Network Infrastructure and Architecture: Designing High-Availability Networks

6

PROTOCOL STACKS

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Difficulties with the TCP/IP Protocol Suite

6.3 Supporting Protocols

6.3.1 ATM

6.3.2 Generic Framing Procedure

6.3.3 Multiprotocol Label Switching

6.3.4 Ethernet over the Internet

6.3.5 Resilient Packet Rings

6.3.6 G.709: Digital Wrapper Technology

6.4 Legacy Solutions

6.4.1 IP over SONET

6.4.2 IP over ATM over SONET

6.5 New Protocol Stack Solutions

6.5.1 Using MPLS

6.5.2 Future All- or Mostly Optical Networks

6.5.3 Gigabit Ethernet over the Internet

6.5.4 Storage Area Network Protocols over the Internet

Key Points

References

6.1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we examine a number of protocol stack solutions for carrying the TCP/IP protocol suite over the Internet's wide area networks (WANs). We begin by reviewing the problems imposed by TCP/IP. Although it might seem attractive to remedy these problems by redefining the TCP/IP suite, we must accept that the commercial success of the suite has precluded any more than evolutionary change to the TCP/IP protocols. Even the change from IPV4 to IPV6, which does not remedy all of the problems, has been going on for years, has made only limited progress, and may never be complete. A solution to the difficulties imposed by TCP/IP must be sought somewhere in the protocol stack, which lies between IP and the underlying fiber. Somehow, we must utilize protocols in this transport network protocol gap to remedy the shortcomings of TCP/IP without disturbing the millions of TCP/IP endpoints.

In this chapter ...