Mangrove
Systems, a start-up based in Wallingford, CT, outlined its
vision for extending MPLS convergence to the metro and access
network infrastructure. Mangrove believes that core networks are
fundamentally divided between MPLS and Optical infrastructures.
In the metro, a single converged architecture that supports
traditional data, Ethernet, private line, VoIP and SAN
applications is required. This new converged metro and access
network requires new L1 / L2 platforms capable of extending MPLS
to a customer premise but without disrupting existing fiber
plant, SONET/SDH network elements or operational support
systems.
Mangrove’s
MetroMPLS would enable service providers to move service
demarcation from the core MPLS network, out to the customer
location or access network. Its network architecture leverages
recently developed Pseudowire (PWE3) and data over SONET/SDH
standards along with network processors and a new generation of
multiservice framers. Mangrove will use PWE3 (Martini /
Pseudowire) as its service multiplexing layer of choice and GFP
is the framing & encapsulation technology of choice. The
combination of PWE3 over GFP enables any service to be carried
over a common transport.
Mangrove said
that by blending Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Virtual
Concatenation (VCAT) and MPLS, its MetroMPLS enables existing
and planned services to share an efficient, unified access
network. The company plans to introduce its first products next
month at SuperComm.
http://www.mangrovesystems.comIn April 2003, Mangrove Systems secured over $20 million in financing for its development of a GFP-based Transport Aware Switching system. GFP (generic framing procedure) is a method of supporting a wide range of service types and protocols (TDM, Ethernet, ATM and storage transport) over embedded SONET infrastructure.
Mangrove Systems was founded in mid-2002.
The company is headed by Jonathan Reeves, who formerly founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Sahara Networks (acquired by Cascade and then Ascend), and who also founded Sirocco Systems (acquired by Sycamore Networks).
Mangrove’s technical team also includes John Gamelin (Vice President of Technology) and Paul Doolan (Vice President of Network Architecture). Gamelin previously served as co-founder and later, Vice President of Engineering with Tellium. Before that, he was a senior scientist at Bellcore. Doolan is credited with early development work in MPLS, including work on Cisco’s Tag Distribution Protocol (TDP).
