IEEE 802.17 refers to the Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) standard. It was designed by the IEEE 802.17 working group. Here are the key details:
- Purpose: The IEEE 802.17 standard was developed to address the need for a cost-effective and efficient metropolitan area network (MAN) standard that can handle data traffic efficiently while providing resiliency against failures.
- Resilient Packet Ring (RPR): RPR is a protocol standard for the MAC layer that is designed for local and metropolitan area networks. It uses a dual-ring topology, but unlike traditional ring-based protocols, it allows for data to travel in both directions, optimizing bandwidth use.
- Efficiency: The bi-directional nature of the data traffic helps in utilizing the bandwidth more efficiently. If a failure occurs in one part of the network, data can still be routed in the other direction, ensuring that the network remains resilient and data can still reach its destination.
- Topology: While the name suggests a ring, RPR supports various topologies like ring, star, or tree. However, the dual-ring topology is the most commonly associated with RPR.
- Applications: The RPR standard is primarily aimed at telecommunications and service provider networks, especially those in metropolitan areas where there’s a high demand for data traffic and a need for network resiliency.
- Competing Technologies: RPR faced competition from other networking technologies, such as Ethernet and MPLS. With the evolution and adaptation of these technologies for metropolitan and wide-area networks, RPR’s adoption has been limited.
In summary, IEEE 802.17 or Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) is a standard designed for resilient and efficient data transfer in metropolitan area networks. While it offers several advantages, the adoption has been limited due to the rise of competing technologies that serve similar purposes.