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The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) is an industry organization that develops technical specifications, service definitions and architecture frameworks for Metro Ethernet and related communications services. It is not a network provider or a particular Ethernet service: its work gives providers and vendors shared models for describing services, interfaces and management functions.
What does MEF stand for in networking?
MEF stands for Metro Ethernet Forum. In a 2004 specification, the organization described itself as “a non-profit international organization accelerating industry cooperation on Metro Ethernet technology.” That wording is historical; the key distinction remains that MEF is the organization, while MEF standards are documents it publishes.
In conversation, “MEF” may also be used as shorthand for the specifications or service framework. The meaning depends on context: a reference to the MEF catalog means the organization’s documents, while a reference to a MEF service type usually concerns a service definition in those documents.
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MEF publishes standards and frameworks that help the telecommunications industry describe Ethernet services and the networks that support them. Its catalog includes service definitions, architecture documents, information and data models, and other specifications. These shared descriptions can help providers and vendors communicate about service behavior and network management.
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MEF’s scope is not limited to a single city or metropolitan network. Its foundational architecture framework models Ethernet-services, transport-services and application-services layer networks in a Metro Ethernet Network (MEN). See MEF 4: Metro Ethernet Network Architecture Framework Part 1.
What are MEF standards?
MEF standards are specifications and related documents that define service types, network architecture, interfaces, service attributes and management information. Their purpose is to provide a common technical vocabulary and, where specified, describe expected behavior. They are not all interchangeable, and an older MEF document should not automatically be treated as current implementation guidance.
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Service definitions
MEF 6.3 defines Subscriber Ethernet Service Types for point-to-point, multipoint-to-multipoint and rooted-multipoint services. Those categories describe different service connectivity patterns; the appropriate one depends on how endpoints need to communicate. The MEF Standard Type View catalog lists document types and indicates when some specifications have been superseded.
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MEF 4 provides a generic framework for a Metro Ethernet Network, modeling Ethernet services, transport services and application-services layer networks. It is an architectural description, rather than a claim that every network has the same implementation.
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Management specifications
MEF documents also address service management. MEF 40, published in April 2013, specifies management information for configuring and monitoring the User Network Interface (UNI) and Ethernet Virtual Connection (EVC). A UNI is the user-network interface construct; an EVC is an Ethernet service connection construct referenced by MEF management work. See MEF 40: UNI and EVC Definition of Managed Objects (SNMP).
How can MEF standards be used in practice?
A provider or vendor can use MEF specifications as a shared basis for describing a service, its network context and relevant management functions. For instance, a service definition can identify a point-to-point or multipoint connectivity pattern, while an architecture framework explains how service and transport layers relate. Management documents can describe information used to configure or monitor specified interfaces and connections.
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MEF 3 offers a historical example of the range of work: its April 13, 2004 specification described Circuit Emulation Services for carrying TDM (time-division multiplexing) traffic over a Carrier Ethernet network. That illustrates how a Carrier Ethernet environment could accommodate legacy circuit traffic. It is a dated example, not evidence that MEF 3 is the current implementation specification; check the catalog for current or superseding documents before relying on it for deployment decisions. The document is available as the MEF 3 Circuit Emulation Service Definitions, Framework and Requirements.
How do you check whether a MEF document is current?
- Open the official MEF standards catalog. Search for the document number or subject.
- Check the document’s status and version. The catalog marks some older documents as superseded, so a familiar number alone does not establish that it is the latest guidance.
- Match the document to your question. Confirm whether you need a service definition, architecture framework, information model or management specification.
- Read the linked specification itself. Confirm its publication details, scope and any stated replacement before applying it to a technical design.
MEF 4’s resource page says MEF standards are intended for general distribution and may be downloaded without charge. Follow the reproduction attribution notice on the specific document if you reproduce its material.
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