unit 1800 • 50ms failover based on LACP MLT
(requires Metro Ethernet 8600 CPU Expansion Mezzanine card on the CPU)
Nortel Networks innovative Split Multi-Link Trunking (SMLT) on the Passport 8600 improves the scalability and reliability of Layer 2 networks by removing spanning tree convergence issues and providing faster recovery in the event of link failures.
Service continuity and management
Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 provides extensive capabilities for performance monitoring, service assurance, SLA measurement, and troubleshooting. An advanced Network Service Management portfolio allows service providers to schedule periodic tests while keeping a history of the test results to validate all VPN end-points, test connectivity (uptime), performance monitoring (e.g., round-trip delay), and debugging tools critical to measur-ing and validatmeasur-ing customers’ SLAs. This capability allows service providers to detect problems with the service before the customer notices the service degradation.
These tools also allow the service provider to troubleshoot and isolate the problem quickly and methodically. This operational simplicity at the service level enables significant operational savings.
Statistics are kept port and per-customer VPN. This is key to allowing the service provider to provide flexible tiered services and appropriately bill for each service.
Quality of Service
For enterprises and service providers alike, the network must be able to maintain quality of service profiles and differential treatment from end to end. Statistics are tracked per service. • Traffic classification occurs at ingress,
per service end-point, and is done using customer 802.1p or trusted customer TOS/DSCP markings. • Metro Ethernet Services Module
8668 implementation is based on RFC 2698, Two Rate Three Color Marker (trTCM). The trTCM meters an IP/Ethernet packet stream
and Committed Information Rate (CIR)—and their associated burst sizes, to be green, yellow, or red. A packet is marked red if it exceeds the PIR. Otherwise it is marked either yellow or green depending on whether it exceeds or doesn’t exceed the CIR.
• Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 supports four classes of services, with four distinctive queues.
Applications are prioritized across the network using intelligent agents in the interface modules to support IEEE 802.1p Class of Service (CoS) and IETF Differentiated Service (DiffServ). The policing of the color scheme does not change the customer frame or the service provider frame itself (i.e., frames are not marked with their respective color upon egressing the Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668). This color scheme is a specific mechanism used by the Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 upon experiencing congestion, so that frames, which are colored yellow, are dropped before green frames. All frames egressing a Nortel Networks MAC-in-MAC network are marked with proper 802.1p CoS markings, enabling end-to-end QoS and multi-vendor interoperability.
Operators can set policing parameters per port for transparent ports and per port per VPN for mapped ports.
Policing
• Ingress policing on a per port basis for Transparent UNI
• Ingress policing on per service basis for Mapped UNI
• User-tunable bandwidth in increments of 64 kbps up to 1 Mbps, then to line rate in increments of 1 Mbps
Ingress packet classification
• Per port basis
• Configurable mapping of customer 802.1p to service provider priority level per service
• Configurable mapping of customer DSCP to service provider priority level per service
Interoperability
With its network processor-enabled flexibility, Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 interworks with a compre-hensive range of Ethernet technologies on the user side, including:
• IEEE 802.1Q Ethernet VLANs • IEEE 802.1ad Ethernet Stacked
VLAN (Q-in-Q) • HVPLS U-PE
Security
The Ethernet UNI on the Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 neither uses nor processes any Layer 3 address information from the end-user's network. Network address translation is unnecessary, because the entire end-customer packet is encapsu-lated so that the customer's Layer 3 header is kept intact across the provider network. The Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668's MAC-in-MAC style encapsulation prevents a 'MAC-explosion' scenario in the provider metro core switches that could lead to flooding of customer packets across the provider network. This encapsulation also makes the provider infrastructure transpar-ent to the customer’s Ethernet control protocol packets. Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 provides a simple option to tunnel enterprise control frames without complex provisioning.
Passport 8600 requirements for Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668
Summary of key benefits of Passport 8600 and Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668
• Ethernet service versatility—Point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and any-to-any • Service demarcation—Customer and service provider networks are decoupled by
the Ethernet UNI/NNI
• Improved time-to-revenue—Multiple services may be enabled on the same customer port
• Ethernet simplicity with scalabilityfor future network growth
• Customer address and protocol transparency—Simplifies operations by eliminating the effort necessary to avoid conflicts
• Interface flexibility—Can directly interface to customer-located equipment and/or can be a server module for other Ethernet ports in the Passport 8600
• Ethernet NNI interoperability with OPTera Metro 8000
• Highly secure—Customer packets are encapsulated across the service provider network and customer MAC addresses are not used in the aggregation and core switch forwarding tables
• Highly available—Passport 8600 has redundant power, CPU, and switch fabric, along with support for Distributed Multi-Link Trunking and Split Multi-Link Trunking • Service assurance—SLA parameters are implemented on a per-port and/or per-VPN
basis, and VPN Continuity can be validated and measured
Feature Requirement
CPU/switch fabric 8691 with 256 Meg
Software release Metro Ethernet Switching Release 3.5 Metro Ethernet 8600 CPU expansion Required for 50ms recovery on MLT links Mezzanine card
Interfaces
8 ports Gigabit Ethernet, GBIC-based
Network protocols and standards compatibility
IEEE 802.3 (Ethernet) IEEE 802.1Q (VLAN tagging) IEEE 802.1p (Prioritizing)
IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX and 1000BASE-LX Pre-IEEE 802.1ad [Q-in-Q]
Nortel Networks pre-MAC-in-MAC
Order No. Product description
DS1404068 Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668
8 port GBIC Ethernet Services Module (requires GBICs) DS1410019-3.5 Metro Ethernet Switching Passport 8600 Release 3.5
Software License
In the United States: In Canada: In the Caribbean and In Europe: In Asia:
Nortel Networks Nortel Networks Latin America: Nortel Networks Nortel Networks 35 Davis Drive 8200 Dixie Road, Nortel Networks Maidenhead Office Park 6/F Cityplaza 4, Research Triangle Park, Suite 100 1500 Concorde Terrace Westacott Way Taikooshing, North Carolina 27709 Brampton, Ontario L6T 5P6 Sunrise, FL 33323 Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 3QH 12 Taikoo Wan Road,
USA Canada USA UK Hong Kong
For more information, contact your Nortel Networks representative, or call 1-800-4 NORTEL or 1-800-466-7835 from anywhere in North America. GSA Schedule GS-35F-0140L
True modularity for maximum flexibility
With a range of fault-tolerant models to choose from to satisfy various capacity needs, Passport 8600 offers an uncom-monly flexible, cost-effective Ethernet switching capability for enterprises and service providers.
Chassis choices
Three redundant chassis models are available:
For service provider central offices, Nortel Networks offers a NEBS3-compliant 10-slot chassis designed for the most demanding environments, with enhanced cooling and electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection features.
Where high density, availability, and scalability are essential, Nortel Networks offers a 10-slot chassis—one or two slots for a load-sharing CPU/switching fabric module, with the remaining slots available for input/output modules.
Where space is at a premium and lower density is desired, a 6-slot chassis is available.
Module choices
A choice of switch modules for access and trunking makes the Passport 8600 ideal for the evolving network input/output modules can be mixed and matched to offer Ethernet interfaces from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps, using the Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 as a server module for Ethernet services. The range of module options means the network can grow as business needs grow. The platform can support scalable switching bandwidth up to 128 Gbps—wire-speed routing of 96 million packets per second.
This unparalleled flexibility protects the network investment by accommo-dating evolving Ethernet standards and hard-to-forecast business growth.
Simple operations, lowest cost of ownership
The Passport 8600 and all modules can be managed through Nortel Networks integrated, next-generation Preside and Optivity management systems.
Commands for device management and performance monitoring via the Nortel Networks Device Manager are shared across the entire Passport 8000 Ethernet Switch Series, dramatically reducing net-work administration associated with con-figuring individual devices.
Critical application policy services and prioritization are easily implemented and monitored using standard industry protocols.
Metro Ethernet Services Module 8668 supports single end-point service activa-tion at the Ethernet UNI. Activaactiva-tion can be followed immediately by a VPN continuity verification test to ensure that the activation was carried out correctly. From the physical to the logical, all aspects of the Passport 8600 were designed to be easy to install, operate, and maintain for maximum ease and minimum cost of ownership.
