The Metro Ethernet Forum (News - Alert) recently took place out in Hong Kong, and while there was plenty to see and learn there, two key phrases kept emerging throughout the events of the conference. Set to become buzzwords throughout the industry, the two phrases in question were "Carrier Ethernet" and "OpenFlow.”

Carrier Ethernet developed its position as a new buzzword thanks to the launch of the Carrier Ethernet 2.0 certification standard, which took place at the Metro Ethernet Forum. An improvement over Carrier Ethernet 1.0, Carrier Ethernet 2.0 gives operators the ability to trace a services complete path, from one end to another. This allows for a mutual agreement for subscribers and service providers alike, which in turn makes the standard's implementation a lot easier on networks in the real world.

Meanwhile, OpenFlow began appearing as a buzzword for the industry thanks to the growing numbers of vendors -- including, among others, HP -- who have begun launching network applications. OpenFlow is also on the rise due to its potential for a variety of useful effects like automated configurations, better network efficiency, and even direct cost savings on ownership. Users are, according to Bruce Bateman of Dell (News - Alert) Force10, looking for more openness in their networks and standards, thus they want products that can easily interact with other devices. OpenFlow looks to offer just that, so it's seeing some big gains in overall popularity.

OpenFlow also has the potential to solve some big problems for data centers, including upping support numbers for VLANs. While the numbers currently stop at 4,000, users want more than that, and OpenFlow can convert virtualized networks from layer 2 to layer 4, providing additional VLAN storage counts and meeting customer desires.

There are plenty of challenges, of course, for devices on either front: Daniel Bar-Lev, Director of Certification Programs for the Metro Ethernet Forum, described Carrier Ethernet 2.0 as "a step along the way to a seamless global Ethernet LAN," despite the fact that it wasn't "the solution or the be all end all technique." And Bruce Bateman, in further discussing OpenFlow, described it as being several years away from being widely used as its use was also a cultural matter.

So while Carrier Ethernet 2.0 and OpenFlow alike may have challenges, they also represent some substantial benefits for the future. Once the troubles get worked out, they will likely be put into much wider use than they already are. It will remain to be seen just how far either can ultimately go, but it's a fair bet that both will be industry buzzwords in the near future.