ATM Networks

N. Ganesan, Ph.D.
Chapter Objectives

ATM Interfaces
ATM and other technologies.
ATM
Source: CISCO
ATM Network Building Block
The main building block of ATM
networks is the ATM switch
Workgroup switch
Campus switch
Enterprise switch
Multi-service access switch
ATM Network Hierarchy
Source: CISCO
Work Group Switch
These switches will have Ethernet and
ATM ports
Used for connecting Ethernet networks
to ATM switches
Note: At the desktop level Ethernet still
remains as the leading network
technology
Campus Switch
Used for designing small-scale ATM
backbones
Can be used for connecting various
campus backbone technologies
FDDI
Gigabit Ethernet etc.
Move from Traditional to New
Backbones
Enterprise ATM Switch
Used in building large enterprise
backbones
Can be used for integrating different
services and technologies on the
backbone
Multi-Service Access Switch
A common ATM infrastructure can be used in
a public network to support disparate
services
Frame relay
LAN interconnection
Public ATM services
Their use usually extends beyond a private
network to a public network
Used by service providers to connect MANs
and WANs for example
ATM Interface Types
User-to-Network Interface (UNI)
Network-to-Network Interface (NNI)
Interface Types in a Network
Source: CISCO
ATM Interfaces
LAN interfaces
Backbone interfaces
ATM to LAN Interface
Source: http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/idg4/nd2008.htm#28807
LAN Emulation Issues
Emulate an Ethernet LANs
Map traditional LAN addresses to ATM
addresses
ATM to WAN Interface
Source: CISCO
DXI Data Exchange Interface
HSSI High Speed Serial Interface
DSU Data Service Unit

Load Balancing with ATM Switches
Source: CISCO
Summary
ATM networks are basically built around ATM
switches
ATM interfaces can be used for integrating disparate
WAN technologies
At the desktop LAN, ATM can be used for emulating
the traditional Ethernet environment for example
But, in general, the Ethernet technology is very popular in
terms of ease of use and speed
Therefore, ATM at the LAN front is likely to be used for
connecting Ethernet LANs to the backbone if the backbone is
based on ATM
For the backbone and large public backbones, ATM is
bound to become the technology of choice
References
At CISCO
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/d
oc/cisintwk/idg4/nd2008.htm
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/d
oc/cisintwk/idg4/nd2012.htm
ATM Forum
http://www.atmforum.org/