MEF Certification Program

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MEF Certification Program
Moderator Michael Haugh Ixia Panelists Kevin
Vachon MEF Richard Dagnall - IoMetrix
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Agenda

• Program Overview
• Benefits of the program
• MEF 9 MEF 14
• Certified Companies
• The Program in 2007 2008

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Certification Program Overview

• Kevin Vachon
• COO, MEF

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The MEF Certification Program

• Background
• Worldwide Ethernet Services based on large
  populations of multi-vendor equipment yet
  delivering a single set of services must be
  carefully engineered
• From user perspective, services must be plug and
  play
• This is facilitated by the Certification Program
• The program consists of a series of thorough
  tests providing evidence for end-users, service
  providers and manufacturers alike, that products
  and services are compliant to published MEF
  specifications

TM
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Key Benefits of Certification

• Key Benefits for the Enterprise
• Designed to assure business users that services
  behave and perform according to agreed service
  level specification and known international
  standards
• It provides IT departments with the knowledge to
  make informed decisions at greatly reduced risks
• Accelerates Carrier Ethernet deployment at
  reduced cost
• Provides common terminology to compare services
• Are you MEF Certified Compliant? - Now a
  common feature of RFQs.

TM
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Key Benefits of Certification

• Key Benefits for Service Providers
• Immediate assurance that vendors equipment
  complies to MEF Specifications
• Reduces service costs, charges and time on
  complex testing between vendors, especially on
  global installations
• Establishes solid foundation for Carrier Ethernet
  ubiquity, interoperability
• Removes confusion caused by proprietary service
  names and overlapping options
• Conformance to MEF 9 allows customers to specify
  their service requirements by referencing
  independent, international standards

TM
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Key Benefits of Certification

• Key Benefits for Equipment Manufacturers
• Created a globally recognized interoperability
  standard improves approval process,
• Increases tender opportunities and
  competitiveness
• Dramatically reduces testing costs,
  time-to-market and installation time.
• Creates an independent validation of function and
  conformance and is creating a strong partnership
  with service provider customers
• Provides a performance and behaviour benchmark
• Creates a platform for future management
  standards testing

TM
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Current Certification Programs

• Michael Haugh
• Senior Product Manager, Carrier Ethernet
• Ixia

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Accelerating Adoption Through Certification

• The MEF Certification Program
• An important part of the MEFs mission to
  accelerate the deployment of Carrier Ethernet
• Manufacturer and Service Provider Certification
• Certification for Carrier Ethernet systems and
  equipment that deliver MEF compliant Ethernet
  services
• Certification to enable Service Providers to
  deliver consistent Carrier Ethernet services
  compliant with MEF specifications

TM
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Accelerating Adoption Through Certification

• Current Certification Program Comprises
• Service Certification to MEF 9 for Vendors
• Service Certification to MEF 9 for Service
  Providers
• Traffic Management Certification to MEF 14 for
  Vendors
• Approved Certification Lab
• MEF does not conduct certification directly
• Certification is via MEF approved lab Iometrix
  Inc.
• Cooperation with leading test manufacturers
• Implements state-of-the-art test methodologies

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MEF 9 - Abstract Test Suite for Ethernet Services
at the UNI

• Tests Service Compliance from the Enterprise
  Point of View
• MEF 9 tests conformance of Ethernet Services at
  the UNI where the Subscriber and Service Provider
  areas of responsibility meet

Test Bed for Ethernet Services at the UNI
User NetworkInterface (UNI)
User NetworkInterface (UNI)
Testers generating receiving monitoring frames at
the UNI
Testers generating receiving monitoring frames at
the UNI
CarrierEthernetNetwork
Testers physically attach to the MEN at the UNI
Testers may be attached to the MEN at multiple
UNIs
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MEF 14 - Abstract Test Suite for Traffic
Management Phase 1
Introduces Standards Based SLS/SLA Verification
of Carrier Ethernet Service Quality

• SLS (Service Level Specification) refers to the
  parameters of the performance objectives
• SLA (Service Level Agreement) refers to the
  contractual obligations binding the Subscriber
  and the Service Provider
• Based on Traffic Management specifications in MEF
  10
• Ethernet Service Performance Attributes
• Frame Delay Service Performance
• Frame Delay Variation Service Performance
• Frame Loss Ratio Service Performance
• Measured per EVC and per Class of Service
• Requires continuous, accurate, accountable
  measurements on operational networks

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Certification Testing Expansion

• Richard Dagnall
• VP of Sales and Marketing
• IoMetrix

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The MEF Certification Program Rapid Progress
Achieved
Program Launched with Iometrix
First 16 Vendors, 39 Products Certified to MEF 9
(UNI) Announced
First 7 Carriers 21 Services Certified to MEF
9 (UNI) Announced
April 2005
First Traffic Managementfor Vendors Announced
Service Provider Certification MEF 14
(TM/QoS) Announced
Sept 2005
First 11 Service Providers Certified to MEF 14
April 2006
June 2006
October 2006
June 2007
Program Totals September 2007 gt330 Systems, 46
Equipment Manufacturers, 17 Service Providers
Certified 1000s Tests Conducted, gt700
Certifications Granted
Contents
Carrier Ethernet
Technical
Future Work
Certification
Membership
Marketing
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MEF Certified Companies September, 2007
60 Certified Services 330 Certified Systems
17 Service Providers (MEF 9, 14)
46 Vendors (MEF 9, MEF 14)
TM
MEF Certification Lab
Contents
Carrier Ethernet
Technical
Future Work
Certification
Membership
Marketing
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Certification program continues boosting MEF
Membership
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Program Expansion for 2007-2008

• The MEF Certification Program
• Continues to be an important part of the MEFs
  mission to accelerate the worldwide adoption of
  Carrier Ethernet

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Program Expansion for 2007-2008 (1)

• MEF 9 and MEF 14 going forward
• MEF 9 and MEF 14 Certification Programs for
  vendors and Service Providers have now all
  concluded the pilot phase
• Certification is now on an on-demand basis
• Circuit Emulation Services Certification MEF 18
• Based on Abstract Test Suite for Circuit
  Emulation Services
• Target for Certification Pilot Phase Q4 2007
• Members will be notified when registration for
  Pilot Phase is open

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Program Expansion for 2007-2008 (2)

• UNI Type 2 Certification
• UNI Type 2 requires backwards compatibility with
  UNI Type 1
• Abstract Test Suite for UNI Type 1 (MEF 19) is
  approved
• Other components of UNI type 2 specification such
  as Link OAM and E-LMI are work in progress.
• Target for UNI Type 2 Certification Pilot Phase
  mid-2008
• E-NNI Certification
• Abstract Test Suite is work in progress
• Plans to include multiple components such as Link
  and Service OAM
• Targeted for Certification Program in 2008

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Look for the logo
E-LAN Service type
CE
UNI
Carrier Ethernet Network
TM
UNI
Multipoint-to-Multipoint EVC
CE
UNI User Network Interface, CE Customer
Equipment
MEF certified Carrier Ethernet products
Contents
Carrier Ethernet
Technical
Future Work
Certification
Membership
Marketing

www.MetroEthernetForum.org
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CE Certification Programs QA
Richard Dagnall Vice President of Sales and
Marketing IoMetrix richard_at_iometrix.com
Michael Haugh Sr. Product Manager Ixia
Communications mhaugh_at_ixiacom.com
Kevin Vachon Chief Operating Officer Metro
Ethernet Forum kevinvachon_at_rogers.com
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