The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) has certified 10 products (see Table 1) in the Cisco® Metro Ethernet portfolio as meeting the carrier-class standard for Ethernet Private Line (EPL), Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL), and Ethernet LAN (E-LAN) services. Cisco Metro Ethernet architecture has historically been aligned with MEF standards, and the MEF-9 certification is formal validation of conformance with these standards.
Benefits
Service providers gain:
• Increased confidence in certified products that meet MEF specifications
• Reduced time and effort required for in-house equipment selection and product approvals
• Reduced testing time and expense
• Ability to respond faster to demand for Carrier Ethernet services
Enterprise companies interested in adopting Ethernet services from service providers benefit from the ability to use certification as a criterion in selecting a provider, as well as increased confidence in the equipment that powers those services.
Table 1. Certified Services by Product
Product Name
Certified Carrier Ethernet Services
Cisco Catalyst® 3750 Metro Series Switch
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switch
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco Catalyst 4948 10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Supervisor Engine 720
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Supervisor Engine 32
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco ME 6500 Series Ethernet Switch
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco 7600 Series Router and Cisco 7600 Series Supervisor Engine 720
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco ONS 15454 ML-Series Multilayer line cards
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco ONS 15454 CE-Series Carrier Ethernet cards
EPL
Cisco ONS 15310 ML-Series Multilayer cards
EPL, EVPL, and E-LAN
Cisco ONS 15310 CE-Series Carrier Ethernet cards
EPL
MEF Certification Program
The MEF works to accelerate the adoption of carrier-class Ethernet networks. The MEF Certification Program:
• Provides global assurance of vendor compliance with essential specifications
• Reduced need for extensive interoperability testing
• Enables quicker response to market demands for Carrier Ethernet services
• Assists enterprise customers in selecting an Ethernet services provider
MEF-9 Specification
MEF-9 is the first in a series of MEF test specifications. It specifies the conditions required for the delivery of services compliant with the requirements of the MEF service definitions, each of which has specific UNI and EVC service attributes with corresponding parameter values. Included were specific tests to validate the services and attributes of EPL, EVPL, or E-LAN services. These provide point-to-point (EPL or EVPL) or multipoint (E-LAN) Metro Ethernet services.
The Cisco Commitment
Cisco Systems® has participated in the Metro Ethernet Forum since its creation. Cisco is also an active contributor to the other major standards bodies defining carrier Ethernet standards, such as the IEEE, IETF, and ITU.
