Types of Metro Ethernet Services

Prerequisite – Metro Ethernet (MetroE)
Before using the service provider’s Metro Ethernet service, an enterprise must choose possible variation metro Ethernet service available. Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) founded in 2001, manages and defines standards for Metro Ethernet.

Types of Metro Ethernet Services :

Service Name	Short Name	Topology	Description
Ethernet Line Service	E-Line	Point to Point	Two customer devices exchanges frames with each other just like long Ethernet cable is connected between them.
Ethernet LAN Service	E-LAN	Full Mesh	Like LAN, in which all devices can exchanges frames with each other.
Ethernet Tree Service	E-Tree	Partial Mesh, Point to Multi-point	There is central site, which receives all frames from all sites and then forwards between them.

1. Ethernet Line Service (E-Line) :
   This service is suitable for enterprises that need to connect two sites for frame transfer or we can say for communication. It can be visualized as there is long Ethernet cable present between two sites and they are exchanging frames between them. Link between two devices will be in the same subnet.

   
   

   Figure – Ethernet line service
   
   

   There is variation available in the E-Line service. Suppose an Enterprise has central site and 10 remote sites. If Enterprise wants to use E-Line service, then 10 different E-lines are needed between 10 remote sites and central site. This sounds similar to E-tree service but there is difference. In E-tree implementation all these links lie in same subnet but in E-line implementation, these 10 links lie in 10 subnets.

   
   

   Figure – Multi Ethernet line service
   
   
2. Ethernet LAN Service (E-LAN) :
   Suppose an enterprise having several sites and connections between each and every site is needed, then E-LAN service is implemented. All traffic does not need to pass through central site. Each and every site can individually exchange frames with each other. That is why it is full mesh topology. One important thing to note here that all the links lie in same subnet.

   
   

   Figure – Ethernet LAN Service
   
   
3. Ethernet Tree Service (E-Tree) :
   Suppose an enterprise want to monitor all frames exchanging between all sites, the implementation of the E-Tree service will be best. In this, all frame passes through central site. No other two sites can communicate directly with each other. In this service, unlike E-line service all connections lie in same subnet.

   
   

   Figure – Ethernet Tree Service