Author: Peter Lindblom

Name of the Thesis: Virtual LANs and directory enabled networking

Date: 16.8.1999
Number of pages: 98

Department: Department of Electrical and Communications Engineering

Professorship: Communications Laboratory Code: S-72

Supervisor: Seppo J. Halme

Instructor: Arto Urataipale

Networking and virtual LANs have developed enormously during the last few years. LAN networking has become very common, but at the same time new requirements and advanced features have made the LAN environment more complex.

This is an opportunity for providers of LAN services, because they have the necessary expertise. They are able to provide the LAN and virtual LAN networking infrastructure as a service, so that their customers can focus on their core business.

The new LAN can provide advanced services, such as authentication, authorization, policy-based networking, and prioritization, but these features need to be manageable consistently and vendor-independently.

Directory enabled networking is a promising new approach to enable intelligent management of both network devices and the services provided by the network.Directory enabled networking also addresses the management of service level agreements, which are very important in a service provider environment.

Directory enabled networking can be used as the basis of a next-generation network.