RE: Ethernet Control Plane [Was: Re: Frameformat in a l2cs gmpls rnvironment.]

[<neil.2.harrison@bt.com>]

Hi Igor,

> 
> > I am also a little concerned that some folks might
> > naively assume that a
> > control-plane is going to solve all their
> > management-plane
> > issues......when we move down the network stack to
> > the duct there are a
> > whole raft of factors that mean the management-plane
> > still dominates
> > here.  If you talk to the right folks in the
> > operators who run these
> > types of network you will indeed understand what I
> > mean by this.
> 
> This kind of statements you've been making in about
> every email. I am curious to know as we move towards
> the duct which *exactly* features, provisioning
> functions or operations that are implemented via NMS
> could not be conceptually realized via control plane? 
> Or you are not the "right folk to ask" ? :=)

NH=> To properly answer your question will take me a couple of pages.  I
can help/answer to a fair degree, but if you are really serious about
understanding this stuff better I do think you should seek out the right
folks in operators (not sure you will get all the feedback you need if
you are solely reliant on IETF lists).  Anyway, I'll send you a detailed
reponse off list...and I also note Alan McGuire here has sent you some
stuff off-list on a similar theme wrt to our experiences in BT (quite
compelling IMO).

regads, Neil