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Updated 9-28-00 |
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FAQ's
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1. What is 10 Gigabit Ethernet and how does it relate to previous versions of Ethernet? Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet have clearly been adopted as the technologies of choice for building high-performance local area networks (LANs). 10 Gigabit Ethernet is simply the next logical development in this Ethernet bandwidth hierarchy. An evolutionary step forward, 10 Gigabit Ethernet will preserve many of the same characteristics of previous versions of Ethernet, continuing the Ethernet tradition of providing the most cost-effective and simple-to-implement networking technology. 2. Will 10 Gigabit Ethernet differ from previous versions of Ethernet other than raw speed? There are two differences between 10 Gigabit Ethernet and other speeds of Ethernet. First is the inclusion of a long-haul (40+ km) optical transceiver or physical medium dependent (PMD) interface for single mode fiber that can be used with either the LAN PHY or WAN PHY for building MANs. The second is the WAN PHY option, which allows 10 Gigabit Ethernet to be transparently transported across existing OC-192 SONET infrastructures. The WAN PHY is an optional PHY that includes a simple, inexpensive SONET framer and operates at a data rate compatible with the payload rate of OC-192c/SDH VC-4-64c. It is not a SONET interface. It is an asynchronous Ethernet interface. 4. What is the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance (10GEA) and what are their goals? The 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance is an industry consortium with three primary objectives:
5. What is the IEEE 802.3ae task force and what are their goals? The IEEE 802.3ae Task Force is a standards body responsible for defining the specification for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Its key goals include:
6. How does the 10GEA differ from the IEEE 802.3ae task force? The IEEE 802.3ae Task Force is part of the international standards body IEEE 802.3. The Task Force is responsible for defining the industry standard for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Representation and voting in the IEEE 802.3 process is by individuals not companies. In contrast, the Alliance is an industry consortium whose members are companies. The Alliance concentrates on the promotion and industry acceptance of 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology and products. 7. What is the status of the work of the IEEE 802.3ae task force? When is a ratified standard expected? Since March 2000, approximately 75 companies and 150 engineers have been discussing 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology in the IEEE 802.3 study group which culminated in the formal 802.3ae Task Force that was officially sanctioned to develop an industry standard for Ethernet at 10 Gbps. The core content of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Standard, as adopted during the July IEEE meeting, includes all of the major logic elements and media access for a complete solution. This content includes the media access control (MAC), the physical coding sublayer (PCS), 10 gigabit media independent interface (XGMII) and other optional interfaces, management and the various physical medium dependent (PMD) interfaces. In September the IEEE P802.3ae Task Force completed the first draft of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet specification and reached agreement on four optical transceivers for multimode and single mode fiber, otherwise known as PMDs. The four PMDs are expected to be ratified by the IEEE 802.3 Working Group in November 2000. Based on these accomplishments, the standards process for 10 Gigabit Ethernet remains on track for ratification in early 2002. 8. Can you clarify media and related distances for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. What media will support 10 Gigabit Ethernet and at what distances? Two transceiver proposals were included as part of the core content being incorporated in the first draft of the standard. There are now four PMDs in the specification as outlined in the table: TABLE 2: Optical Transceivers for 10 Gigabit Ethernet*
Notes: 9. Why is 10 Gigabit Ethernet Technology necessary? The main factor driving 10 Gigabit Ethernet is the increase in Internet and intranet traffic. A number of factors contribute to the explosive growth in both Internet and intranet traffic:
By extrapolating these trends, it is clear that the bandwidth demands of these applications will require an increase in bandwidth over the next 12 to 18 months. In particular, the deployment of 1000BASE-T workgroup switches (Gigabit Ethernet over copper) demands faster technology with which to connect these switches. 10. How will 10 Gigabit Ethernet be deployed in the LAN? Initially, network managers will use 10 Gigabit Ethernet to provide high-speed, local backbone interconnection between large-capacity switches. As the demand for bandwidth increases, 10 Gigabit Ethernet will be deployed throughout the entire network, and will include server farm, backbone, and campus-wide connectivity. 11. How will 10 Gigabit Ethernet be deployed in the MAN and WAN? 10 Gigabit Ethernet will enable Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Network Service Providers (NSPs) to create very high-speed links at a very low cost, between co-located, carrier-class switches and routers. The technology will also allow the construction of MANs and WANs that connect geographically dispersed LANs between campuses or points of presence (PoPs). These connections will use dark fiber, dark wavelengths, or SONET (synchronous optical network) networks. 12. How does the deployment of 10 Gigabit Ethernet compare with that of ATM in the MAN and for WAN access? ATM and Ethernet are very different technologies with very different design philosophies. In most cases where the customer requirement is data and TCP/IP transport, 10 Gigabit Ethernet provides substantial value over ATM transport for both network end users and service providers:
13. When might 10Gigabit Ethernet products become available? Pre-standard products may appear during late 2000 or early 2001. However, it is unlikely that interoperability between different vendors� products will be achieved until a later version of the technical draft specifications is implemented. Standards compliant products will be available after formal ratification of the IEEE 802.3ae standard. See Question 7 for more about the timeline of the 10Gigabit Ethernet standard.
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