Data Transport Applications Using GFP

An emerging Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) standard defines a new data encapsulation protocol designed to accept and transport multiple protocols over Metropolitan, Storage, and Wide Area Networks (MANs, SANs, and WANs). Why is another data encapsulation method needed for transporting data traffic over WANs? How does GFP encapsulate data for transport? This article provides an introduction to data transport applications, reviews existing data transport options (such as ATM and HDLC), introduces GFP as a new data transport technology, and compares GFP transport to existing popular alternatives. Companion articles provide a more in-depth understanding of the actual GFP encapsulation method, based on the current GFP standard (ITU-T G.7041).