Ethernet OAM
Posted by Super from New York, NY, USA on October 2, 2007
What is Ethernet OAM and why is it important?
Operations Administration and Maintenance (OAM) is a group of network management functions that provide network fault indication, performance information, and data diagnosis functions.
Support for Ethernet OAM capabilities is important for carriers providing Ethernet services to end-users as it allows carriers to detect and troubleshoot network faults remotely and monitor network performance. Ethernet OAM enables carriers to have end-to-end network visibility so they can quickly identify service issues and efficiently correct network faults without costly truck rolls to the customer site. As a result, services are easier to provision and maintain and conformance to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), that define the guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) levels, can be verified
Ethernet OAM standards are still maturing. So far four key specifications have emerged from standards bodies:
- IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) includes mechanisms for link operation and health monitoring, fault isolation, and remote CPE management
- IEEE 802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) specifies end-to-end fault detection for Ethernet transport services
- ITU-T Y.1731 augments 802.1ag with performance monitoring capabilities
- MEF 10 Ethernet Services Attributes provides a standard framework for describing Ethernet services, including performance characteristics pertinent to SLAs
