Table of Contents:

Definition and Overview

1. Introduction

2. Traditional MAN to Local Access Network Complexity

3. Simplifying the Network Using an MMAP Platform

4. MMAP Architecture

5. MMAP Applications

6. Benefits of the MMAP Approach

7. Conclusion

Self-Test

Glossary

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Figure 1 shows a typical carrier application under today's conditions.

Figure 1. Traditional Local Access and MAN

It is immediately obvious that many types of equipment are being used. Traditional TDM traffic for plain old telephone service (POTS), dial-up Internet service provider (ISP) traffic, and frame relay are mostly carried over T1 lines. These T1 circuits are terminated in a T1 multiplexer. This multiplexer may or may not be connected to a cross-connect switch to do a statistical multiplexing of the active DS–0 circuits. Via an optical add-drop multiplexer (ADM), the traffic is carried into the metropolitan network. Frame-relay and ATM data connections are terminated in different DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM) varieties. Also, one DSLAM may present an T3/E3 ATM uplink interface, another frame relay, while the T1/E1 multiplexer will use a T3/E3 TDM uplink.

The requirements for different types of equipment and protocols lead to substantial network complexity. Rack space is needed for the various types of equipment. Each set of equipment usually comes with its own management system. Provisioning of services requires coordination of the configuration of all the network elements that are involved.