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Tuesday TECHtionary.com TECH-Tip – MSSS-Multi-Service Switching System or MSE-Multi-Service EdgeThe animated TECH-Tip tutorial available at http://www.techtionary.com Summary In order to reduce the number and types of different routing and switching systems, the next-generation Edge device is often called a MSSS-Multi-Service Switching System or MSE-Multi-Service Edge system provides protocol conversion from Access protocols to one or more Core protocols such as (MPLS-Multi-Protocol Label Switching). MPLS is not the only protocol but an increasingly popular one. Details The term INTERNET comes from INTER-connection of NETworks or short for INTERNETWORK. Though there are many kinds of internet architectures, there is a generally accepted hierarchy of Access, Edge and Core. Here is a quick review of the key elements in a Hierarchical Network - Access, Edge and Core. Access usually connects the customer or CPE-Customer Provided/Premise Equipment. Access circuits are multiplexed, integrated or aggregated to Edge routers. Another view of this hierarchy is shown shortly. At the Edge, a myriad of different protocols are combined by the carrier depending on their architecture into Core protocols such as IP-Internet Protocol or ATM. The MSE-Multi-Service Edge will connect the customer with POTS-Plain Old Telephone Service, DSL-Digital Subscriber Line, Cable modem, WiFi-Wireless Fidelity, satellite, T-1-Transmission Level One transmission lines. Over these transmission lines is Ethernet, ATM-Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Frame Relay or IP-Internet Protocol. These services are organized by the SP-Service Providers also known as ISP-Internet SP, WISP-Wireless Internet SP and others. These carriers or SP call their products by their own brand names such as Metro Ethernet, Leased Access, Special Access, L2-Layer 2 Access, VPN-Virtual Private Network, VPLS-Virtual Private Lan Services, VPWS-Virtual Private Wire Service (private line services using a Layer 2 protocol such as ATM, Frame Relay or Ethernet [also known as private line Ethernet]) NMLI-Native Mode LAN-Local Area Network Interconnection, BRAS-Broadband Remote access Aggregation Server (highlighted because its new term) and other names. Here is the Hierarchical or multi-level network topology. While there are physical devices, they are organized logically or virtually. There are three layers but they do not correspond to the OSI-Open Systems Interconnection model. The Access Layer controls user and workgroup access to internetwork (wide area network) resources. Some of the key features are: - Inbound/outbound access to Distribution Layer - Creation of separate segments/segmentation (ethernet collision domains) to manage traffic - Backup of access to WAN via private/dedicated lines is by DDR-Dial on Demand Routing (via ISDN-Integrated Services Digital Network) - LAN-Local Area Network switches - rather than routers dominate/control the access devices such as PC-Personal Computers, printers, and servers/storage systems - Workgroup performance/control - logins, privileges, virus scanning The Distribution Layer is the gateway between the Access Layer and the Core Layer (which will likely include access to or completely different networks). Some of the key features are: - Access border guard - firewalls (filtering and destruction of unwanted or undesirable packets) - Access management - queuing/buffering/caching - priority access to and from Access Level - Routing traffic control - routing dominates rather than switching - - Inter-Area Routing - inbound/outbound from Core - - Intra-Area Routing - routing between VLAN-Virtual Local Area Networks - - Separate (isolate) broadcast and collision domains of LANs - - Network management - performance and outage control The Core Layer has the master traffic control function. At the top of the hierarchy or layers, the Core Layer features are: - Reduce routing - use the "core principle" - route once, switch thereafter to keep routing at a minimum as switching will always be less expensive (including management costs) than routing - Support regions not workgroups - provide for bulk and rapid data transmission - Design for isolation - rather design to isolate faults, control failures and provide multiple points/places of redundancy - Focus on design architecture - focus on overall design issues, protocols used (IP-Internet Protocol, ATM-Asynchronous Transfer Mode, Frame Relay, MPLS-Multi-Protocol Label Switching), routing protocols, (EIGRP-Enhanced Interior Group Routing Protocol, IGRP, OSPF-Open Shortest Path First, RIP-Routing Information Protocol, etc.), router types, and carriers - backup carriers. The tutorial continues with another view of Hierarchical or multi-level network topology. Each of the Access, Distribution or Core Layers can be configured/designed for different specific business or functional configurations. About TECHtionary.com – 303-444-6226 TECHtionary Corporation founded in 2001 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado is the World's First and Largest Animated (rich media) Library/Magazine on Technology. Get the analysis and more than 2,630+ free tutorials on data, internet, wireless, VoIP-Voice over Internet Protocol (internet telephony), PBX systems, central office switching, protocols, telephony, telecommunications, networking, routing, power systems, broadband, WiFi-Wireless Fidelity and other technologies, TECHtionary.com provides "just enough – just-in-time" critical success information. TECHtionary produces web infomercials proven to "increase revenues, decrease customer support costs and increase customer satisfaction." |