Re: [HSSG] Reach Objectives
Geoff,
We clearly have a problem at 10G that certain players have
taken Ethernet to be more than a packet network:
- We have the situation that people have put information in
parts of the frame not designed for carrying information (the preamble and
IPG).
- We have the problem that some customers think that the
entire frame format, not just the payload is sacred and must not be touched
(some of this stems from the first problem, other parts of this problem are
perception).
I think that it is worth some effort and careful though to
make sure that this does not happen as we define interfaces for the next rate,
e.g., that we keep it simple, and keep it as a (pure) packet
network.
I think that there are two possible
approaches:
- We could make sure that we define ONE frame format and
data rate that works in all contexts This is starting to sound doubtful from the
opinions expressed, but if we COULD achieve a single specification and ensure
that anything that transits one medium would transit another, we could avoid
these kinds of problems.
- I touched on this in the last email, but we could produce
a repeater spec covering all interfaces and frame formats, e.g., if you have
phsycial interfaces/frame formats X and Y, the repeater spec tells
you enough that you could to build X<->X, Y<->Y and
X<->Y repeaters and only what we consider to be the essential or
characteristic information (the payload) would transit the repeater. We could
indicate that any server layer network should meet the requirements for a
repeater. Doing this might discourage inappropriate use of the frame format to
implement proprietary things that would break if you put a standard repeater
between the boxes.
Regards,
Steve
At 03:46 PM 9/3/2006 , Trowbridge, Stephen J (Steve)
wrote:
Geoff,
If only it were so simple
...
It is.
Ethernet is a packet network, not
a bit or circuit network.
Geoff