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ASYNCHRONOUS TRANSFER MODE

reasons for their rise in importance. Enterprise


network users worldwide are becoming more
interested in services and equipment capable of
providing them with the ability to handle voice, data
and video at variable speeds with a Quality of
Service.

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) has been


ABSTRACT
conceived as a multiservice and cellbased technology
Bill Stallings discusses the technology behind ideal for supporting a wide variety of traffic types
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), the widely and access methods,. furnishing a transmission
used wide area network technology. In the early days protocol capable of appeasing enterprise network
of wide area networking, X.25 was designed to users demands .Consequently, this paper is a
support direct connection of terminals and computers discussion of Asynchronous transfer mode, its
over long distances. At speeds up to 64 Kbps or so, technical characteristics, its use in the marketplace,
X.25 copes well with these demands. As LANs have and its advantages and disadvantages when compared
come to play an increasing role in the local to relative technologies.
environment, however, X.25, is being recognized as
an inadequate tool for wide area networking. This has
led to increasing interest in frame relay, which is
 . What is it really?
designed to support access speeds up to 2 Mbps. But
 Low-level network layer—above physical
frame relay will falter in the face of a requirement for
layer, below AAL (ATM adaptation layer)
wide area access speeds in the tens and hundreds of
 Single transport mechanism for different
megabits per second. To accommodate these
types of traffic (voice, data, video, etc.)
gargantuan requirements, the latest technology has
 Streamlined protocol, minimal error and
emerged: asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), also
flow control capabilities
known as cell relay.ATM is similar in concept to
 Fixed packet size = ATM cell Simplified
frame relay. Frame relay was developed as part of
processing, management
the work of ISDN, but is now finding wide
application in private networks and other non–ISDN
ATM Standards
applications, particularly in bridges and routers.
ATM was developed as part of the work on
The following are some of the basic ATM standards
broadband ISDN, but now finds applications in non–
documents available from the international
ISDN environments, where very high data rates are
telecommunication union(ITU)
required

 ITU-T I.361
INTRODUCTION
Defines the ATM Layer functions.
 ITU-T I.363
Transmission protocols and network architectures are
Defines the ATM Adaptation Layer
now at the forefront of computer related issues. The
protocols.
technical jargon of the day is Asynchronous
 ITU-T I.610
transmission mode, Synchronous optical network and
Defines the ATM Operation and
Fiber distributed data interface, and there are valid .
Maintenance (OAM) functions

1. BASIC ATM CONCEPT

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The technology allows both public (i.e., RBOC or mechanisms for the exchange of information such as
carrier) and private (i.e., LAN or LAN-to-internal routing tables, etc
switch) ATM networks. This capability gives a
seamless and transparent (to the user) connection from The network functions as follows: End User 1 in
one end user to another end user, whether in the same Chicago wishes to transfer a data file to End User 2
building or across two continents in Los Angeles. A virtual channel is created and a
virtual path is established from switch to switch
within the public ATM network in Chicago (ATM
Network 1). The Chicago RBOC, in turn, establishes
contact with the public ATM network in Los Angeles
(ATM Network 2).

ATM Network 2 also establishes a virtual path from


switch to switch within the network and with the
Private ATM Switch at the destination. The private
ATM network completes the virtual path by
establishing a virtual channel with End User 2

Fig.1 ATM NETWORK At each interface in this network, a unique virtual


path identifier (VPI) and virtual channel identifier
Three types of interfaces exist in the above diagram: (VCI) are established for this transmission. These
identifiers are of local significance ONLY: the
1. User-to-Network Interface (UNI) identifier is significant only for a specific switch and
2. Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) the two nodes adjacent to it in the virtual path. Each
3. Inter-Carrier Interface (ICI) node within the virtual path (including both the end
users and the switches) maintain a pool of inactive
The UNI exists between a single end user and a identifiers to be used as needed.
public ATM network, between a single end user and
a private ATM switch, or between a private ATM End User 2 encapsulates the file in 53-byte cells,
switch and the public ATM network of an RBOC. each with its unique VPI/VCI "destination address"
in the header. These cells are streamed and sent
The NNI exists between switches in a single public across the UNI to the ATM network switch. This
ATM network. switch reads the ATM header, consults the routing
table created during the virtual path setup, changes
NNIs may also exist between two private ATM the VPI/VCI as necessary, and sends each cell in the
switches The ICI is located between two public ATM stream out of the appropriate port and across the NNI
networks (an RBOC and an interexchange carrier). to the next switch in the virtual path.

All of these interfaces are very similar. The major The last switch within the virtual path for ATM
differences between these types of interfaces are Network 1 repeats this process and sends the cell out
administrative and signalling related. The only type through the ICI to ATM Network 2.
of signalling exchanged across the UNI is that
required to set up a VIRTUAL CHANNEL for the ATM Network 2 continues the process in a similar
transmission. manner until the cell is carried through the UNI to the
Private ATM Switch which, in turn, sends the cell to
Communication across the NNI and the ICI will End User 2. End User 2 then reconstructs the file
require signalling for virtual-path and virtual-channel from the sequential cells, stripping the 5-byte header
establishment together with various exchange from each cell.

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End User 1 or End User 2 terminates the call, i.e.,
"hangs up," and the virtual path is dismantled. The
VCI and VPI values are returned to the pool of
available values for each switch. NNI

Notice that only the End Users at either end of the


VP Identifier
transmission deal with the 48-byte information load
within the cell. At each stage of the transmission, the
VC Identifier
switch is only concerned with accepting the cell from
PL TYPE CLP
Header Error Control
one port, changing the VPI/VCI according to its
tables, and routing the cell out the appropriate switch
port. Info field, 48 bytes

2. ATM CELLS

Each individual ATM cell consists of a 5-byte cell


header and 48 bytes of information encapsulated 2.1 Virtual Channels
Within its payload. The ATM network uses the
 The virtual channel (VC) is the fundamental unit
header to support the virtual path and the virtual
of transport in a B-ISDN. Each ATM cell contains
channel routing, and to perform a quick error check an explicit label in its header to identify the virtual
for corrupted cells channel.
 a Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI)
 a Virtual Path Identifier (VPI)

A virtual channel (VC) is a communication channel


UNI that provides for the transport of ATM cells between
two or more endpoints for information transfer.
 A Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI) identifiers a
GFC VP particular VC within a particular VP over a UNI or
Identifier NNI.A specific value of VCI has no end-to-end
VP Identifier meaning.
VP Identifier
PT CLP
Header Error Control 2.2 Virtual Paths
 A Virtual Path (VP) is a group of Virtual
Info field, 48 bytes Channels that are carried on the same
physical facility and share the same Virtual
Path Identifier (VPI) value.
 The VP boundaries are delimited by Virtual
Path Terminators (VPT).
 AT VPTs, both VPI and VCI are processed.
 Between VPTs associated with the same VP,
only the VPI values are processed (and
translated) at ATM network elements.

Institute of Technology Under Nirma University, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, Ahmedabad-382481


 The VCI values are processed only at VPTs, and has no meaning to the end user when AAL 5 is
and are not translated at intermediate ATM NOT in use.
network elements.
2.7 Cell Loss Priority (CLP)
2.3 Generic Flow Control (GFC)
The 1-bit CLP field is used for explicit indication of
 The GFC field of the header is only defined the priority of the cell. It may be set by the AAL
across the UNI. It is intended to control the Layer to indicate cells to discard in cases of
traffic flow across the UNI and to alleviate congestion, or by the network as part of the traffic
short-term overload conditions. It is management on commercial subscriber networks.
currently undefined and these 4 bits must be
set to 0's. 2.8 Header Error Control (HEC)

2.4 Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) This is an 8-bit cyclical redundancy check computed
for all fields of the first 4 bytes of the ATM cell
 The VPI, an 8-bit field for the UNI and a 12- header ONLY. It is capable of detecting all single-bit
bit field for the NNI, is used to identify errors and some multiple-bit errors.
virtual paths. In an idle cell, the VPI is set to
all 0's. (Together with the Virtual Channel The HEC is compared by each switch as the ATM
Identifier, the VPI provides a unique local cell is received and all cells with HEC discrepancies
identification for the transmission.) (errors) are discarded. Cells with single-bit errors
may be subject to error correction (if supported or
2.5 Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI) discarded.

 This 16-bit field is used to identify a virtual When a cell is passed through the switch and the
channel. For idle cells, the VCI is set to all VPI/VCI values are altered, the HEC is recalculated
0’s. (Together with the Virtual Path for the cell prior to being passed out the port.
Identifier, the VCI provides a unique local
identification for the transmission.)

3. ATM APPLICATIONS
2.6 Payload Type Identifier (PTI)

 The three bits of the PTI are used for


different purposes. Bit 4 is set to 1 to
identify operation, administration, or
maintenance cells (i.e., anything other than
data cells).
 Bit 3 is set to 1 to indicate that congestion
was experienced by a data cell in
transmission and is only valid when bit 4 is
set to 0.

Bit 2 is used by AAL 5 to identify the data as Type 0


(beginning of message, continuation of message; bit ATM Technologies Standards, and Services
= 0) or Type 1 (end of message, single-cell message;
bit = 1) when bit 4 is set to 0. It may also be used for  ATM services—Service providers globally
management functions when bit 4 is set to 1. This bit are introducing or already offering ATM
is currently carried transparently through the network services to their business users.

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 ATM workgroup and campus networks— services, driven by the need for highly
Enterprise users are deploying ATM campus scalable solutions.
networks based on the ATM LANE  carrier infrastructures for the telephone and
standards. Workgroup ATM is more of a private-line networks—Some carriers have
niche market with the wide acceptance of identified opportunities to make more-
switched-Ethernet desktop technologies. effective use of their SONET/SDH fiber
 ATM enterprise network consolidation—A infrastructures by building an ATM
new class of product has evolved as an ATM infrastructure to carry their telephony and
multimedia network-consolidation vehicle. private-line traffic.
It is called an ATM enterprise network
switch. A full-featured ATM ENS offers a 4. ATM Advantages
broad range of in-building (e.g., voice,
video, LAN, and ATM) and wide-area Asynchronous transfer mode provides a long list of
interfaces (e.g., leased line, circuit switched, high-level benefits through the use of ATM
frame relay, and ATM at narrowband and equipment and services.
broadband speeds) and supports ATM
switching, voice networking, frame-relay  Universality
SVCs, and integrated multiprotocol routing. o Mixed traffic types, real-time and
 multimedia virtual private networks and non-real-time
managed services—Service providers are  Scalability in speed and network size
building on their ATM networks to offer a o LANs, MANs, WANs, WLANs
broad range of services. Examples include  High Performance and bandwidth.
managed ATM, LAN, voice and video  Dynamic bandwidth for bursty traffic.
services (these being provided on a per-  Quality of service support for multimedia
application basis, typically including applications
customer-located equipment and offered on  Simplified network infrastructure
an end-to-end basis), and full-service virtual  cell length is constant at 53 bytes
private-networking capabilities (these  ATM is capable of handling both circuit and
including integrated multimedia access and packet data flows.
network management).
 frame-relay backbones—Frame-relay
service providers are deploying ATM 5. ATM DISADVANTAGES
backbones to meet the rapid growth of their
frame-relay services to use as a networking
infrastructure for a range of data services there are other related technologies that are both
and to enable frame relay to ATM service competition and complementary to ATM, which are
interworking services. as follows.
 Internet backbones—Internet service  SONET
providers are likewise deploying ATM  Internet Protocol
backbones to meet the rapid growth of their  FDDI
frame-relay services, to use as a networking  Frame Relay
infrastructure for a range of data services,  Other Packet Technologies
and to enable Internet class-of-service
offerings and virtual private intranet
services. 5.1 SONET
 residential broadband networks—ATM is
the networking infrastructure of choice for Synchronous optical network (SONET) is a public
carriers establishing residential broadband standard, used worldwide, for broadband

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transmission using fiber-optic pipes that accept data in conjunction provide a powerful means for
rates ranging from 51 Mbps to 10 Gbps. SONET controlling network data flow. The use of ATM and
provides built-in redundancy that ATM lacks; SONET together provides other testing and
without the use of SONET, ATM modifications to maintenance capabilities absent in IP, like the ability
utilize redundancy are quite costly. SONET with to discover the locations of line failures. Finally,
ATM is useful in providing a network solution ATM and SONET have proven to be the best means
capable of high-speed data transmissions, of transmitting voice. .There is no debate that, even at
transporting all forms of data and integrating legacy their best IP or frame will not handle voice better.
communications applications and systems. It is most than ATM and SONETThough Internet Protocol does
advantageous to implement a SONET/ATM network indeed have its advantages over certain network
in the environments: large corporations, technologies, ATM and SONET have proven to be a
organizations requiring access to public or private better solution.
networks, companies with remote locations, and
finally networks in need of voice support coupled
with security management. This combination will 5.3 FDDI
demonstrate itself to be an effective solution for most
demanding networks in the enterprise.

5.2 Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol is defined by Stallings as .an


internetworking protocol that
provides connectionless service across multiple
packet switching networks.. [STALLINGS97] This
protocol then complements ATM in that it delivers
service over ATM networks as well; IP routers can
transmit data through a packet-switched ATM
network. Though this effort displays certain merits, it
is very difficult to implement and manage. One
attempt at designing just such an implementation,
Multiprotocol Label Switching, (MPLS) has been
unsuccessful for just those reasons; Nokia.s IP
Switching, Toshiba.s Cell-Switched Router, and
Cisco.s Tag Switching are further examples of failed
attempts at linking the two technologies. In reality,
ATM and IP technologies are in relative competition.
Furthermore, an ATM/SONET network solution also
presents a market threat to IP The combination of
ATM and SONET provide an even stronger network
solution over that of IP. .ATM is a richer protocol
than IP for built-in and proactive maintenance testing
features, and so is SONET.. With SONET,
monitoring of transmission is granular down to a
multiplexer section of the transmission, and this is
not possible with IP. The ability to regulate the ATM
connection has already been illustrated, and the two

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Fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) is a LAN much greater hold on the market, giving it an
transmission mechanism that maintains a data rate of advantage over ATM due to its presence and public
100 Mbps across a fiber optic transmission medium. awareness. ATM has a number of benefits that
ATM provides a number of advantages over FDDI. distinguish it from frame relay. Frame relay is
The definition alone demonstrates one weakness in capable of reaching speeds over T1, while ATM
FDDI, its limitation to one data rate versus ATM.s exceeds the fastest frame relay speed by a significant
multiple port speeds. Additionally, the need for amount. The speeds that frame relay does operate
multiple data forms like video, voice and file data is with are incompatible with SONET networks, and
not met by FDDI. Bay Networks. Julie Ford notes ATM works quite well with SONET. Additionally,
that .fiber distributed data interface networks [are] .large frame relay networks become unmanageable
migrating to ATM . . . for not only bandwidth because they lack the kind of advanced traffic
intensive applications but voice, video and data.. Bo management that ATM provides.. The more frame
Nyein, ATM manager at Cisco Systems, Inc. further relay nodes that are implemented into a network, the
corroborates the inability of FDDI to handle the more complex and costly it becomes; ATM is a much
necessary network management tasks for transmitting more scalable solution. Finally, frame relay
data in numerous forms, especially at varying rates. introduced certain levels of Quality of Service into its
Additionally, voice and video transmissions are more architecture, but they are not nearly as defined or
reliable and are of a higher quality due to the intended as those within ATM. Asynchronous
difference in the 53-byte ATM cell length and the transfer mode delivers this assortment of benefits
4,500-byte FDDI frame size. .Inherently low over and above what frame relay supplies.
transmission delays guarantee real-time delivery of
collaborated image and voice data for dynamic
resolution and sound quality.. Finally, the cost to 6. Future Topics
implement a FDDI network solution is greater than
that of ATM, making it even less desirable of a
choice. Dr. John McQuillan, chair of the annual Next • ATM Network Management
Generation Networks conference, feels that .ATM is • ATM LAN Emulation
a solid answer . . . especially for customers who have • IP over ATM
outgrown FDDI or want to leapfrog it entirely.. Once • Multiprotocol over ATM
again, the advantages of using ATM over another
technology, in this case FDDI, are significant and 7. CONCLUSION
convincing.
In summary, Asynchronous transfer mode is a
powerful transmission protocol, capable of high-
performance, high-speed transport of numerous data
forms. This paper set upon defining and
characterizing the technology, while illustrating
examples of its use in the relative market and
5.4 Frame Relay
summarizing its advantages and disadvantages versus
Frame relay and ATM are quite similar in that they competing technologies. ATM.s usage and
are both types of packetswitching, they operate at proliferation into the enterprise will only increase in
multiple port speeds, and much of their design is the future .because it meets emerging requirements
aimed at high performance and throughput. Frame for scalable transport of myriad end user services,
relay, however, uses frames of changing length, and including voice, video and data.. In conclusion, ATM
it does not utilize the network layer of the OSI model. provides for a flexible network architecture, capable
The advantages of ATM over frame relay are higher of servicing end user applications quickly, reliably
speeds, interoperability with SONET, traffic and simply.
management, scalability, and more defined classes of
QOS. Even with these advantages, frame relay has a 8. REFERENCES

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 http://www.iec.org : Amos E. Joel, Jr.,
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (IEEE Press,
1933)
 Broadband ISDN and ATM. http://world-
class-programme.com

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