[EFM] Service provider OAM for Leased Line services

[Roy Bynum <rabynum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ben,

In a previous message I made the statement that with the exception of the 
10GbE WAN PHY, little has changed since I made the presentation 1999 
stating the need for service provider OAM support for "dark fiber" and 
other leased line services.  In one respect, that statement is incorrect, 
but not directly because of the 802.3ah TF.  The copper sub task force, in 
adopting the ITU defined mapping for xDSL, have made available an embedded 
overhead channel (EOC) that can be used by service providers for leased 
line and other "private" facility services.  The EOC is similar in usable 
functionality to other "out-of-band" OAM in the data transmission services 
industry.  So within that context, 802.3ah has provided an OAM 
functionality that is useable by service providers for services other than 
"packet", "Frame Relay", or so-called "broadband" services, but only on the 
copper PHY.

Thank you,
Roy Bynum