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ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)

ATM is a standard for cell relay that conveys information for multiple service types like voice, video, and data in small, fixed-size cells. It provides guaranteed bandwidth and constant transmission delay like circuit switching along with flexibility and efficiency for intermittent traffic like packet switching. ATM transfers information in 53-byte cells consisting of a 5-byte header and 48-byte payload and is designed for hardware implementation, enabling faster processing and switch speeds up to 10 Gbps.

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99 views7 pages

ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)

ATM is a standard for cell relay that conveys information for multiple service types like voice, video, and data in small, fixed-size cells. It provides guaranteed bandwidth and constant transmission delay like circuit switching along with flexibility and efficiency for intermittent traffic like packet switching. ATM transfers information in 53-byte cells consisting of a 5-byte header and 48-byte payload and is designed for hardware implementation, enabling faster processing and switch speeds up to 10 Gbps.

Uploaded by

vijay_786
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ATM (asynchronous transfer mode):

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is an International Telecommunication


Union–Telecommunications Standards Section (ITU-T) standard for cell relay wherein
information for multiple service types, such as voice, video, or data, is conveyed in
small, fixed-size cells. ATM networks are connection-oriented. Next figure illustrates a
private ATM network and a public ATM network carrying voice, video, and data traffic.

A Private ATM Network and a Public ATM Network Both Can Carry Voice, Video, and Data Traffic

ATM is a cell-switching and multiplexing technology that combines the benefits of


circuit switching (guaranteed capacity and constant transmission delay) with those of
packet switching (flexibility and efficiency for intermittent traffic). It provides scalable
bandwidth from a few megabits per second (Mbps) to many gigabits per second (Gbps).
Because of its asynchronous nature, ATM is more efficient than synchronous
technologies.
Because ATM is designed to be easily implemented by hardware (rather than
software), faster processing and switch speeds are possible. The prespecified bit rates
are either 155.520 Mbps or 622.080 Mbps. Speeds on ATM networks can reach 10
Gbps. Along with Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) and several other
technologies, ATM is a key component of broadband ISDN (BISDN).
Standards
ATM is based on the efforts of the ITU-T Broadband Integrated Services Digital
Network (B-ISDN) standard. It was originally conceived as a high-speed transfer
technology for voice, video, and data over public networks. The ATM Forum extended
the ITU-T’s vision of ATM for use over public and private networks. The ATM Forum has
released work on the following specifications:
• User-to-Network Interface (UNI) 2.0
• UNI 3.0
• UNI 3.1
• UNI 4.0
• Public-Network Node Interface (P-NNI)

ATM Cell Basic Format


ATM transfers information in fixed-size units called cells. Each cell consists of 53
octets, or bytes. The first 5 bytes contain cell-header information, and the remaining 48
contain the payload (user information). Small, fixed-length cells are well suited to
transferring voice and video traffic because such traffic is intolerant of delays that result
from having to wait for a large data packet to download, among other things. Next figure
illustrates the basic format of an ATM cell.

An ATM Cell Consists of a Header and Payload Data

ATM Devices
An ATM network is made up of an ATM switch and ATM endpoints. An ATM
switch is responsible for cell transit through an ATM network. The job of an ATM switch
is well defined: It accepts the incoming cell from an ATM endpoint or another ATM
switch. It then reads and updates the cell header information and quickly switches the
cell to an output interface toward its destination. An ATM endpoint (or end system)
contains an ATM network interface adapter.
Examples of ATM endpoints are workstations, routers, digital service units (DSUs), LAN
switches, and video coder-decoders (CODECs).

An ATM Network Comprises ATM Switches and Endpoints

ATM Network Interfaces


An ATM network consists of a set of ATM switches interconnected by point-to-
point ATM links or interfaces. ATM switches support two primary types of interfaces: UNI
and NNI. The UNI connects ATM end systems to an ATM switch. The NNI connects two
ATM switches.
UNI and NNI can be further subdivided into public and private UNIs and NNIs. A
private UNI connects an ATM endpoint and a private ATM switch. Its public counterpart
connects an ATM endpoint or private switch to a public switch.
A private NNI connects two ATM switches within the same private organization.
A public one connects two ATM switches within the same public organization.
An additional specification, the broadband intercarrier interface (B-ICI), connects
two public switches from different service providers. Next figure illustrates the ATM
interface specifications for private and public networks.
An ATM Cell, ATM UNI Cell, and ATM NNI Cell Header Each Contain 48 Bytes of Payload

ATM Cell Header Format


An ATM cell header can be one of two formats: UNI or NNI. The UNI header is
used for communication between ATM endpoints and ATM switches in private ATM
networks. The NNI header is used for communication between ATM switches. Next
figure depicts the basic ATM cell format, the ATM UNI cell header format, and the ATM
NNI cell header format.

An ATM Cell, ATM UNI Cell, and ATM NNI Cell Header Each Contain 48 Bytes of Payload
Unlike the UNI, the NNI header does not include the Generic Flow Control (GFC)
field. Additionally, the NNI header has a Virtual Path Identifier (VPI) field that occupies
the first 12 bits, allowing for larger trunks between public ATM switches.

ATM Cell Header Fields


In addition to GFC and VPI header fields, several others are used in ATM cell
header fields. The following descriptions summarize the ATM cell header fields
illustrated in previous Figure:
• Generic Flow Control (GFC)—Provides local functions, such as identifying
multiple stations that share a single ATM interface. This field is typically not used and is
set to its default value of 0 (binary 0000).
• Virtual Path Identifier (VPI)—In conjunction with the VCI, identifies the next
destination of a cell as it passes through a series of ATM switches on the way to its
destination.
• Virtual Channel Identifier (VCI)—In conjunction with the VPI, identifies the next
destination of a cell as it passes through a series of ATM switches on the way to its
destination.
• Payload Type (PT)—Indicates in the first bit whether the cell contains user data
or control data. If the cell contains user data, the bit is set to 0. If it contains control data,
it is set to 1. The second bit indicates congestion (0 = no congestion, 1 = congestion),
and the third bit indicates whether the cell is the last in a series of cells that represent a
single AAL5 frame (1 = last cell for the frame).
• Cell Loss Priority (CLP)—Indicates whether the cell should be discarded if it
encounters extreme congestion as it moves through the network. If the CLP bit equals 1,
the cell should be discarded in preference to cells with the CLP bit equal to 0.
• Header Error Control (HEC)—Calculates checksum only on the first 4 bytes of
the header. HEC can correct a single bit error in these bytes, thereby preserving the cell
rather than discarding it.
ATM Reference Model

The ATM architecture uses a logical model to describe the functionality that it
supports. ATM functionality corresponds to the physical layer and part of the data link
layer of the OSI reference model.
The ATM reference model is composed of the following planes, which span all
layers:
• Control—This plane is responsible for generating and managing signaling
requests.
• User—This plane is responsible for managing the transfer of data.
• Management—This plane contains two components:
– Layer management manages layer-specific functions, such as the
detection of failures and protocol problems.
– Plane management manages and coordinates functions related to the
complete system.

The ATM reference model is composed of the following ATM layers:


• Physical layer— Analogous to the physical layer of the OSI reference model,
the ATM physical layer manages the medium-dependent transmission.
• ATM layer— Combined with the ATM adaptation layer, the ATM layer is roughly
analogous to the data link layer of the OSI reference model. The ATM layer is
responsible for the simultaneous sharing of virtual circuits over a physical link
(cell multiplexing) and passing cells through the ATM network (cell relay). To do
this, it uses the VPI and VCI information in the header of each ATM cell.
• ATM adaptation layer (AAL) — Combined with the ATM layer, the AAL is
roughly analogous to the data link layer of the OSI model. The AAL is
responsible for isolating higher-layer protocols from the details of the ATM
processes. The adaptation layer prepares user data for conversion into cells and
segments the data into 48-byte cell payloads.

Finally, the higher layers residing above the AAL accept user data, arrange it into
packets, and hand it to the AAL.

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