Ethernet Transport Services

PacketExchange’s Private Ethernet Transport solutions leverage the latest high-performance technology.  Partnering with Tellabs and Ciena, PacketExchange benefits by deploying Carrier Ethernet services over its next-generation optical network. PacketExchange’s Ethernet Private Line is specifically engineered to ensure path resiliency, fast re-routes and maximum efficiencies.

Similar to traditional MPLS-style "virtual network" services, PacketExchange's EPL (Ethernet Private Line) and VPLS (Virtual Private LAN Service) provide transparent, native Ethernet connectivity between offices, datacenters and customer locations around the world. PacketExchange Ethernet services are available in 3 configurations:

Ethernet Private Line (EPL): Truly dedicated bandwidth between two points, protected by our network's resilient ring design.

Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS): Connecting multiple office or datacenter locations together, VPLS transparently and seamlessly extends your Layer 2 LAN to points around town, or around the world.

Point to Multipoint (PtMP): Also known as "e-tree" service, Point to Multipoint allows a company to extend Ethernet network infrastructure to partners and customers, while keeping individual partner network segments discreet.

PacketExchange makes use of both PBB-TE (Provider Backbone Bridging - Traffic Engineering) as well as MPLS technology to provide Ethernet swtiching efficiencies.  Deploying complementary technologies provides PacketExchange's carrier Ethernet and transport solutions the ability to overcome traditional shortcomings of legacy technologies, providing cost-effective bandwidth scalability through an accelerated and automated service activation system.  This technology, deployed end-to-end throughout  PacketExchange’s fault-tolerant backbone network, minimizes the number of backbone device configurations, simplifying global Ethernet deployment while significantly shortening provisioning intervals.

Numerous differences exist between MPLS and PBB-TE transport technologies. PacketExchange is the first provider to utilize both for the advantage of its customers. Learn more about these differences in Ciena's whitepaper detailing the differences between MPLS and PBB-TE solutions.

Features

• Access Aggregations
• First technology developed based on native Ethernet, specifically for carrier network deployment
• PBB-TE uses point-to-point tunnels to transport Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
• MPLS uses LSPs to transport Ethernet circuits transparently with guaranteed bandwidth
• Using MAC address tunneling PBB-TE provides enhanced security & scalability
• Service and transport layer independent, PBB-TE can support Ethernet, IP, MPLS-style pseudo-wires, jumbo frames, VLAN tagging or your own MPLS labels
• MPLS transport services can provide VPLS (Virtual Private Lan Service) capabilities, enabling a wide-area Layer 2 switch/mesh topology.
• Provides Ethernet tunneling with full MPLS interoperability
• Point to Point, Point to Multi Point, and full mesh configurations
• Extremely fast failover in the event of fiber cuts or outages

Benefits

• Ensure 100% uptime for mission-critical applications
• Security and reliability through protected, dedicated infrastructure
• Ability to scale capacity on-demand
• Provides the greatest reliability, flexibility, service scalability and operational simplicity at the most competitive rates
• The best Service Level Agreement in the industry 
• Rapid installation - typically 2-3 days for on-net locations
• Simple, flat-rate pricing

Technical Information

Ciena: why PBB-TE?

Ciena / PacketExchange case study