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ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode

History

ATM: What it is
Asynchronous Transfer Mode A low-layer networking technology based on fast packet-switching of small fixed size packets called cells ATM provides a single transport mechanism for integrated services traffic: data, voice, video, image, graphics... All statistically multiplexed at ATM layer

ATM: What it isnt


Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) STM relies on pre-assigned slots for each user within a frame, and global timing information to mark frame boundaries Example: T1 transmission (1.544 Mbps)

T1 Transmission
Frame 1 Frame 2 Frame 3

Call i uses slot i in each frame


8 bits/slot X 1 slot/frame X 8000 frames/sec = 64000 bits/sec = 64 kbps

Calls can be allocated k slots per frame to give allocated bandwidth that is k x 64 kbps Idle slots are wasted

Synchronous Transfer Mode


STM relies on positional association: slots are identified by their relative position from the start of the frame (global timing info) Each user knows which slot(s) to use All slots are the same size (e.g., 8 bits) Bandwidth allocated in multiples of slots Efficient for Constant Bit Rate traffic Inefficient for Variable Bit Rate traffic

Understanding SONET and ATM together First things first. ATM and SONET are somewhat confusing. They sound alike in that they are fast ways of sending information across a line. But their names are contradictory (asynchronous vs. synchronous). Yet they are used together on B-ISDN service. What is going on? ATM is the switching technology.SONET is the transmission technology. ATM is a logical way to organize the bits on a wire, but ATM does not care what kind of wire it is on. SONET, however, is concerned with getting the bits from one end of the line to the other, and it is very concerned with the wire type: it must run on fiber optics (its name stands for Synchronous Optical Network after all). ATM and SONET can work together despite their opposing nomenclatures. ATM is asynchronous in that it will take information on a variation of first-come, first-served. SONET is synchronous in that it will multiplex according to a rigid clock schedule, sending a frame for each input line, whether actual information is on it or not. BUT this is precisely why ATM and SONET work so well together. SONET does not have to worry about wasted bandwidth too much if it works with ATM because ATM will do its best to optimize before SONET gets a chance to send an empty frame. The Future of ATM and SONET The networking world is very excited about the possibilities offered by ATM and SONET for B-ISDN. It is hoped and believed that these technologies will eventually replace out current worldwide network (phones, cable, and more). But it will not happen all at once, and it will not happen soon. The costs are high, and the technology is new. There is a good side and a bad side to waiting: the good side is that by waiting, we don't find out that a new network is obsolete right after we put it in, but the bad news is that if we always wait for the next good thing to come along, we will never get around to installing a new network.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode


ATM does not use a priori assignment of cells (slots) to users Cells are assigned on demand on an as needed basis Users can use whichever cells are empty

ATM Transmission

Slotted transmission scheme All slots are the same size (53 bytes = 1 ATM cell)

Any user can use any empty slot No notion of specific slots assigned to specific users Bandwidth allocation in ATM may reserve a certain percentage of the total slots for a given call, but which slots you get is determined at time of transmission Can support arbitrary bit rates

Asynchronous Transfer Mode


No global timing relationship between slots (i.e., cells) of different users (asynchronous) Efficient for Variable Bit Rate traffic Implication: the cell in each slot has to be completely self-identifying (i.e., overhead)

Advantages of ATM
Better for bursty traffic (i.e., VBR) Statistical multiplexing gain Same mechanism works for all traffic types Simple and fast hardware switching

Why small cells?


Small cells reduce packetization effects for continuous traffic Small cells and small buffers reduce forwarding delay

Why fixed cell size?


Variable cell size reduces percell overhead Fixed cell size simplifies equipment

Why 53 Bytes?

64 + 5

32 + 4

48 + 5

Compromise reached in ITU-TS Study Group XVIII in June 1989

Characteristics of ATM
Point to point technology Connection-oriented: an end-to-end connection (called a virtual channel) must be set up using a signalling protocol before any data cells can be sent on that VC Bandwidth on demand Statistical multiplexing Integrated services

ATM Cell
53 bytes 5 byte header 48 byte payload (data) Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI) Simple control fields

ATM Cell Format


GFC VPI VCI VCI PT HEC Payload (48 bytes) ATM UNI Cell Specification RES CLP VPI VCI

ATM Cell Header Formats

The UNI cell header,


- Generic flow control (GFC) - Virtual path identifier (VPI) and virtual channel identifier (VCI) - Payload type (PT) - Cell loss priority (CLP) - Header error control (HEC)

ATM Cell Header Formats

The NNI cell header format


- the GFC space is displaced by a larger VPI space - occupys 12 bits making more VPIs available for NNIs.

ATM HEADER

GFC4 bits of generic flow control that are used to provide local functions, such as identifying multiple stations that share a single ATM interface. The GFC field is typically not used and is set to a default value. VPI8 bits of virtual path identifier that is used, in conjunction with the VCI, to identify the next destination of a cell as it passes through a series of switch routers on its way to its destination. VCI16 bits of virtual channel identifier that is used, in conjunction with the VPI, to identify the next destination of a cell as it passes through a series of switch routers on its way to its destination.

ATM HEADER

PT3 bits of payload type. The first bit indicates whether the cell contains user data or control data. If the cell contains user data, the second bit indicates congestion, and the third bit indicates whether the cell is the last in a series of cells that represent a single AAL5 frame. CLP1 bit of congestion loss priority that indicates whether the cell should be discarded if it encounters extreme congestion as it moves through the network. HEC8 bits of header error control that are a checksum calculated only on the header itself.

Definitions (Contd)

Permanent Virtual Channel (PVC)


- a virtual channel connection (virtual channel) that is set up on a long term basis (e.g., hours, days, months, years) by a human operator - involves statically configuring the routing table in ATM equipment

Definitions (Contd)

Switched Virtual Channel (SVC)


- a virtual channel connection (virtual channel) that is set up by the ATM signaling protocol between two communicating ATM entities - set up on an as needed basis, and torn down when complete - short term basis (e.g., seconds, minutes) - involves dynamically configuring the routing table in ATM equipment

ATM Network Advantages

ATM is a scalable technology


- scalable in bandwidth - scalable in distance - scalable in deployment

ATM: Scalable Bandwidth


ATM is not tied to any particular bit rate or physical layer network technology ATM is simply the abstract concept of fast packet switching with small fixed size cells Can do low speed ATM (e.g., 1.5 Mbps) Can do high speed ATM (e.g., 155 Mbps) Primary interest: high speed ATM networks

ATM: Scalable Distance


ATM can be used for LANs ATM can be used for MANs ATM can be used for WANs Initial market: ATM LANs, enterprise area networks, LAN backbones Future: wide area network backbone, ATM to the desktop, wireless ATM

ATM: Scalable Deployment


Emphasis on interoperability, compatibility Incremental evolutionary path to ATM Ethernet => switched Ethernet => ATM hub Start with one switch, N ports, plus NICs Add more ports as needed Add more switches as needed Hierarchical cascading structure

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