Point-to-point Layer 2 services

A point-to-point Layer 2 service is a transport circuit emulation that

• makes two end nodes appear directly connected over a point-to-point link

• connects two sites by using local switching, attachment circuits, or pseudowires, and

• is also called an MPLS Layer 2 VPN service.

Local switching is a point-to-point internal circuit that

• switches Layer 2 data between two attachment circuits on the same device

• keeps the switching function within a single router, and

• is also known as local connect.

Attachment circuits are physical or logical ports or circuits that

• connect a CE device to a provider edge devices

• provide the local service endpoint for a pseudowire or local switching connection, and

• must be active for the related Layer 2 service to forward traffic.

A pseudowire is a virtual point-to-point circuit that:

• connects one provider edge router to another provider edge router

• links the attachment circuits connected at each provider edge router over an MPLS network, and

• transports Layer 2 service traffic across a packet switched network.