Abstract: Providing a service includes establishing service parameter values for a service, where a service parameter value describes a metric of the service. The service parameter values are mapped to first network parameter values operable to configure a first wide area network port for a first transport mechanism. The service is provided over the first transport mechanism. The service parameter values are mapped to second network parameter values operable to configure a second wide area network port for a second transport mechanism. The service is provided over the second transport mechanism.

Abstract: Modeling a ring network of a network system includes creating a ring object that models the ring network. The network system includes a network element that has components. The ring object includes provisioning properties, where a provisioning property describes configuring a component to become a member of the ring network. A component is associated with the ring object to allow the component to become a member of the ring network, where the associated component is allowed to receive packets communicated by the ring network. The ring object is stored at memory of the network element.

Abstract: An apparatus extends Ethernet-over-SONET services to provide point-to-multipoint service. Multiple optical channels are aggregated to form a single high speed channel to an attached router or switch. A traffic aggregation/trunking apparatus for a telecommunications system comprises a plurality of client data communication ports operable to communicate data traffic with client systems, a trunk port operable to communicate data traffic with a switch/router, and a processing block operable to process the communicated data traffic.