Dimitri,
Yes, Nortel requires support for FiberChannel. There should be no issues with this - it is merely a different physical layer. If not all LSRs within a network support it, then fine, it will not be capable of setting up an LSP with this encoding type (unless a technology transformation is applied by an LSR, typically the ingress LSR or delegate device, to effectively tunnel through a network that does not support this LSP Encoding Type).
As far as GE goes, a GE port is not interoperable with a 100BaseT Ethernet port is not interoperable with a 10BaseT Ethernet port ... etc. So to have these all lumped in one generic Ethernet 802.3 umbrella may or may not make sense depending on the original intent of the LSP Encoding Type (not clear from the document). If I were the destination of an LSP, I would want to make sure that the LSP requested was being terminated on an appropriately capable port given the LSP Encoding Type and G-PID supplied. If all I am given is Ethernet 802.3, how do I know whether this refers to GE, 10BaseT or 100BaseT (or should this be inferred from the bandwidth specified in the SENDER_TSPEC object)? In fact, one could argue that the egress LSR might need to know this information too, since it is the one that selects the port/link to the LSP destination. If the SENDER_TSPEC is to be used to distinguish between the various Ethernet flavours, then a mention of this in section 3.1.1 would be helpful, and I would then agree with you that a separate LSP Encoding Type for GE is not required.
Ewart
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dimitri Papadimitriou [mailto:dimitri.papadimitriou@alcatel.be]
> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 2:47 PM
> To: Tempest, Ewart [SKY:XW44:EXCH]
> Cc: lberger@movaz.com; ccamp@ops.ietf.org
> Subject: Re: Generalized Signaling - LSP Encoding Type expansion
>
>
> Hi Ewart,
>
> If you take a look on the IEEE Standards you will see
> that GE is referred to as
> - 802.3z for 1Gbps (see below [1]) same exists for copper 802.3ab
> - 802.3ae for 10Gbps (see below [2])
>
> So my question is what do you have in mind ? to separate
> these values ?
>
> Thanks,
> Dimitri.
>
> PS: for FiberChannel sorry i am not an expert but is someone
> targeting to use GMPLS for FiberChannel LSP ?
>
> -------
>
> [1] From - http://standards.ieee.org
>
> Project scope: Define Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
> Detection (CSMA/CD) Media Access Control (MAC) parameters and minimal
> augmentation of its operation, physical layer
> characteristics, repeater
> functions and management parameters for transfer of 802.3 and
> Ethernet
> format frames at 1,000 Mb/s.
>
> Project purpose: The purpose of this project is to extend the 802.3
> protocol to an operating speed of 1,000 Mb/s in order to provide a
> significant increase in bandwidth while maintaining maximum
> compatibility
> with the installed base of CSMA/CD nodes, previous investment in
> research
> and development, and principles of network operation and management.
>
> [2] From - http://standards.ieee.org
>
> Project scope: Define 802.3 Media Access Control (MAC) parameters and
> minimal augmentation of its operation, physical layer characteristics
> and management parameters for transfer of LLC and Ethernet format
> frames at 10 Gb/s using full duplex operation as defined in the 802.3
> standard. In addition to the traditional LAN space, add
> parameters and
> mechanisms that enable deployment of Ethernet over the Wide
> Area Network
> operating at a data rate compatible with OC-192c and SDH VC-4-64c
> payload
> rate.
>
> Project purpose: The purpose of this project is to extend the 802.3
> protocol to an operating speed of 10 Gb/s and to expand the Ethernet
> application space to include Wide Area Network links in order
> to provide
> a significant increase in bandwidth while maintaining maximum
> compatibility
> with the installed base of 802.3 interfaces, previous investment in
> research
> and development, and principles of network operation and management.
>
> -------
>
> > Ewart Tempest wrote:
> >
> > Lou,
> >
> > Within section 3.1.1 of draft-ietf-mpls-generalized-signaling-06 can
> > you please add additonal LSP Encoding Types for GE and FiberChannel.
> > GE is not really covered by the existing Ethernet related encoding
> > types, and FiberChannel is not covered at all. Thanks.
> >
> > Ewart
>