IP Transport Services
IP transport services is really just another impressive name for a network cable, it is a service
that geographically bridges networks together so they can communicate with each other. It is the
actual physical portion of a network that allows networks to communicate together, usually called
the transport layer. This transport layer can be in several different forms, it can be in the form
of a point to point service or in a point to multipoint service. In a point to point service the
transport layer connects two end points together and allows communication to move across the transport
bridge, in a point to multi-point configuration multiple points are connected together and any one
of the connected points can talk to any of the other points. Usually the transport layer is in the
form of some type of high speed service such as Ethernet, Sonet or DS3 and T1.s, in general these
services have a higher cost of service then local networks and usually have some type of management
associated with them to ensure a more efficient usage. A gateway router usually is used to terminate
the end points on a transport service, which acts as a filter to ensure only traffic that needs to
use the transport uses it, which increases the effectiveness of the service. Transport services
generally work hand in hand with other services such as VPN technologies, backup services, failover
services and secondary server services. Usually client who use transport services will connect to
another network which in turn may have some type of public access and in the event of a failure to
public access can use the transport layer to give public access to the other network, as well as
allow the other network to provide redundant services while public access on the other network is down.
