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Evaluating carrier class ethernet services Technical Primer
Demand for Ethernet-based services is on the rise, and the key driving force behind this is continuous growth of data traffic in the metro/access networks. Many service providers and enterprise network operators are already moving towards the evaluation and deployment of next-generation Ethernet services, which promise not only a new source of revenue, but also improved efficiency in the
delivery of data services.
The challenge is that Ethernet is a 'best-effort' service, and now industry bodies and equipment manufactures are making considerable efforts to ensure Ethernet services are 'carrier class'. Key areas of concerns such as quality of service (QoS), resiliency and scalability required to deliver carrier-class services are being addressed. Therefore, testing is an essential first step in ensuring carrier-class Ethernet services are delivered to subscribers.
This paper presents an overview of Ethernet services, and an appreciation of the challenges involved in evaluating carrier-class services being developed and deployed.
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Network Services 
