To satisfy telecommunication carriers' need for the construction of next-generation wide Ethernet *1 networks, we have recently launched sales of the 'Apresia8000 Series' 10-Gbit Ethernet switches-an industry first for EoE (Ethernet over Ethernet) technology.

With the advent of the full-fledged broadband age, corporate network bases for connecting business locations are changing from conventional leased lines to faster and lower-cost wide Ethernet networks. By shifting to VPN *2 services by wide Ethernet network (hereinafter referred to as 'wide Ethernet services'), companies can reduce communications costs and use this network's high-speed and high-capacity features in various applications. For example, IP phones and video-conferencing systems will be useful for companies that have many branches and sales offices. Distributors with wide channels can have their shops serve as information stations by installing bank ATMs, providing ticket booking services, and selling games via the Internet.

As a means of implementing wide Ethernet services, telecommunication carriers can use the Extended VLAN *3 or EoMPLS *4 system. Due to its ability to build a wide area network using low-cost L2 switches, its simple multipoint connections, and the ease with which it can be used to add or change network users, Extended VLAN is most commonly used.

However, as the current Extended VLAN system performs routing using the MAC addresses *5 of individual user terminals, several problems are developing as a result of the increase in users of wide Ethernet services, such as the need for larger address tables for switches to build a wide Ethernet network.

Other problems include the fact that if a redundant network is built using Ethernet switches, loops will be likely to occur (a loop prevention mechanism must therefore be installed for these switches), and that it is difficult to locate a network failure at the time of its occurrence because the conventional L2 system cannot perform route analyses of transmitted frames.

In response to these problems, at the end of 2001 we began a study of EoE with a view to spreading this technology as an industry standard in order to improve the reliability of wide Ethernet networks. With the support of several manufacturers and telecommunication carriers As a result of continuous efforts to establish specifications and disclose information since then, we developed and introduced the 'Apresia8000 Series' 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches to the market, implementing EoE ahead of the competition.

Within a telecommunication carrier's wide Ethernet network, EoE is implemented on edge switches that accommodate user lines. The edge switches with EoE encapsulate frames sent from the user networks, add their own MAC addresses, the Extended VLAN tag, and TTL *6, and send them via the telecommunication carrier's wide Ethernet network using these MAC addresses. When the frames are moved from the wide Ethernet network to the user network again, the MAC addresses, Extended VLAN tag, and TTL which were added when the frames were sent to wide Ethernet network are removed.

As a wide Ethernet network only uses the MAC addresses of edge switches in transmission, the maximum number of MAC addresses that must be learned by the core switch will be nearly equal to the total number of ports of the switches within the wide Ethernet network, which is significantly smaller than conventional systems.

To prevent infinite loops, TTL is added to user frames. In addition, to cope with the problems arising in conventional wide Ethernet networks, EoE has a trace route function, which enables route analyses to be carried out.

The switches of the 'Apresia8000 Series' are of the chassis type. To respond to the various needs of users, the switches have slot-in modules for 10 Mbit/s, 100 Mbit/s, 1Gbit/s, etc., rates, and efficiently accommodate user lines.

As described above, our 'Apresia8000 Series' allows more stable and higher-speed wide Ethernet services to be provided with no need to substantially change the current framework.

Hitachi Cable provides the following: 'GMX Series' multiplexing long-distance transmission devices for the Gigabit Ethernet, which are a key product line in the construction of wide Ethernet networks; the 'oWAVE/eWAVE Series', which consists of extensions of GMX, for the implementation of all-optical regional area networks; and terabit switch routers (made by Force10 Networks, Inc.), which provide a high capacity and a high degree of reliability. We hope to contribute to the further growth of wide Ethernet services by supporting EoE through the introduction of the 'Apresia8000 Series' and increasing interconnectivity between different vendor products.

We expect sales of the 'Apresia8000 Series' to reach 2.5 billion yen in fiscal year 2004.

Main specifications: Apresia8007

Item Specifications Basic configuration Chassis with 8 slots (One slot reserved for management modules) Management module x 2 (One slot for exclusive use) FAN unit x 2 Power input module (DC) x 2 Interface modules 10 Gigabit Ethernet module (1 port/module) Gigabit Ethernet module (10 ports/module) 10/100-M Ethernet module (48 ports/module) Physical interfaces and maximum number of ports to be accommodated 10-Gigabit Ethernet: Up to 7 ports (Based on 10GBASE-LR, ER, and other IEEE802.3ae standards) 1-Gigabit Ethernet: Up to 70 ports (Based on 1000BASE-SX, LX, and other IEEE802.3z standards) 10/100-M Ethernet: Up to 336 ports Switch capacity 140 Gbit/s Power supply Redundant power input module (48V DC) Output terminal Contact output terminals VLAN Supports 4,094 VLAN groups of IEEE802.1Q/p Features EoE (Ethernet over Ethernet) function (Encapsulating function) VXC (VLAN Cross Connect) function (VLAN conversion function) Flooding control function (Broad/multicast frame control function) LAG (Link Aggregation) function/Super-LAG function Loop prevention function Ring [MMRP2 (Multi Master Ring Protocol2) ] function QoS function Power consumption 900VA or less Outer dimensions 482.4 mm (W) x 420 mm (D) x 516 mm (H) Approximate weight 60 kg (maximum configuration)

Manufacturing site

Takasago Works
880 Isagosawa-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki Pref. 319-1418, Japan

*1	Ethernet is a registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
*2	VPN (Virtual Private Network): A service that uses authentication and encryption technologies to provide virtual leased lines on a public network. Costs can be reduced compared to the use of leased lines.
*3	Extended VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network): A technology for establishing virtual groups at terminals, separately from physical connection forms, by adding each group's VLAN tag to frames. Provides VLANs function for identifying users on a wide Ethernet network.
*4	EoMPLS (Ethernet over Multi Protocols Label Switching): MPLS is a transmission technology using label switching that is being standardized by IETF. EoMPLS is a technology for sending/receiving Ethernet frames via a network that incorporates MPLS. MPLS labels are added to Ethernet frames so that the frames can be transmitted via the MPLS network.
*5	MAC address: A unique ID number assigned to each terminal. Within an Ethernet network, data is transmitted between terminals based on these addresses.
*6	TTL (Time To Live): A value indicating the valid period of each frame in order to prevent loops on a ring network. A value is expressed as an integer of up to 255, and is decremented by one each time the frame passes through a router or switch. When the TTL becomes 0, that packet will be discarded and a notice will be sent to its source.