Carrier Grade Ethernet Services can support a range of applications more easily, efficiently and cost-effectively than other network services. Using standard Ethernet interfaces, subscribers can set up secure, private Ethernet Virtual Connections across a Metropolitan Area, or even a Wide Area, to connect their sites together and connect to business partners, suppliers and the Internet. Using point-to-point E-Line Services and multipoint E-LAN Services, subscribers can connect to one site or many. With service options such as Service Multiplexing, subscribers can use a single UNI to support multiple connections. Additionally, with many Ethernet services, subscribers can buy just the bandwidth they need today, knowing that they can quickly and easily add bandwidth and set up new connections whenever they need to. In order to support a wide range of applications and subscriber needs, Ethernet Services come in different types, with different service attributes. Ethernet Services will undoubtedly evolve to take advantage of advances in Ethernet technology and provide innovative new service features. However, it is clear that Ethernet Services will continue to provide the benefits of simplicity, cost effectiveness and flexibility that are unmatched for a wide range of applications.

The ENET3xxx access flow processor (AFP) is the first device in the industry implemented on a low cost FPGA and combines the best aspects of programmable logic with the best aspects of interface customization, packet processor and traffic Management on a single FPGA chip. This combination is designed to deliver optimized product differentiation, Maximum flexibility, field upgradeability and lowest power consumption. Figure 1 shows the ENET3xxx in a Metro Ethernet Services Card.

Figure 1. Metro Ethernet Service card

The ENET3xxx AFP targets Carrier Grade Ethernet Access equipment. The ENET3xxx performs advanced header parsing, pattern matching, bit manipulation, classification, packet modification, data movement, Inverse multiplexing, EFM bonding and extensive traffic management. It complies with all Carrier Ethernet requirements including TR-101, TR-156, and MEF.

Solution Overview

The ENET3xxx AFP solution enables Metro Ethernet Equipment Vendors providers to offer enterprise customers the operational cost benefits of Ethernet with the predictable QoS characteristics Per customer Ethernet Virtual Channel (EVC) including dedicated queue per EVC. Complete the service mix - ensuring that service providers can confidently mix and match E-Line and E-LAN VPN services based on what their customers want.

Ethernity Networks created a new class of low-cost, high-performance flow processor/traffic manager solutions optimized for metro access applications. Ethernity Network's ENET3xxx Access Flow ProcessorTM uses 40nm FPGA ( soon 28nm) as its vehicle platform and includes a field-proven, wire-speed pipeline architecture supporting up to 12-Gbps throughput, where same code used on a more expensive FPGA supports up to 40Gbps. .

The platform includes L2/L3/L4 switching, NAT/PAT, ATM SAR, EFM Bonding, programmable L2 to L5 classification, header processing supporting any type of protocol header, and comprehensive traffic management. The traffic management function includes MEF policing, Hierarchical QoS, Hierarchical Shaping and scheduling and traffic shaping per port/logical port/ priority .

For ENET3xxx device options look at ENET3xxx device and interface options.

The ENET3xxx interworking protocol includes software support for packet editing, which provides the ability to receive packets in any format and change the protocol per flow to any other protocol, hence supporting , Ethernet II, SNAP, Q-in-Q, MAC-in-MAC, MPLS, PPP, PPPoE, L2TP, or any type of L2 protocol.

Features & Benefits

The ENET3xxxx FPGA-based AFPs enable the Programmable Networks is customized, highly-configurable packet processors targeted to Metro Access applications. These devices adapt to the continuing evolution of protocols, as new features and capabilities are added after standards are ratified.

• Deterministic 12Gbps Metro Ethernet Packet Processor provides programmable protocol termination, built-in hardware accelerators that accelerate traffic management, Search functions, filtering, Editing, manage EVC QoS, and maintain Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• The only and First NPU and Traffic manager solution on lowest cost Pin Compatible 40nm FPGA devices offer a low-cost, small footprint, low power, FPGA-based packet processor solution for Metro Ethernet, FTTx, MSAM, and other access equipment line cards.
• Integrated search engine using a single DDR2 Memory that search up to 128K entries
• T-MPLS - VPLS/VPWS
• PBB, PBT
• ACL
• Pseudo Wire
• Multimedia wire speed multicast
• Fragment frames L2/L3/L4 switch, supporting EFM Bonding
• Integrated double data rate (DDR) memory controllers provide packet buffering and QoS queuing for managing multiple traffic classes of voice, video, and data traffic.
• Integrated MAC, GbEs, multiple FE, SPI-3 line-side interfaces to support various dual mode xDSL, PON, TDM framers, and analog front-end chip sets.
• Low Power
• Flexibility, Configurability & Field Upgradeability
• Superior Price/Performance