My intent is to launch an interview series in this Community. When I first started covering fiber optics networking ages ago, Nan Chen was my first interview in the space. Nan had recently joined the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) and his joining and vision for MEF was the subject of the piece. Now, in 2009, Nan's still at MEF, impressive growth has taken place at the organization, and its contributions to the adoption of Ethernet are amazing. I recently caught up with Nan and had a great discussion, this time centering on his and MEF's activities regarding Carrier Ethernet. It seemed fitting that Nan be my first interview of the series:

TechBites: Nan, we last met in Chicago a couple of years ago at SUPERCOMM. Over the recent past, what's changed? How about an update on MEF activities? Have you completed your early goals and starting to go off in another direction? What's on the drawing board?

Nan Chen - The MEF has continued to grow. More recently, the MEF created a platform for service providers to build upon for the next generation infrastructure and next generation services, which is Carrier Ethernet. Carrier Ethernet obviously has the ability to impact both the delivery of significant multiple services and grow the equipment side as well.

TechBites: Can you provide a bit of history?

Nan Chen: I think it's important summarize Carrier Ethernet from where it was in the beginning to where it is today. Carrier Ethernet growth involves phases. The first phase, which is ongoing, is the architecture-definition phase where we define the initial standard and create the foundation to be able to grow the overall adoption of Carrier Ethernet. That includes such things as technical standards. This is where we actually define what Carrier Ethernet is.

The second phase began in around 2005 and is called the certification phase. It consists of overall service providers deploying their own Carrier Ethernet networks and then offering Carrier Ethernet services to customers to allow applications to be run. Carrier Ethernet is the only viable solution for several applications: backhaul, unified services, business continuity, etc.

We created a certification program in this phase, which allows the conformance of Carrier Ethernet to the specs when developing services and equipment. As a third party, we differentiate ourselves by not only certifying equipment which people build for Carrier Ethernet networks, but also, for the first time in the industry, we're certifying service providers and their services. This is a huge step forward to ensure that services conform so that anywhere in the world, the services will actually work. That's particularly important from an Enterprise perspective.

Finally, we've taken the service provider certifications one-step further. Not only are we certifying the functionality of services, but also the performance of services--another industry first.

TechBites: Is the performance certification element new this year?

Nan Chen: No, performance is not new but it is new to several of the service providers. What is new this year is the third phase, which is what we're calling Global Interconnect. This is an effort both on a technical and business perspective. Carrier Ethernet networks, developed by different service providers, need to be interconnected to maximize their value.

Telephone networks are interconnected with carriers so that you can pick up a phone and dial any number, there may be multiple carriers. Using this as an analogy, Carrier Ethernet is at a stage where when you pick up a phone, you can only call Verizon customers, or Comcast customers.

TechBites: How do you define Global Interconnect?

Nan Chen: It consists of the actual technical specifications, the standards, verification, and the operational processes that we're working on to enable the smooth transition from individual islands of Carrier Ethernet to a connected Global Carrier Ethernet network.  There are three building blocks to achieve this: technical specifications with MEF standards, MEF Carrier Ethernet certification, and third are the overall operational processes that we're working creating.

The standards involved are the External Network to Network Interface (ENNI) The specification is coming out in January, Process Service that is standardizing the number of process services that the service provider will offer to customers so that when they interconnect they will know how the process services will match. We're still working on Phase 2 of that specification. OEMs may or may not do the same as to processes, and we want to standardize that so that we can have end-to-end OEM management. Each of these standards has an element of certification.

Finally, operational processes means that we're building, for the first time, the ability to help service providers to standardize processes when they define Ethernet services so that the processes can be somewhat compatible with new services.

One of the greatest strengths and weaknesses of Ethernet is that, for example, when you order T-1 services to a building you don't have to say what kind of T-1. When you order Ethernet service to a particular building, there are many parameters to be specified. We want to make sure that the parameters to make Ethernet work are actually specified for commonality or at minimum, for service providers is to be able to communicate to each other when they order services. We're working to define this right now. This is a process instead of a technical standard.

TechBites: What is the time frame?

Nan Chen: We have the initial draft now and we're working on Phase 2 to refine it and make it more operational.

TechBites. Nan, you've personally been involved with the MEF for a long time. I imagine you're planning on sticking with it.

Nan Chen: Yes, I am. I feel really good about contributing to the industry and see the original vision of the founders of the MEF be realized. I still want to help the industry grow and mature and continue on the path where we provide Carrier Ethernet as a new service and a new infrastructure. It's something I take a lot of pride in.

TechBites: What's left as far as personal goals?

Nan Chen: I want to see continued globalization of Carrier Ethernet become a reality to connect all of the networks in the world at the Carrier Ethernet level, very similar to the telephony network. I don't want to take 100 years to do that.