13
Virtual Private LAN Service
13.1 INTRODUCTION
In the previous chapter, we discussed point-to-point Layer 2 transport over an MPLS network. We discussed how the Ethernet case is especially attractive to enterprise customers as it is a natural extension of the technology already used on their own sites. In this chapter, we describe how to take this integration one step further, by enabling the service provider's network to appear as a LAN to the end-user. This scheme is called the Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS).
13.2 THE BUSINESS DRIVERS
In previous chapters in this part of the book, we have discussed L3VPN and L2VPN services, and compared and contrasted the merits of the two schemes. Both schemes require some degree of networking knowledge on the part of the customer of the service. In the L3VPN case, the customer may be required to configure a routing protocol to run between the CE and the PE, or at a minimum be required to configure a static route pointing to the PE. In the L2VPN case, the customer builds an overlay network with point-to-point connections provisioned by the service provider and needs to run a routing protocol on that overlay network. Thus the degree of expertise required of the customer is somewhat greater than in the L3VPN case. Both of these schemes may be fine for larger companies that have IT experts available to carry out the necessary designs and configurations.
However, with network-based applications becoming more prevalent in relatively small ...
