Cavalier, a competitive operator serving markets throughout the eastern United States, announced its Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS). Cavalier's VPLS combines the simplicity of Ethernet with the intelligence of IP and the inherent security of MPLS in Cavalier's core fiber network. VPLS is a Layer 2 Ethernet service that allows customers' geographically dispersed LANs to be meshed into a single-bridged Ethernet LAN, so all sites appear on the same network.
Key characteristics include:
- Predictable service levels -- Priority data must be delivered in a reliable and timely manner. VPLS offers flexible traffic flow planning using standard classes of service, providing end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) for mission critical applications such as transaction processing, voice and video.
- Security -- Customers' VPLS traffic is completely contained within a dedicated Layer 2 switch domain with all routing done on the customers' equipment.
- High availability -- VPLS ensures the availability and transmission of all applications. The service is fully meshed, using MPLS in the core network to achieve the fastest possible convergence time.
- Scalability -- Customers can quickly adapt to changing bandwidth and business requirements. Services grow easily without labor-intensive configuration changes.
- Flexibility -- Set up only one connection per site -- no matter how many locations or services are being used. Customers can combine voice and multiple data applications onto their choice of network access options, including T1, Ethernet Express, DS3, SONET and Gigabit Ethernet.
