Old Dog Consulting
Internet Protocol Consulting Services

I am Adrian Farrel, Principal Consultant and Managing Director of Old Dog Consulting.

I have 20 years' experience designing and developing portable communications software ranging from various aspects of SNA and OSI, through ATM and into IP. At Data Connection Ltd., I was MPLS Architect and Development Manager, leading a team that produced a carrier-class MPLS implementation for customers in the router space, while their GMPLS implementation pioneered the protocols working closely with optical companies developing the standards. As Director of Protocol Development for Movaz Networks Inc., I had the opportunity to build a cutting-edge system integrating many IP-based protocols to control and manage optical switches offering wavelength services.

I am co-chair of the IETF's Common Control and Management Plane (CCAMP) Working Group, which is responsible for the development of the GMPLS family of protocols. I also chair the Path Computation Element (PCE) Working Group, which is applying remote path computation techniques to MPLS and GMPLS networks, and the Layer One VPN (L1VPN) Working Group, which is developing mechanisms to manage connectivity over optical networks using GMPLS. Within the IETF I have co-authored and contributed to numerous Internet Drafts and RFCs on MPLS, GMPLS and related technologies.

As the IETF's liaison to the ITU-T on optical networking, I frequently attend ITU-T meetings to discuss and help formulate the ITU-T's Recommendations on related technologies. I was also a founding board member of the MPLS Forum.

As well as frequently speaking at conferences, and authoring several white papers on GMPLS, I co-chaired the technical committee for MPLS2005, and I have served on many technical committees and review panels including the MPLS conferences in Washington DC every year from 2004 to 2008, the 2004 IEEE International Workshop on IP Operations & Management (IPOM 2004), and the IP and Optical Network conference (iPOP). I was Guest Editor of a special edition of the IEEE's Communications Magazine entitled "GMPLS: The Promise of the Next Generation Optical Control Plane."

I am the author of three books from Morgan Kaufmann:

The Internet and Its Protocols: A Comparative Approach, which explains many of the IP-based protocols including those that make up MPLS and GMPLS.

GMPLS - Architecture and Applications, which examines the operation of the GMPLS protocols and describes in detail some of the ways in which GMPLS can be used to provide value-added services in core transport networks.

MPLS - Next Steps, is a collection of chapters on MPLS technologies from a number of experts in the field. The chapters come mainly from existing books, and have been edited to provide a composite whole. Where necessary, the authors have supplied additional chapters to introduce the latest concepts.

Click here for a list of some of my other publications.

Services

Old Dog Consulting is a loose affiliation of a small group of consultants who work with me to meet the specific needs of my customers. I work full time as a consultant, and I call on the services of other consultants to provide input in their specific areas of expertise to support my work and to provide added value and detail in what is a very wide area of technology.

Our work concentrates on the function and application of MPLS and GMPLS protocols, with inevitable discussion of IP routing for unicast and multicast.

Our clients range from large Service Providers, through established networking equipment manufacturers, to start-up companies in various stages of development. We protect our customers' confidentiality through stringent NDAs, and exchange information between ourselves only on a need-to-know basis, but at the same time our contact with carriers and vendors facilitates a beneficial cross-fertilisation of requirements and ideas.

The services that Old Dog Consulting provides include:

Advice about standards bodies and standards tracking. We provide reports about the development of protocol standards within the IETF, ITU-T and OIF based on first-hand experience of attending these bodies, writing the standards, and piloting the work through the standardisation processes. Additionally we help our customers to develop and promote their ideas through the standardisation process to ensure that the networking community understands and adopts the technologies that are of greatest importance to our customers.

Reviewing and development of architectures and designs. Working with equipment manufacturers, we help to structure the protocol software components and switch architectures through written contributions, planning discussions, or the review of existing material.

Strategic product direction. Both Service Providers and equipment manufacturers can leverage our wide experience within the industry when planning new products or services. We provide input to Functional Specifications, Product Level Management, and business models for new start-ups.

Education. Formal or informal education classes are an excellent way to bring a development team up to speed on Internet protocols and service, or on the techniques for successfully architecting protocol software in network devices.

Contact me: Adrian Farrel

	The Internet and Its Protocols: A Comparative Approach, which explains many of the IP-based protocols including those that make up MPLS and GMPLS.
	GMPLS - Architecture and Applications, which examines the operation of the GMPLS protocols and describes in detail some of the ways in which GMPLS can be used to provide value-added services in core transport networks.
	MPLS - Next Steps, is a collection of chapters on MPLS technologies from a number of experts in the field. The chapters come mainly from existing books, and have been edited to provide a composite whole. Where necessary, the authors have supplied additional chapters to introduce the latest concepts.

	Advice about standards bodies and standards tracking. We provide reports about the development of protocol standards within the IETF, ITU-T and OIF based on first-hand experience of attending these bodies, writing the standards, and piloting the work through the standardisation processes. Additionally we help our customers to develop and promote their ideas through the standardisation process to ensure that the networking community understands and adopts the technologies that are of greatest importance to our customers.
	Reviewing and development of architectures and designs. Working with equipment manufacturers, we help to structure the protocol software components and switch architectures through written contributions, planning discussions, or the review of existing material.
	Strategic product direction. Both Service Providers and equipment manufacturers can leverage our wide experience within the industry when planning new products or services. We provide input to Functional Specifications, Product Level Management, and business models for new start-ups.
	Education. Formal or informal education classes are an excellent way to bring a development team up to speed on Internet protocols and service, or on the techniques for successfully architecting protocol software in network devices.

Old Dog Consulting Internet Protocol Consulting Services

Services

Old Dog Consulting
Internet Protocol Consulting Services