Ethernet Oam Configuration; Ethernet Oam Overview; Major Functions Of Ethernet Oam; Ethernet Oampdus - 3Com 4510G Configuration Manual

5

Ethernet OAM Configuration

When configuring the Ethernet OAM function, go to these sections for information you are interested
in:

Ethernet OAM Overview

Ethernet OAM Configuration Task List
Configuring Basic Ethernet OAM Functions
Configuring Link Monitoring
Enabling OAM Remote Loopback
Displaying and Maintaining Ethernet OAM Configuration
Ethernet OAM Configuration Example
Ethernet OAM Overview
Background
With features such as ease of use and low price, Ethernet has gradually become the major underlying
technology for today's local area networks (LANs). Recently, with the emergence of Gigabit Ethernet
and 10-Gigabit Ethernet, Ethernet is gaining popularity in metropolitan area networks (MANs) and
wide area networks (WANs) as well.
In the beginning, Ethernet is mainly used in LANs, which have low reliability and stability requirements.
This is why an effective management and maintenance mechanism for Ethernet has been absent all
along, hindering the usage of Ethernet in MANs and WANs. Implementing Operation, Administration
and Maintenance (OAM) on Ethernet networks has now become an urgent matter.
As a tool monitoring Layer 2 link status, Ethernet OAM is mainly used to address common link-related
issues on the "last mile." You can monitor the status of the point-to-point link between two directly
connected devices by enabling Ethernet OAM on them.

Major Functions of Ethernet OAM

Ethernet OAM can effectively promote your management and maintenance capabilities over Ethernet
networks, guaranteeing the stability of the networks. Its major functions include:
Link performance monitoring: Monitors the performance indices of a link, including packet loss,
delay, and jitter, and collects traffic statistics of various types.
Fault detection and alarm: Checks the connectivity of a link by sending OAM protocol data units
(OAMPDUs) and reports to the network administrators when a link error occurs.
Remote loopback: Detects link errors by looping back non-OAMPDUs.

Ethernet OAMPDUs

Figure 5-1 shows the formats of different types of OAMPDUs.
5-1