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[EFM] RE: EFM Name





Forwarded from Bruce Tolley.

Glen

IMHO there are already too many acronymns in our industry and I see
no real need to define a new one.

There is an established subsegment of the Metro topology called
the metro access network for business and residential $ub$cribers.

If we need to add the word "network" to the term, we have
"EFM Network" or  "first-mile Ethernet network."

Bruce



At 01:39 PM 5/28/2003 -0700, Glen Kramer wrote:


 >Dear all,
 >
 >The point I tried to make in my previous e-mail is thete
 >there is no good and commonly-agreed-upon name for the
 >portion of the network that is *between LAN and MAN*.  The
 >802 is called "LAN/MAN committee", yet 802.3ah defines a
 >network which is neither LAN nor MAN. We need to define what
 >this network is called.
 >
 >This name should not include a particular technology, such
 >as Ethernet, because 802 group of standards include
 >different technologies, as well as the fact that different
 >technologies can be used in this portion of the network.
 >
 >Names like "Access Area Network (AAN)" or "Community Area
 >Network (CAN)" or "Neigborhood Area Network (NAN)" match the
 >datacom naming traditions and clearly ephasize the
 >geographical difference between this network and LANs or
 >MANs.
 >
 >Names like Broadband Access Network and High-Speed Access
 >Network emphasize the speed of the network, and not the
 >coverage area (comparing LAN to BAN is trully like apples
 >and oranges).
 >
 >I agree with Bruce that EFM is getting more and more
 >recognition. But the acronim by itself does not specify that
 >this is a newtork we are talking about (Could mean, for
 >example, the rare first edition of the Ethernet standard
 >lost somewhere in the first mile of vast Cisco's
 >hallways...)
 >
 >I would suggest we use Access Area Network (I still like
 >$ub$criber Access Area Network (SAAN) better) and use term
 >like EFM or EPON when we need to further specify the
 >technology used for this particular SAAN, i.e., EFM-SAAN.
 >
 >Thanks,
 >Glen
 >
 >
 >
 > > -----Original Message-----
 > > From: owner-stds-802-3-efm@majordomo.ieee.org
 > > [mailto:owner-stds-802-3-efm@majordomo.ieee.org] On Behalf
 > > Of George, John (John)
 > > Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 12:18 PM
 > > To: 'stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org'
 > > Subject: RE: [EFM] RE: EFM Name
 > >
 > >
 > > All,
 > >
 > > Based on everything I have seen, I like EAN - Ethernet
 > > Access Network.
 > >
 > > Another suggestion based on Russ's - Ethernet Distribution
 > > Network -
 > > pronounced "Eden"
 > >
 > > Regards,
 > >
 > > John George
 > > Fiber Offer Development Mgr
 > > OFS Systems Engineering
 > > 770-798-2432 (v)
 > > 770-798-3872 (f)
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > > -----Original Message-----
 > > From: russ gyurek [mailto:rgyurek@cisco.com]
 > > Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 2:51 PM
 > > To: Mark Sankey; 'stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org'
 > > Subject: Re: [EFM] RE: EFM Name
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > > If you take EFM at face value, the first mile is called
 > > the "distribution"
 > > part of a network.
 > > So stealing from the service provider world, we could call
 > > it:
 > > DAN
 > >
 > > russ
 > >
 > >
 > > At 5/28/2003 Wednesday 11:22 AM, Mark Sankey wrote:
 > >
 > > >Folks:
 > > >
 > > >I prefer Access Area Network (AAN) -- simple, descriptive
 > > enough, similar
 > > to
 > > >LAN and MAN, no name clash.
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >Cheers,
 > > >
 > > >Mark Sankey
 > > >Calix Networks
 > > >978-266-7085
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >-----Original Message-----
 > > >From: Ken_Twist [mailto:Ken_Twist@RHK.com]
 > > >Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 12:08 PM
 > > >To: 'John.Egan@infineon.com'; stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org
 > > >Cc: millardo@dominetsystems.com
 > > >Subject: RE: [EFM] Forward from Glen Kramer
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >Perhaps we could call it BAN- Broadband Area Networks.
 > > >
 > > >-----Original Message-----
 > > >From: John.Egan@infineon.com
 > > [mailto:John.Egan@infineon.com]
 > > >Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 8:56 AM
 > > >To: stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org
 > > >Cc: millardo@dominetsystems.com
 > > >Subject: RE: [EFM] Forward from Glen Kramer
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >Guys,
 > > >OK.
 > > >I believe the XAN idea looks good and sounds OK, if
 > > pronounced like ZAN.
 > > >However, this may not speak so well to our whole
 > > Marketing effort as well
 > > as
 > > >technical effort, as the name being easy on people will
 > > help its
 > > acceptance,
 > > >etc. I also think I have seen XAN used elsewhere, but
 > > cannot recall.
 > > >
 > > >This all stated... can we consider to go with EAN
 > > (pronounced Ian, say)
 > > that
 > > >is Ethernet Access Network... which is exactly what we
 > > have. This rolls off
 > > >the tongue well, it says what it says and is, and it gets
 > > us moving toward
 > > >the hugely successful marketing effort that comes next.
 > > >
 > > >John
 > > >
 > > >-----Original Message-----
 > > >From: Amir Leshem [mailto:Leshem@metalink.co.il]
 > > >Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 8:39 AM
 > > >To: Howard Frazier; stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org
 > > >Subject: RE: [EFM] Forward from Glen Kramer
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >Howard and all
 > > >
 > > >How about XAN -  for eXtended/eXtrernal/xDSL  Area
 > > Network
 > > >
 > > >Best regards
 > > >Amir
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >=================================
 > > >Dr.  Amir Leshem
 > > >Director, Advanced Technologies
 > > >Metalink Broadband Access
 > > >Yakum Business Park, Yakum
 > > >60972, Israel
 > > >and
 > > >Senior Lecturer,  School of Engineering,
 > > >Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel
 > > >Phone: +972-9-9605333
 > > >Fax (Metalink):     +972-9-9605544
 > > >Fax (Bar-Ilan):       +972-3-5340697
 > > >e-mail: mailto:leshem@metalink.co.il
 > > >Personal web:  http://cas.et.tudelft.nl/~leshem
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >-----Original Message-----
 > > >From: Howard Frazier [mailto:millardo@dominetsystems.com]
 > > >Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2003 9:03 PM
 > > >To: stds-802-3-efm@ieee.org
 > > >Subject: [EFM] Forward from Glen Kramer
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >
 > > >Scott,
 > > >
 > > >This is a good question and it goes beyond the copper
 > > track.
 > > >The 802 group is known as "LAN/MAN Standards Committee".
 > > >Yet 802.3ah defines a network which is neither LAN nor
 > > >MAN...  The name we choose will be used not only in our
 > > >standard, but will find its way into marketing and
 > > research
 > > >literature.
 > > >
 > > >Traditionally networks were classified by their
 > > geographical
 > > >span: Local Area Networks (LANs), Metropolitan Area
 > > Networks
 > > >(MANs), or Wide Area Networks (WANs).  Following this
 > > >ideology, we would call our network something like
 > > >"Neighborhood Area Network" (NAN).
 > > >
 > > >Alternatively we may emphasize the network purpose and
 > > call
 > > >it "Access Network" or "$ub$criber Access Network".  In
 > > my
 > > >opinion "Access Network" is not descriptive enough, and
 > > as
 > > >you mentioned the abbreviation for "$ub$criber Access
 > > >Network" clashes with "Storage Area Networks".
 > > >
 > > >The name "Storage Area Network" makes very little sense
 > > as
 > > >it combines purpose (storage) and area. Surprisingly, the
 > > >name caught on. By this analogy we may call our network
 > > >"Access Area Network (AAN)" or "$ub$criber Access Area
 > > >Network (SAAN)".
 > > >
 > > >Are there any other suggestions?
 > > >
 > > >Long live the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN/SAAN(?) Standards
 > > Committee!
 > > >
 > > >Cheers,
 > > >Glen


Bruce Tolley
Senior Manager, Emerging Technologies
Gigabit Systems Business Unit
Cisco Systems
170 West Tasman Drive
MS SJ B2
San Jose, CA 95134-1706
internet: btolley@cisco.com
ip phone: 408-526-4534