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A transparent LAN service (TLS) is a provider-delivered Layer 2 Ethernet service that connects geographically separate customer LANs so they can behave like one LAN. The provider carries Ethernet traffic across its network; RFC 4761 uses “Transparent LAN Service” as another name for Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS). IETF RFC 4761
What does “transparent” mean?
Here, “transparent” describes the customer-facing behavior: Ethernet connectivity lets devices at separate locations participate in a LAN-like service without requiring the customer to treat each location as an unrelated network. The provider transports the Layer 2 service between customer sites.
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In VPLS, the emulated LAN learns and forwards traffic using Ethernet MAC addresses. RFC 4762 describes it as a Layer 2 broadcast domain for a defined user group. The service can therefore carry familiar LAN behaviors across a provider network, but it does not mean that every location is automatically permitted to communicate in every topology. IETF RFC 4762
How is transparent LAN service related to VPLS?
In RFC 4761, TLS is not a separate contrast to VPLS: the RFC calls VPLS “also known as Transparent LAN Service.” VPLS is a way to provide this LAN-like Layer 2 service over a packet-switched network, using Ethernet MAC learning and forwarding.
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Provider implementations need not use the same internal control plane. RFC 4761 describes BGP for auto-discovery and signaling; RFC 4762 describes an approach using LDP signaling and pseudowires. Those are different VPLS approaches, not customer-visible topology names. Ask a provider which mechanism and service attributes apply to its specific offer.
Which site-to-site topology does the service use?
Carrier Ethernet services can use different communication patterns. Mplify (formerly MEF Forum) describes the following service types; they are related topologies, not interchangeable labels for every TLS offer. Mplify Carrier Ethernet service overview
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| Service type | Communication pattern | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| E-Line | Point-to-point between endpoints. | Which two endpoints are connected and whether additional endpoints require another service. |
| E-LAN | Multipoint-to-multipoint. | Which participating sites can exchange traffic with one another. |
| E-Tree | Rooted multipoint, often described as hub-and-spoke. | Which sites are roots and which are leaves, and the permitted communication paths. |
E-Tree topology allows roots to communicate with roots and leaves, while leaves cannot communicate with other leaves. That is a traffic-pattern restriction, not a complete security guarantee: topology alone does not account for all higher-layer security requirements. IETF RFC 7387
What should you check in a provider offer?
Standards define service concepts and attributes, not an individual provider’s availability, price, or SLA. Before choosing an offer, establish how it behaves at your locations and what the provider commits to deliver.
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- Topology: Identify whether the offer is point-to-point, multipoint-to-multipoint, or rooted multipoint, and confirm which sites can communicate.
- Ethernet interfaces and service attributes: Ask what behavior is observable at each Ethernet UNI (the customer-facing network interface) and between UNIs. MEF 6.3 defines subscriber Ethernet service constructs with port-based and VLAN-based forms, and refers to service attributes in MEF 10.4 and Layer 2 control protocols in MEF 45.1. Mplify technical specifications
- Site reach: Determine whether each site is directly served by the provider or needs an access partner or transit provider. Mplify’s overview covers subscriber and operator Ethernet services across access and transit providers. Mplify Carrier Ethernet service overview
- Implementation and commitments: Separate the customer-visible Ethernet service from the provider’s internal transport and signaling. Request the provider’s SLA, supported control protocols, geographic availability, and price; standards do not establish these terms for a specific offer.
MEF 6.3, published in November 2019, defines six subscriber Ethernet services using point-to-point, multipoint-to-multipoint, and rooted-multipoint topologies, in port-based or VLAN-based forms. Its publisher says it supersedes MEF 6.2. Mplify technical specifications
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