IEEE P802.1AD DRAFT

Description / Abstract: To enable a service provider to use a Virtual Bridged Local Area Network to provide separate instances of the 802 MAC Service, MAC Internal, and Enhanced Internal Sublayer Services to multiple independent customers, in a manner that does not require cooperation among the customers and that requires a minimum of cooperation between the customers and the provider of the MAC Service, this standard further specifies the operation of Provider Bridges. To this end it

n) Differentiates Customer VLANs (C-VLANs) that are under the administrative control of a single customer of a service provider, from the Service VLANs (S-VLANs) that are used by a service provider to support different customers.

o) Specifies VLAN TAG formats for both C-VLANs and S-VLANs, allowing each to be distinguished and separately applied and administered by customers and by a service provider.

p) Specifies the functionality of a generic VLAN-aware bridge component within a system and the specific requirements of derived C-VLAN and S-VLAN components.

q) Specifies a VLAN Bridge as comprising a single C-VLAN component, and a Provider Bridge as encompassing bridges that comprise a single S-VLAN component and no C-VLAN components (S-VLAN Bridge) or a single S-VLAN component and one or more C-VLAN components (Provider Edge Bridge).

r) Specifies parameters and mappings that allow the Enhanced Internal Sublayer Service to support traffic classes that comprise distinct aggregate flows supporting different QoS characteristics and provide independent guarantees to different customers, through support of priority and drop precedence marking.

s) Specifies the incorporation of flow metering, transmission queue management, and transmission selection algorithms within the forwarding process of a Bridge.

t) Positions the support of S-VLANs within the architectural description of the MAC Sublayer and specifies their relationship to media access method dependent functions and to the media independent functions used by customers to administer their networks, including the support of CVLANs.

u) Allocates the reserved multicast addresses to media access method dependent, provider network, and customer network functions, specifying the filtering to be applied in each type of VLAN-aware bridge component.

v) Defines the principles of network operation in terms of the support and preservation of the MAC Service, and the maintenance of Quality of Service for each service instance, including the segregation of data belonging to different organizations.

w) Specifies customer interfaces to a Provider Bridged Network in terms of the operation and configuration of the VLAN-aware bridge components of Provider Bridges, including interfaces that

1) provide access to a single service instance through a Bridge Port

2) allow a customer to select amongst and identify service instances by Customer VLAN Identifier (C-VID)

3) allow a customer to select amongst and identify service intstances by Service VLAN Identifier (S-VID)

4) support customer signalling of priority information on a frame by frame basis

5) multiplex service instances over LANs that provide access to a provider network

6) support fault tolerance through redundant provision of access LANs and equipment.

x) Describes the functions to be performed within the Provider Bridged Network in order to support and maintain the connectivity provided to customer service instances.

y) Establishes the requirements for Bridge Management in the Provider Bridged Network, identifying the managed objects and defining the management operations.

z) Specifies performance requirements and recommends default values and applicable ranges for the operational parameters of a Provider Bridge.