The development of Internet applications, as well as new technologies to provide Internet access to users, has caused a massive increase in the amount of data traffic in networks and the need of cost-efficient solutions for various networks. This motivated the development of such technologies as Internet Protocol (IP) and Ethernet. Ethernet originally aimed to serve the needs of Local Area Networks. The deployment of Ethernet in metropolitan area networks worldwide (also known as Carrier Ethernet) has made it both a competitive and preferable technology in comparison to technologies such as SONET/SDH and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). This thesis research investigates the requirement of various stakeholders to Carrier Ethernet technology. The following stakeholders were identified during the research: customers, standardization bodies, vendors, and providers. Each stakeholder was closely investigated and its needs, requirements and interconnection with other target groups were analysed and gathered into one communication map called Carrier Ethernet eco-system. Moreover this thesis identifies more specific recommendations to each stakeholder that could improve the development of Carrier Ethernet technology in general and ensure the satisfaction of the customer and leave more space for future innovation. / Internettillämpningars utveckling har framkallat en massiv ökning av datatrafiken i näten och dess krav har drivit fram införande av Internet Protocol (IP) och Ethernet-teknologi i globala nätverk. Ethernets teknologi har ursprungligen utvecklades för Local Area Networks. Ethernets spridning i globala näten (också känd som Carrier Ethernet) har gjort det till en både konkurrenskraftig och eftersökt teknologi i jämförelse med SONET/SDH och Våglängdsmultiplexering (WDM) tekniker. Denna rapport utreder kraven på Carrier Ethernet som kommer från följande intressenter: kunder, standardiseringsorgan, telekommunikations företag, och leverantörer. Detta examensarbete undersöker varje intressent och identifierar vilka funktioner de behöver och hur de är i förbindelse med andra målgrupper. Resultatet av analysen samlades i en karta som kallades Carrier Ethernet ekosystem. Dessutom kommer denna uppsats identifierar mer specifika rekommendationer för varje aktör som kan ge en förbättrad utveckling av Carrier Ethernet-teknik i allmänhet och motivera framtida innovationer i tekniken.

The Metro Ethernet network (MEN) expands the advantages of Ethernet to cover areas wider than LAN. MENs running Ethernet Services as specified by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) are known as Carrier Ethernet Networks (CENs). CENs can cover not only metro areas, but it can expand to cover global areas by connecting multiple MENs. Next-generation CENs are expected to support 100 GbE. With arising technologies for Ultra Long-haul (ULH) networks the bandwidth bottleneck of CENs is shifting to other areas like the transport layer protocol (such as the Transport Control Protocol or TCP) and the chip-to-chip channel capacity found at the network edge, which in general has an electrical backplane. Traditional TCP is well known to have difficulties reaching the full available bandwidth, due to its inefficient AIMD mechanisms under a high-delay-bandwidth-product environment. At the network edge, network equipment with electrical backplanes poses many problems including inductive-capacitive effects that limit its bandwidth. These are the two main issues addressed in this work. To resolve the transport layer issue, this work proposes a transport protocol that fully utilizes the available bandwidth while preserving TCP-friendliness and providing QoS support that is compatible with Ethernet Services. It can guarantee throughputs above the Committed Information Rate (CIR), which is specified in the Service Level Agreement (SLA). To resolve the physical layer limitations, a novel optical coupling technique is examined to encourage the use of optical backplanes for network-edge and core technology. The proposed technique consists of aligning the normal of the laser emission plane, waveguide plane and the normal of the photodetector active region plane with the purpose of reducing optical power loss caused by common methods of light manipulation. By addressing the shortcomings of both Traditional TCP and electrical backplane technology the overall throughput can be significantly increased.