Independent Test Demonstrates Tag Switching Capabilities in Live Networks
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- July 14, 1998 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced that a consortium of European research organizations have tested Tag Switching, the first implementation of the Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) standard, to successfully scale Internet interconnections across existing Wide Area Network (WAN) infrastructures that span Europe.
The Trans-European Network Interconnect at 34 Mbps (TEN-34) Task Force Group, consists of members from 16 national European research networks. The consortium conducted the Tag Switching field trial across existing Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) infrastructures between European national research networks in Austria (ACONET), France (RENATER), Germany (DFN), Italy (GARR), Spain (REDIRIS) and Switzerland (SWITCH).
The purpose of the test was to determine the viability of using Tag Switching to scale the Internet infrastructure to keep pace with massive growth in data communications usage. The success of the test is particularly encouraging for Internet service providers who are faced with the challenge of meeting customer demand for more complex services for business applications.
Tag Switching provides service providers with several significant advantages by scaling the Internet across long-distance WANs, including:
- Increased forwarding and routing capacity for public services
- Improved traffic management between core Internet sites
- Easier support for new Internet services
- More flexibility to adapt to evolving needs of Internet users
- The ability to remain profitable by offering new differentiated services
"We have been able to clearly show that Tag Switching is a promising Internet technology that optimizes the use of ATM and IP service in the backbone to achieve simplicity, flexibility and scalability," said Jean-Marc Uze, technical manager at RENATER and coordinator of the Tag Switching field trials.
Tag switching allows IP and ATM technologies to interoperate in the same networking environment. TEN-34 Task Force Group conducted the field trial through standard Cisco 7200 series routers, Cisco 7500 series routers and " + name +""; }); } //////////////End - Executives Landing Page Hot Fixes /////////////