Evolution of ATM internetworking

Abstract

The success of internetworking businesses in the next decade will be based largely on the design and implementation of network infrastructures that support multimedia services. These infrastructures are based in part on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology, which is revolutionizing the telecommunications world by enabling the transmission of integrated voice, data, and video simultaneously at very high speeds. It is clear, however, that coexistence with legacy networks and transition to ATM networks must be addressed. Internetworking with existing networks is not only required for the acceptance of ATM, it is also key to the success of ATM in the next century. This paper provides an in-depth look at the technical aspects of ATM internetworking technologies for both local and wide area networks. It describes the fundamental concepts and components of two approaches to internetworking: the overlay model and the peer model. Specific approaches that are examined in detail include classical Internet protocol over ATM, routing over large clouds, ATM local area network emulation, multiprotocol over ATM, private network-network interface (PNNI) augmented routing, and integrated PNNI. This paper provides a critical assessment and competitive analysis of proposed technologies and concludes with a review of current and future directions in ATM internetworking technology.