Multiservice Network Termination Unit

• An STM-1/OC-3C or STM-4/OC-12 network interface
  
• A Gigabit Ethernet user interface
  
• LAN/ATM interworking according to RFC 1483/2684 (bridged PDU), with up to 512 virtual circuit connections (VCCs)
  
• Traffic shaping according to CBR, VBR, UBR and UBR+ classes
  
• ATM OAM based on ITU-T I.610
  
• VLAN-transparent and VLAN-aware bridging
  
• VLAN support according to 802.1Q
  
• VLAN stacking (Q-in-Q) support
  
• QoS classification based on IP TOS or 802.1p

• Allows service providers to offer LAN services over existing ATM networks
  
• Extends QoS to the customer premises and provides extensive statistics for SLA enforcement
  
• Reduces OpEx with extensive diagnostics, fault isolation and performance monitoring
  
• Increases service flexibility and reliability
  
• Enables traffic separation, classification and prioritization

ACE-201 is customer located equipment (CLE), designed for provisioning Gigabit Ethernet services over an ATM network. Used as a network termination unit (NTU), the ACE-201 defines a demarcation point between the provider’s network and the customer premises, thus providing end-to-end traffic and network management control. SLAs are supported with traffic classification and prioritization schemes, allowing service providers to differentiate between service levels and generate additional revenues from their existing infrastructure.

Traffic management

The ACE-201 multiservice network termination unit supports different service classes, including CBR, VBR, UBR and UBR+. Using the ACE-201 multiservice network termination unit, service providers can assign each virtual connection (VC) to one of these service classes, define the QoS parameters and shape the traffic accordingly. Both the user and the carrier benefit from traffic shaping. For the user, this translates to a certain bandwidth capacity guarantee, ensuring network support for priority applications during congestion. For the carrier, shaping allows better statistical efficiency using the same backbone equipment.

Transparent LAN services over ATM

ACE-201 multiservice network termination unit is ideal for provisioning transparent LAN services (TLS) over an ATM network. It supports point-to-point or point-to-multipoint LAN connectivity, using VLAN-aware and VLAN-aware bridging.

L2 VPNs can be easily implemented, achieving total traffic separation between VPNs by assigning different VLAN IDs to VCs. Additionally, various traffic classes within each VPN can be mapped with dedicated VLANs and assigned with corresponding QoS parameters.

Management

The ACE-201 can be managed via the ATM port or RS-232 craft port. Remote management of the ACE-201 can be achieved over the ATM network by defining a dedicated management VC (in-band management) or by connecting a dial-up modem to the craft port. Local management is performed by connecting an ASCII terminal to the craft port.

Furthermore, the ACE-201 can be managed from several locations simultaneously, with different access rights assigned to each. The RADview-HPOV network management application provides the capability to monitor, configure, fault isolate, and present network statistics using a graphical, user-friendly display on a UNIX or PC platform.

In addition, a CORBA interface provides easy integration with third-party management.