Service Area Mandated to define Carrier Ethernet services models, definitions and service parameters and attributes. The focus is to define common services terminology along with the associate attributes and parameters to allow equipment manufacturers, service providers and enterprise customers to speak in a common language for standardized Carrier Ethernet implementations.

Architecture Mandated to develop an architectural reference model and set of common linguistic tools for the technical committee work. The layered MEN/CEN architecture is defined including the multiple base transport layers, the single Ethernet Services layer and the application layers that ride on top of the Ethernet Services. Each layer has been further decomposed into the Adaptation, Connection and Termination elements. This critical area is completed with the UNI framework allowing users to seamlessly access the Carrier Ethernet network from the customer premise equipment to the core backbone.

Management - Mandated to develop Carrier Ethernet operations, administration and maintenance (OA&M) requirements, models and definitions. This area is focused on defining and ensuring that network management is effective and interoperable across Carrier Ethernet platforms. This includes normal network implementations that include multi-vendor solutions and integration into legacy network architectures.

Test and Measurement – Mandated to define suites of test methodologies and test cases that matching the clauses in the related MEF Specifications. Their intended use is as the basis for the MEF Certification Programs test plans to ensure the functional conformance of both products and services to MEF Specifications.

Technical Specifications include architectural and abstract models required to create a robust platform of technical requirements and definitions. They are the principal documents that define mandatory and optional elements, attributes etc., of the elements of a Carrier Ethernet network (UNI, Services, NNI, etc).
Implementation Agreements typically quantify specific parameters and attributes called out in the technical specifications so that consistent, interoperable implementation can occur
Abstract Test Suites are the comprehensive sets of test cases to be used to evaluate conformance to certain MEF specifications as described under Test and Measurement above.