Posts tagged ‘exchange connectivity’
Welcome to the final installment of our VPLS Tutorial. Today we will be discussing our own:
VPLS-enabled Next Generation Network from Exponential-e
Please feel free to use the information provided in these posts in your own blog or website we simply ask you to provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.
Exponential-e was pioneering in the UK with its roll-out of a VPLS enabled network. Aware of the shortcomings of traditional MPLS access, such as its complexity and the fact that it led to a loss of customer control of IP routing, Exponential-e sought to develop an innovative solution that addressed these limitations. It was this desire to improve existing networking that lead to the use of VPLS within our network design. Today many of the leading ISPs are announcing plans for VPLS deployment in the future, but the fact remains that our VPLS service is available right now, and has been for over two years.
Our cutting edge VPLS network design has a meshed, Layer 2, MPLS switched Ethernet core and sets a new standard for connectivity. This advanced network allows the customer the flexibility to create multiple VLANs over their WAN, this gives them the security and separation they would usually expect to see on the LAN. It also allows multiple physical connections to be consolidated on to a single connection while maintaining the separation of the circuits by means of VLANs, a feature unavailable from other MPLS providers. In essence things that were previously only possible within a company’s office can now be carried out over a geographically dispersed area.
What stands out about our VPLS solution is that it is a site-to-cloud VPLS service, a Layer 2 VPN option that most competitors, who generally only carry a switched Ethernet (SE) VPN to achieve any-to-any connectivity, cannot achieve. Furthermore, it is run over a Pure Ethernet, switched, Layer 2, 10 gig backbone so security, speed and consistency of data flow and quality of service are all maximised.
VPLS gives us a service-oriented architecture from which our customers can plug and play with a range of voice; data; DR and virtualization services. We are delivering simplicity and operational efficiencies for IT heads as they focus on getting more value from every ICT pound spent.
In a commercial sense, what makes the technology so revolutionary, in comparison with competitors’ offerings, is that it simultaneously cuts costs, improves quality of service, improves efficiency and gives control back to you, the customer.
“By expanding its portfolio to include Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) in January 2006, Exponential-e was the first UK provider to offer the, now much talked about, solution. The company signed its first VPLS customer in April 2006 and came to the attention of two industry awards in the same year” lightreading.com
This tutorial have provided a small insight into a few benefits VPLS technology has to offer. For a more complete understanding of the technology and how VPLS can help your organization visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls and to sign up to one of our Free VPLS seminars.
In the upcoming weeks we will be publishing a number of case studies of how VPLS technology is already being used in some of the world’s most cutting edge Global companies.
Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:
Ready for more information: Visit www.exponential-e.com to download a version to download a pdf our Technical VPLS Tutorial
November 7, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Welcome to the fourth installment of our VPLS Tutorial. Today we will be covering
What makes VPLS stand out from other technologies that do a similar job?
Please feel free to use the information provided in these posts in your own blog or website we simply ask you to provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.
MPLS IP VPN vs MPLS VPLS
Layer 3 IP VPNs provide a similar solution to a Layer 2 VPLS, however there are several key points of difference between VPLS & IP VPN solutions, each of which results in important advantages:
i) Protocol – Layer 3 solutions are limited to IP protocol so some applications will require special handling to bring them onto the network. VPLS on the other hand is a protocol-agnostic Ethernet solution which can support both IP and non-IP applications. In other words, if an application can run on a company’s LAN it can run on their WAN. This feature saves VPLS users time and money by reducing administration.
ii) Architecture – The simplicity of a VPLS network as a switched solution means the addition of a new site can be done quickly and inexpensively via a VLAN, whereas with the routed MPLS solution, routing tables need to be reconfigured, which takes longer. This means providers of VPLS networks are able to respond to customers’ changing needs faster than providers using IP VPN network solutions. In addition, a customer using a VPLS network solution will only see the routers of their own network i.e. it is a transparent WAN to the customer.
VPLS QoS
iii) Quality of service - The quality of service (QoS) of Layer 2 VPLS compared to that using a Layer 3 MPLS VPN is far superior. With our Ethernet network, our customers have the ability to measure very precise end-to-end service levels in terms of latency, packet loss and jitter in line with the 802.3ah. This has not been available in the UK before and remedies one of the main criticisms of wide area Ethernet networks – the inability to manage the first mile. The key feature that improves QoS over typical Layer 3 MPLS solutions is our ‘service aware’ capability which basically enables higher priority traffic to automatically take precedence over non-critical traffic. While many competitor networks have had the ability to put inter-site traffic into different priority queues for some time, it was always necessary for the traffic to be pre-identified by the customer. Exponential-e’s ‘service aware’ feature removes the need for the customer to ‘tag’ traffic as it can identify different traffic flows and automatically prioritise data according to the customer’s definition ofthose priorities.
The feature is so sensitive that even where HTTP protocols are more commonly used for Internet surfing, mission critical applications traffic can now be identified and given a higher priority.
iv) Security – The security of a VPLS network is second to none as it is run in the Layer 2 environment which is not hackable unlike MPLS solutions that exist in Layer 3. Furthermore, different VLANs can be presented to the customer as separate cables allowing, for example, the “clean” office network traffic to be separated from “dirty” public Internet traffic, enabling the customer to minimise the possibility of security breech.
v) Scalable bandwidth - Bandwidth changes on VLANs are made through simple software changes. This means that VPLS users are not restricted to buying bandwidth in large steps but can buy exactly as their usage requirements dictate up to the limit of their physical access circuit’s capacity.
vi) Pricing – Low cost CPE, lower cost management systems, less support manpower required by the service provider and a generally more efficient network mean that VPLS technology can be provided at very competitive prices to customers.
vii) Future-proof – VPLS is fully scalable and, being protocol agnostic, it is suitable for all types of traffic negating any need to rip out existing infrastructure should you need to upgrade again.
These are just some of the advantage Layer 2 VPLS network have over their Layer 3 IP VPN counterpart. Visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls for more information about VPLS and to sign up to one of our Free VPLS seminars. Our final post in the VPLS tutorial will sumarise what we have covered today and introduce the first of the first of a number of VPLS case studies:
Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:
November 6, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Welcome to the third instalment in our VPLS Tutorial today we will be covering:
What makes VPLS easy to use and install?
Please feel free to use the information provided in these posts in your own blog or website we simply ask you to provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.
VPLS Installation
A Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS)-enabled Next Generation Network (NGN) is a switched solution. This has a number of implications for ease of installation and ease of usage.
Is It Difficult To Configure A VPLS Network?
As a switched solution VPLS does not depend on routing tables, which means specific routing information is not required from the customer which is a huge advantage provided by a VPLS networks especially when information is of a confidential nature. Unlike switched VPLS solutions routed MPLS solutions require complex network design work to be completed and the resulting design affects the way that customers must configure their gateway router equipment. By way of contrast, with a VPLS solution, only the network router to which the site connects needs to be configured. Once this is done, the customer can connect their site up without any special configuration.
How Much Will I Need to Invest In VPLS Hardware?
In addition with VPLS, there is usually no need to purchase new hardware in the form of routers, as is often the case for MPLS solutions, because the company can use ordinary LAN equipment already at the site. As a Layer 2 service VPLS offers a clear separation of control between service provider and customer, as such, faults can be identified and rectified faster; what’s more, servers can be moved without the need for changing IP addresses.
Is it Difficult To Add New Sites With VPLS?
The ability of VPLS to rapidly change the VLANs with just a few key strokes, swinging them to different sites or connecting different sites and services together makes the network easily adapted to a customer’s changing needs.
This is just a snapshot into some of the reasons why VPLS network solutions are easier to install. Visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls for more information about VPLS and to sign up to one of our Free VPLS seminars. Our next post will compare MPLS-VPLS technology with MPLS-VPN in:
What makes VPLS stand out from other technologies that do a similar job?
Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:
November 5, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Exponential-e, the UK’s most established Next-Generation-Network (NGN) service provider announced today that it will provide connectivity to Turquoise, the new alternative liquidity venue, now that the multi-lateral trading facility has been launched. Turquoise has also deployed Exponential-e’s VPLS NGN as part of its own multi-vendor Wide Area Network (WAN) strategy.
Under the terms of the deal, Exponential-e’s customers will benefit from the NGN provider’s ultra low-latency 10 Gigabit Ethernet network to:-
• Submit orders and trade on the Turquoise exchange as an alternative venue and source of liquidity.
• Connect to Turquoise’s market trading information and clearing and settlement services.
Today’s announcement strengthens the existing relationship between the two organisations. Turquoise already powers its latency-sensitive business using Exponential-e’s high-speed corporate connectivity between each of its five sites. The single broadcast domain characteristics of the VPLS network supplied by Exponential-e ensure that Turquoise’s entire estate behaves like a single LAN-like WAN. Services are backed off with quality of service and flexible bandwidth offered on a per VLAN basis.
Critical to the WAN solution provided by Exponential-e is Turquoise’s ability to control IP routing themselves. The solution features fully diverse links to Turquoise’s two data centres which due to the unique nature of the VPLS design are available throughout the WAN as a centralised disaster-recovery resource.
Yann L’Huillier, Chief Technology Officer, Turquoise said” The Trader experience must remain intact at all times regardless of the throughput. As we have stated on a number of occasions, we are very keen to provide diverse network connectivity options to our platform. We are very pleased that Exponential-e’s private VPLS solution will add a highly scalable and flexible WAN to our existing pool of network providers”.
Adrian Hobbins, Chief Technology Officer, Exponential-e said “Turquoise’s highly secure WAN solution is simple to manage and scale and is purpose-built for an environment where there are a number of critical applications needing support and which are highly sensitive to the performance of the network”.
September 30, 2008 at 9:10 am
