In telecommunications and networking, a mapper is a device or software function that converts data from one format or protocol to another. It typically takes payloads from a local network and encapsulates them for transport over a wide-area protocol, such as mapping Ethernet frames into a SONET payload. Mappers ensure that addressing schemes and data structures align correctly across disparate network boundaries.
Heard on the job
Check the configuration on the Ethernet mapper; we're dropping frames before they even hit the SONET ring.
Insider tip
Hardware mappers are often integrated into edge routers or transport nodes where local area networks interface with carrier transport networks.