REPORT July ‘2013

Looking Back on 40 Years of one with the flexibility of a now transformed Ethernet into star architecture and made becoming a service offering management for network for carriers “going across the administrators much easier. telechasm between the LAN, the pair, , optical fibers, power By the early 90s, this form of WAN and Ethernet,” as Metcalfe line, whatever you wanted,” says Ethernet was much cheaper puts it. The speed of Ethernet Metcalfe than Token Ring and then with also continues to increase with the development of Ethernet the IEEE recently starting a It was decided that the network switching, and 100Mbps ‘Fast project to standardize 400GE, would be completely passive, Ethernet’ in 1995, Token Ring while terabit is also on the with stations arranged to take could not keep up. horizon. turns using one wire. Metcalfe and his colleagues realized that “What they underestimated was Ethernet in its role as the Ethernet would exist through a the power of an open standard, plumbing of the has series of protocols with seven and I’m referring to the old IBM disrupted many industries over layers, which became key to now. There’s a new company time including music, books, simplifying its design. called IBM which is different, but telecoms and , and in that old IBM, in its dark little Metcalfe now predicts the The moment widely recognized heart, it was not committed to technology will go even further. with being the birth of Ethernet open standards and its products In his presentation at the came on May 22, 1973, when were not interoperable,” says Ethernet Innovation Summit, Metcalfe wrote a memo to the future was going to be, and Metcalfe himself admits the Metcalfe. he predicted that three more PARC management explaining it was buildings full of PCs,” technology did have him industries - energy health care how Ethernet would work. Metcalfe notes when looking worried because for a decade, In the years that followed, and education - are set to be Following this, back at the success of 3Com. he was being told from across Ethernet was to extend its impacted via new types of was laid in PARC and the first the industry that Ethernet was reach far beyond the LAN, first video, mobile and embedded computers were attached to It was not until 1983 that the doomed, due to IBM having the entering the WAN, where it traffic. the network on November 11. IEEE 802 committee approved muscle when it came to making was slowly wiping out SONET The technology proved to be an Ethernet as a standard, or at standards. and then over the airwaves “Even though Ethernet is 40 In May this year Ethernet celebrated its 40th birthday. Telecom data connections between the immediate success internally. least the CSMA/CD version supplying WiFi access points. years old, it is not dead. And Review looks back at the technology’s humble beginnings. Hawaiian Islands, and he went Ethernet remained an in of it. By then, Ethernet had The conflict changed Ethernet, The work of the Metro Ethernet apparently it is blooming. It on a month field trip in Oahu house system until 1976 when evolved in Ethernet II and was with the technology switching Forum (MEF), which was is blossoming. And so there’s at the University of Hawaii to Metcalfe and Boggs published becoming increasingly popular. from coaxial cable to the twisted launched in 2001 to develop something like a $100 billion In the late 70s, Bob Metcalfe Xerox Alto. The notion of having study it. their paper titled “Ethernet: This was partly due to the fact pair system used by Token Ring. business services for enterprise industry for us to pay attention was asked to create a local a computer on the desk was at Distributed Packet Switch for that it had become easier to “We were fighting in the market users accessed over optical to, and that’s what we’re doing area network for Xerox’s Palo that time controversial, as was Having looked at the Local Computer Networks”. deploy. The arrival of the IBM with the IBM Token Ring, which metropolitan networks, has today,” says Metcalfe. Alto Research Center (PARC). having a building full of PCs. ALOHAnet and having decided Xerox patented the technology PC two years earlier, in 1981, used , and the Little did he know that his That may have been the first the were too large to but opened it up to others. also contributed to Ethernet’s customers kind of liked that, so creation would revolutionize time it ever occurred to us, and have one for every desk and success, with previous computer Ethernet decided to become communications across the our great fortune was to be that the speed of 9,500 bits per When Metcalfe left Xerox to systems having been unable twisted pair too, and that sealed world. given this problem that had not second was not fast enough, form 3Com in 1979, he decided to use the technology to its full the doom of the Token Ring,” previously existed,” says Metcalfe Metcalfe and his colleagues to exploit his idea and get effectiveness. says Metcalfe. At the time, Metcalfe, David The network was required to eventually opted for a system DEC, and Xerox to agree Boggs and other members connect hundreds of computers that used one wire of coaxial to commercialize it, forming a It was during the 1980s that The key disadvantage of of the PARC team were at the same time and had to be cable. In choosing the name of consortium known as DIX. what Metcalfe describes as the Token Ring was in its lack of looking somewhat closer to fast enough to drive the printer the technology, Metcalfe opted “LAN wars” occurred between compatibility with non IBM home, having been tasked running at 20Mbps. One of the for the 19th century phrase “Given that everybody had Ethernet and the IBM backed equipment, while Ethernet with enabling PARC’s Xerox largest problems was the sheer ‘Ether’. Luminiferous ether was access to Ethernet technology, Token Ring, a protocol that was able to drum up support Altos personal workstations amount of cables required. Back the name given to the medium how did 3Com win in those resided in the layer and from over 20 companies with to connect with a graphical then, the cable used was very through which light travelled. days? It’s very simple. We had used a special three byte frame standards based products that user interface and the world’s heavy and could easily break, “We chose thick coaxial cable a time machine. The group of called a token. Token Ring ran worked together. This meant the first laser printer, EARS, which according to Metcalfe. because it could be tapped us had gone into the future at at LAN speeds of 4Mbps and technological gap between the printed 500 dots per inch and a passively, but we anticipated Xerox PARC and we lived there 16Mbps and initially appeared two was closed quickly and in page per second. Metcalfe drew inspiration from other media would be used, so for eight years and we knew to have theoretical advantages 1990, the 10BaseT IEEE standard the work of Norman Abramson, we didn’t call it coax-net. We what the future looked like. over Ethernet due to its greater allowed the use of hubs and “We were going to put personal the inventor of ALOHAnet, a called it Ethernet because the Then in 1979, we flew back into efficiency, with larger packet switches in Ethernet, switching computers in a building, the technology used to provide ether could be coax, twisted the present, we knew what the sizes and faster speed. it from a bus architecture to

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NetEvents Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Ethernet the world for the better? How do you create innovation?” One point he was keen to emphasize is how the biggest consequences of developing a standard often come after it is accepted, because as Ethernet has shown, standards stay around for much longer than imagined.

“Good standards become a platform for further innovation. They evolve, they change, they expand other opportunities for devices that nobody ever helped develop Ethernet During the session, Bill Hawe wasn’t to be abstruse. The process and produced a imagined would even exist. at Digital Equipment Corp; delivered one of the standout reason was that our customers limerick he wrote during the And so this is a story about Radia Perlman, inventor of lines of the conference: were the banks. And they late 80s during the time of innovation. It’s a story about the ; “Success has many fathers, absolutely required reliable, Token Ring, Ethernet and evolving standards. It’s about and Norm Abramson, inventor but failure is an orphan. I think predictable delivery of bits and Token Bus. something that happened 40 of the ALOHAnet system Ethernet was particularly services and we could deliver years ago that sent events which was part of Metcalfe’s promiscuous in that regard.” that with Token Ring, whereas “Any nitwit with standards running off in absolutely inspiration for Ethernet. in those days you couldn’t acuity. Soon learns of their the right direction, to create During the session, Boggs Ethernet or Ethernot deliver it with CSMA CD and self-perpetuity. The work was Telecom Review attended the Ethernet Innovation Summit important the Ethernet was innovations that are still spoke of how he became this cable strung around the all done. Back in March ‘81. event that celebrated 40 years since the invention of Ethernet to the creation of this highly continuing today. That’s why involved in the Ethernet One of the most thought C links,” he said. “So we had a But these trips are a lifetime technology. distributed network,” he said we’re here.” project and the role he played, provoking aspects of legitimate business reason for annuity.” during his welcome speech. while Abramson recalled Ethernet’s 40th anniversary wanting Token Ring against Technology forecaster, Paul Saffo was then joined on Metcalfe’s trip to Hawaii to was the fact that the Ethernet.” Carrier Ethernet On May 22 and 23, press, Area Network (LAN) space. Saffo, who followed Hoover on stage by Bob Metcalfe study the radio ALOHAnet technology came close to analysts and representatives Among those invited were stage, then began proceedings who gave his personal system. Abramson was being made obsolete by a rival Pitt also shared his experiences Presentations and panelists from across the world individuals who have shaped by raising questions to be perspective on how Ethernet particularly proud to point system, the IBM backed Token during the LAN wars also sought to chart the celebrated the 40th Ethernet technology over the answered over the next two was invented and who was out the increasing relevance Ring. competing against Ethernet, future of Ethernet, looking anniversary of Ethernet past 40 years, including Bob days of keynotes, panels and involved, with his keynote of wireless Ethernet over stating, “No one was happy to into areas including research technology at a special event Metcalfe, widely credited as interviews. presentation ‘From ALOHA wired and its similarities with This made hearing from Dan see me walk into the room,” funding, the rise and held at the heart of Silicon its inventor. to Ethernet.’ Highlights of ALOHAnet. Pitt, who was previously but he expressed there was evolution of Carrier Ethernet Valley in Mountain View, “Events that happened 40 the presentation included behind Token Ring, all the largely no personal animosity standards and the future of California. Opening the summit was years ago are extremely a timeline of Ethernet, the “We really haven’t said more interesting during the between him and the Ethernet networking. Steve Hoover, CEO of Palo relevant today, because this cover of Metcalfe’s PhD goodbye to the Ethernet, ‘Ethernet or Ethernot’ panel. supporters and he later went Over the course of two Alto Research Center, the is about innovation. This is dissertation and a map of but we have said hello to on to work with some of them. Major industry analysts days, a tightly packed facility where Ethernet was about whitespace. This is computers on the internet in ALOHA again, after a hiatus During the session, Pitt presented their own key schedule of keynote conceived. about changing the world. 1973. of perhaps 20 years. That insisted that he would set the John Shoch, from Alloy facts and figures on how speeches, presentations And our computers have hiatus, by the way, was not history straight around Token Ventures, who was also on the the Ethernet market is and roundtables gave those “The creation of the Ethernet changed - I haven’t even The Inventors of Ethernet a technology hiatus; it was a Ring, which he described as panel, described the discussion developing. Among them was in attendance unique and and associated technologies seen one of these things regulatory hiatus. Until the being “unfairly maligned”. He of the arguments back then as Tam Dell’Oro, founder and informative insight into the really are the fabric of our connected to a phone for One of the first panel sessions frequencies were available for explained why IBM opted to feeling like he’d gone back in President of Dell’Oro Group, development of Ethernet, its lives today, as I look in the about a decade. But amidst was titled ‘Meet the investors the connections that we all use back its Token Ring as a LAN time. who showed in her slides expansion to become a global room and I see the set of all the changes, the constant of Ethernet’ featuring today, there was no sense in standard rather than Ethernet. how the market for Carrier standard and its growing computers we have, and is: how do you change the Ethernet co-inventor Dave going from Ethernet to WiFi or “IBM had contrary opinions Pitt closed the panel with his Ethernet switches and routers potential outside of the Local handheld devices, and how world? How do you change Boggs; Bill Hawe, who ALOHA,” he said. on everything. But the reason thoughts on the standards has been growing since

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arriving in the early 2000s, new office buildings in the US The Innovation Awards There was also the ‘Ethernet ”best in class” infrastructure amid fierce competition. This demise of Ethernet in an “The idea is that we’re going with it set to reach nearly $9 under its FiOS service. Idol’ award presented to the equipment and innovative award was not for a company article years ago when ATM more and more towards flows, billion by the end of the year. On the evening of May individual considered to have solutions to service providers’ that meets specific criteria, but technology was tipped to towards large transmissions During Dell’Oro’s subsequent There were two further 22, the Computer History successfully continued the current challenges. rather one that surprises the replace it. instead of really small ones, so Q&A panel session, James announcements made during Museum played host to the work of the original Ethernet judges with something truly one could imagine a switching Walker, Vice President of the conference in relation annual Innovation Awards, inventors and made the most Enterprise Wireless fresh and original. “I remember writing that infrastructure involving Managed Network Services to Carrier Ethernet. First which honor organizations outstanding contribution to Solutions – I thought Ethernet’s last optical fibers, and lambdas at Tata Communications, was the launch of the Metro and individuals that lead Ethernet in the last 15 years. won by Xirrus for the Metcalfe’s Closing Remarks product would be introduced being allocated on the fly and explained how the company’s Ethernet Forum’s first new the world by innovation The award was presented most innovative solution in 2003 and it would be various transmissions with a Ethernet business has grown committee in eight years. and performance in to industry legend Andy to managing the BYOD Bob Metcalfe took to the stage replaced by ATM. I interviewed control plane handling it all,” fifteen fold over the past five The Service Operations the networking and Bechtolsheim, following an challenge. Xirrus founder Dirk to give his closing comments a group of people and they said Metcalfe. “That’s the only years and customers were Committee (SOC) has been sector. online vote by more than Gates was presented with the on the last day of the all said ATM was going to thing I can think of that would increasingly demanding created to define streamline 300 delegates in attendance. award by ALOHAnet inventor conference. He spent much of kill Ethernet, and being in mean the death of Ethernet.” Ethernet services to perform and standardize processes This year the awards “It’s ironic that Andy would Norm Abramson. his keynote discussing what the guise of a journalist I certain tasks. for buying, selling, delivering ceremony was combined be voted ‘Ethernet Idol’ for had been learnt from the wrote that. The amount of The conference fittingly ended and operating MEF-defined with a gala dinner and his work in the last 15 years Cloud/Datacenter Solution – past two days and sought to investment going into ATM where it all began 40 years Meanwhile, Verizon’s Executive services. The committee aims charity auction with all of Ethernet when he was my won by Arista Networks for highlight some of the goals was huge so it was expected.” previously with a reception at Director of International to help service providers with the proceeds donated to Ethernet Idol for the first 15 the most innovative Cloud/ that had been in mind when the Palo Alto Research Center, Network Planning, Yali Lui, more consistent contracts the Science, Technology, years,” Metcalfe commented Datacenter solution, providing the idea for the event was first When asked if he thought which featured an exhibition said that Ethernet was one of and to standardize ordering Engineering and Math (STEM) when handed the award to major business benefits. conceived. that there was any technology charting the invention of the carrier’s fastest growing processes that takes into education project. The event Bechtolsheim. that could replace Ethernet, Ethernet and a video of the products for the telco account national regulatory was streamed live to the Security Solution – won by “Of course it was intention all Metcalfe was frank, citing the PARC during a failed test of because it provides higher factors and the greater world via Carrier Ethernet The other seven award ClickSecurity for the most along that it would be more examples of how IBM and the first laser printer. speed and differentiated diversity of Ethernet services broadcast services from categories for organizations innovative contribution to than a celebration of the Microsoft had risen and fallen class of service. She stated compared to TDM. Business and Tata were: countering the latest threats, 40th. I’m not a professor of from dominance in the past. As well as the power of that Verizon had experienced Communications. including organized crime innovation, so I thought it’d He did, however, suggest innovation and open double digit growth in Following this, Walker Carrier Ethernet Business and government-sanctioned be useful if we collected and that lambda switching, a standards, the 40th birthday Ethernet services over the announced the formation of Among the highlights was a Services – won by Verizon hacking and cyber attacks. gathered some lessons from technology used in optical celebration of Ethernet past few years and had the CloudEthernet Forum, special honorary award for for the most innovative new Ethernet history about how to networking to switch proved that the technology is seen very high adaption of an organization designed to ‘The Greatest Contribution business service to enterprise SDN Solution – won by HP innovate.” individual wavelengths of showing no signs of dying off native Ethernet as access to address the specific issues of to the Networking Age’, clients within the past 18 for the most innovative SDN light on separate paths for any time soon. Here’s hoping customers on a global level. scaling and applying suitable presented to Bob Metcalfe months. solution. In an interview after his specific in conjunction Telecom Review is invited Verizon announced during Ethernet services to meet in his role as Co-Inventor speech, Metcalfe told Telecom with wavelength division back to celebrate Ethernet’s the conference the availability the stringent demands of of Ethernet & UT Austin Telecoms Product – won by Hottest ‘NEW’ Networking Review of the irony that he (WDM), could 50th anniversary in ten years of gigabit Ethernet to 120,000 delivering cloud services. Professor of Innovation. RAD Data Communications for Company – won by Gigamon himself had predicted the replace Ethernet. time.

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