Interoute enforces SLAs with RAD's ETX

2nd April 2007: RAD Data Communications, a provider of network access equipment for voice and data communications, has announced that pan-European carrier Interoute is using RAD's ETX-202 Ethernet demarcation devices to provide a LAN extension service across Europe. The ETX devices allow Interoute to offer new services while ensuring it meets service level agreements (SLAs). They were sold and installed by authorised RAD reseller, NextiraOne.

The ETX-202 is a carrier-owned and operated demarcation unit installed at the customer premises. It transports Ethernet traffic over the fibre local loop, extending Interoute’s reach and control. It supports advanced Ethernet-based operation, administration and management (OAM) features, enabling Interoute to enforce SLAs while facilitating management of differentiated services - such as interoffice LAN connectivity, Internet access and virtual private networks (VPNs).

"After evaluating various solutions, Interoute opted for the ETX-202 as it offers the most features at a competitive price," explains Grant Notman, UK general manager, RAD Data Communications. "What really stood out was the number of OAM features available to allow them to implement strong SLAs for their customers in a complete end-to-end network."

The ETX marks a clear demarcation between the customer's and service provider's networks, allowing Interoute to maintain a distinct separation of traffic for different clients within one customer. In this way, Interoute can remotely provision different services to the customer and assign different traffic rates and prioritisation. By giving higher level services higher priority, Interoute can guarantee SLAs even during periods of congestion.

The ETX carries Ethernet traffic from the customer premises to the network edge. This allows Interoute to use low cost Ethernet as the access technology, not only for packet-switched networks such as Ethernet and IP/MPLS, but also for legacy backbones such as ATM and SDH/SONET.

Diagnostic tests can be performed on each port and link failures can be rerouted manually or automatically to alternative pathways. As Ethernet is more prone to hacking and attacks, the ETX also incorporates a variety of features to provide a high level of security.