A performance analysis of carrier Ethernet schemes based on Multiple Spanning Trees

Due to recent advances, Ethernet is starting to move from Local area networks to carrier networks. Nevertheless as the requirements of carrier networks are more demanding, the technology needs to be enhanced. Schemes designed for improving Ethernet to match carrier requirements can be categorized in two classes. The first class improves Ethernet control components only, and the second class improves both Ethernet control and forwarding components. Related work on the first class perform comparison between proposals of the same class, thus without taking into account the second class. This paper studies the performance of the schemes that improve Ethernet control components only. The functionality implemented by means of spanning trees is generalized, and their performance is evaluated by proposing an Integer Linear Program (ILP). The ILP determines both the required resources as well as the performance that can be achieved when Ethernet forwarding components are used optimally. Additionally, these results are compared with the performance of the second class technologies that improve both Ethernet control and forwarding components.