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IEEE Communications Magazine

Feature Topic on

Carrier Scale Ethernet

Background
Ethernet's ubiquity in both the enterprise and residential markets coupled with the universal existence of mature, low-cost technology to implement it is driving the need for Ethernet solutions in the WAN environment. Part of this challenge is to deliver scalable solutions that can support a basket of services from simple point-to-point connectivity through to virtual private LAN services. Today this is being achieved using a number of technologies including SDH, ATM, MPLS and of course native Ethernets.

At the same time carriers face the challenge of migrating toward next generation networks with the aim of converging onto networks that contain fewer technologies, avoid single service network solutions, reduce the number of operational support systems and minimise the cost of ownership. In doing so carriers need to consider how Ethernet services will be delivered over these new networks and whether the existing Ethernet service model be maintained or modified.

There is considerable activity on the development of Ethernet solutions in standards bodies such as the IEEE, ITU-T, MEF and TMF. New techniques for constructing Ethernet WANs such as the IEEE projects on Shortest Path Bridging, Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB) and PBB Traffic Engineering offer the potential to remove the current scaling limitations of Ethernet WAN solutions. Combined with this there is also activity on the development of fault management solutions to improve fault localisation and speed of response and on developing new network management and control solutions. Higher speed Ethernets beyond 10 Gbit/s are also being researched, and some applications are beginning to be considered for deployment.

Scope of Contributions
This feature topic is intended to provide tutorial information and original research articles to the Communications Magazine readers on Ethernet WANs. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

Network architectures
Ethernet service types required by residential, small/medium enterprise, and large enterprise customers
Scaling Ethernet WANs
Provider Backbone Bridging and Provider Backbone Bridging Traffic Engineering
Operation and performance of Ethernet WANs
New approaches to controlling Ethernet networks including shortest path bridging, provider link state bridging and GMPLS
Management of Ethernet networks
Synchronous Ethernet and circuit emulation over Ethernet
Ethernet beyond 10 Gbit/s
Standardisation activity

Schedule for Submissions
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2008
Notification of Acceptance: June 1, 2008
Final Manuscript Due: July 1, 2008
Publication Date: September 2008

For manuscript submission, the authors should follow the IEEE Magazine guidelines under "information for Authors" at http://www.comsoc.org/pubs/commag/sub_guidelines.html. Manuscripts must be submitted through the magazine's submissions Web site at: http://commag-ieee.manuscriptcentral.com/ . Please select Sept. 2008/Carrier Scale Ethernet" in the drop down menu.

Feature Topic Editors
For additional information about the Feature Topic, please contact the Guest Editors listed below:

Alan McGuire
alan.mcguire@bt.com

Glenn Parsons
gparsons@nortel.com

David Hunter
dkhunter@essex.ac.uk