Multiprotocol

Unlike earlier generation units, new multiprotocol terminals can, under user control, “talk” in any communications protocol.

In a business environment that may require communications between the IBM PC and devices or host computers in a variety of protocols, a multiprotocol communications capability may be advantageous.

As a result of these efforts, multiprotocol lambda switching (MPLmS) and, more recently, generalized multiprotocol label switching (G-MPLS) have been proposed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as the control plane for dynamic provisioning and restoration of lightpaths in optical networks.