ASYNCHRONOUS TRANSFER MODE

ASSIGNMENT NO.1

Ques 1. COMPARE VARIOUS SWITCHING MODELS.

Ans: Switching, takes information from an input multiplexed information stream and directs this information to other outputs. In other words, a
switch takes information from a particular physical link in a specific multiplexing position and connects it to another output physical link, usually
in a different multiplexing position.

Various switching models are:-

a) Circuit Switching

b) Virtual Circuit Switching

c) Cell Switching

d) Routing

Circuit Switching is mainly used to carry voice. Dedicated channels ensure that there is always enough bandwidth in the network to carry voice
samples. Although allocating dedicated channels provides better services and is thus preferable, it comes at the cost of sub-optimal resource
utilization. For data communication, a circuit switched network is more wasteful because data transfer is essentially bursty in nature. This method
involves the physical interconnection of two devices. A good example of circuit switching involves the Public phone network. A data example
would be the classic A/B switch! It is used primarily in Telecommunication networks to carry voice. In circuit switching, a dedicated connection
is established b/w two end-system.

Figure: circuit switching

Datagram routing is ideal for carrying bursty data traffic. No resource is reserved and packets are forwarded as and when they arrive. This
precludes the possibility of wasted bandwidth. However, it also means that during heavy traffic conditions the quality deteriorates rapidly.
Datagram switching is a hop-to-hop datagram forwarding technique in which the destination address field of the datagram header is used to make
forwarding decision.
 Figure: packet datagram switching

Virtual Circuit switching is a compromise between dedicated resource allocation and connectionless switching. By using statistical multiplexing,
the resources are shared in such a manner that neither is the capacity under -used nor does the quality of connection suffer because of lack of
resources. Virtual circuit packet switching (VC-switching) is a packet switching technique which merges datagram packet switching and circuit
switching to extract both of their advantages. VC-switching is a variation of datagram packet switching where packets flow on so-called logical
circuits for which no physical resources like frequencies or time slots are allocated. Each packet carries a circuit identifier which is local to a link
and updated by each switch on the path of the packet from its source to its destination. A virtual circuit is defined by the sequence of the
mappings between a link taken by packets and the circuit identifier packets carry on this link. This sequence is set up at connection establishment
time and identifiers are reclaimed during the circuit termination.

Figure: virtual switching

Cell switching is the latest form of virtual circuit switching. In this technique, small fixed sized cells are used instead of variable sized packets.
The small cell size ensures that the delay is predictable due to which the voice quality can be maintained. For carrying data, multiple cells are
carried instead of large packet.
The comparison of various switching models is shown as:

CIRCUIT SWITCHING VIRTUAL CIRCUIT CELL SWITCHING ROUTING

SWITCHING

Connection-oriented Connection-oriented Connection-oriented Connectionless

Sequential delivery Sequential delivery Sequential delivery Out of order possible

No header overheads Label overheads Small cells cause higher Overheads of carrying complete
overheads address information

Fixed resource allocation Statistical resource allocation Statistical resource allocation No resource reservation

Stream oriented Packets or frames oriented Cell oriented Packet oriented

Highest reliability Reliable Reliable Best effort service

Low delay and jitter Not very good delay / jitter Controlled delay / jitter Unpredictable delay / jitter
behaviour

Mainly for voice traffic Mainly for data traffic For all kinds of traffic Mainly for data traffic

Hardware based switching Hardware / software based High speed hardware based Hardware / software based
switching switching switching

Very fast but inefficient Relatively slow but better Fast and optimal resource Slowest of all but robust and
resource utilization resource utilization utilization flexible

Ex: Plain Old telephone System Ex: X.25 and Frame Relay Ex: ATM networks Ex: TCP/IP networks ( i.e.
(POTS) networks Internet)

Ques 2. Comparison of ATM with other structures.

Ans 2:- X.25 is a legacy network-layer protocol that provides subscribers with a network address. Virtual circuits can be established through the
network with call request packets to the target address. The resulting SVC is identified by a channel number. Data packets labeled with the
channel number are delivered to the corresponding address. Multiple channels can be active on a single connection.

Typical X.25 applications are point-of-sale card readers. These readers use X.25 in dialup mode to validate transactions on a central computer.
For these applications, the low bandwidth and high latency are not a concern, and the low cost makes X.25 affordable.

X.25 link speeds vary from 2400 b/s up to 2 Mb/s. However, public networks are usually low capacity with speeds rarely exceeding above 64
kb/s. 

X.25 networks are now in dramatic decline being replaced by newer layer 2 technologies such as Frame Relay, ATM, and ADSL. However, they
are still in use in many portions of the developing world, where there is limited access to newer technologies.

Frame Relay

Although the network layout appears similar to X.25, Frame Relay differs from X.25 in several ways. Most importantly, it is a much simpler
protocol that works at the data link layer rather than the network layer. Frame Relay implements no error or flow control. The simplified handling
of frames leads to reduced latency, and measures taken to avoid frame build-up at intermediate switches help reduce jitter. Frame Relay offers
data rates up to 4 Mb/s, with some providers offering even higher rates.

Frame Relay VCs are uniquely identified by a DLCI, which ensures bidirectional communication from one DTE device to another. Most Frame
Relay connections are PVCs rather than SVCs. 

Frame Relay provides permanent, shared, medium-bandwidth connectivity that carries both voice and data traffic. Frame Relay is ideal for
connecting enterprise LANs. The router on the LAN needs only a single interface, even when multiple VCs are used. The short-leased line to the
Frame Relay network edge allows cost-effective connections between widely scattered LANs.
ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology is capable of transferring voice, video, and data through private and public networks. It is built
on a cell-based architecture rather than on a frame-based architecture. ATM cells are always a fixed length of 53 bytes. The ATM cell contains a
5 byte ATM header followed by 48 bytes of ATM payload. Small, fixed-length cells are well suited for carrying voice and video traffic because
this traffic is intolerant of delay. Video and voice traffic do not have to wait for a larger data packet to be transmitted.

The 53 byte ATM cell is less efficient than the bigger frames and packets of Frame Relay and X.25. Furthermore, the ATM cell has at least 5
bytes of overhead for each 48-byte payload. When the cell is carrying segmented network layer packets, the overhead is higher because the ATM
switch must be able to reassemble the packets at the destination. A typical ATM line needs almost 20 percent greater bandwidth than Frame
Relay to carry the same volume of network layer data.

ATM was designed to be extremely scalable and can support link speeds of T1/E1 to OC-12 (622 Mb/s) and higher.  

ATM offers both PVCs and SVCs, although PVCs are more common with WANs. And as with other shared technologies, ATM allows multiple
VCs on a single leased-line connection to the network edge.

Similarities and differences between frame relay and ATM:

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES

Virtual circuit based technology Frame relay has a variable sized frame whereas ATM has a fixed
sized cell.

Allow establishment and release of SVCs/PVCs. Frame relay supports moderate data rates ( ~2mbps ) while ATM
supports very high data rates (~gbps )

Assume reliable links, smart end systems Frame relay is designed for data while ATM is designed for data as
well as voice, video and multimedia applications.

No flow control Reference model in frame relay is two-dimensional while it is three-

dimensional in ATM.

Congestion notification and discard eligibility feature Standardization is more elaborated in ATM as compared to frame
relay.

Frame relay is a virtual leased line technology for WAN inter-

connectivity. ATM has a much wider scope.

Frame relay uses single label DLCI, whereas ATM uses two labels
VPI/VCI.

Ques 3:- Various applications of ATM network.

Ans:- Various applications are:-

 Wireless ATM (WATM)

With the advent of wireless LANs, wireless ATM looms on the horizon. Several companies are on the verge of announcing products
compliant with today's ATM switches. In the wireless arena, ATM switches set up low latency VCCs among voice switches to
provide call and service type signaling. In this manner, ATM switches provide a front end to the wireless services, eliminating the
need to connect every wireless switch to every voice switch, and saving lots of money. ATM switching will also play a major role in
supporting wireless multimedia services and as Internet gateways for wireless subscribers.

 ATM and 3G Networks:

In recent times, there has been a gradual migration of voice users from fixed wireline networks to wireless mobile cellular networks.
The wireless networks too have evolved from Second Generation (2G) networks like Global System for Mobile Communication
(GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to newer Third Generation (3G) networks like Universal Mobile
 Telecommunications System (UMTS). As the networks evolve, there is associated requirement for higher bandwidth and better
service capabilities. Towards this end, the ability of ATM to provide speed transfer with service guarantees emerges as a suitale choice
for transfer of voice and data in wireless networks.

 ATM and MPLS Networks:

A recent industry development for the internetworking between IP and ATM is Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS). MPLS is a
new industry development standardized by the IETF. MPLS is being standardized as a technology that can best be described as a
synergistic approach between IP and ATM. MPLS merges the flexibility of the IP routing protocols with the speed that ATM switches
provide to introduce fast packet switching in frame based IP networks.

IETF started the MPLS standardization process with the intention of introducing label switching within IP networks. While
the initial focus was on IP networks alone, the MPLS framework is flexible enough enough to work with multiple protocols. Due to its
close resemblance to the ATM protocol, MPLS has many possible applications when used in conjunction with ATM. Amongst the
two main areas of research involving ATM and MPLS is the support of IP over ATM using MPLS, and the concept of ATM-MPLS
network internetworking.

 VOICES OVER ATM

ATM was always cited and, indeed designed, as a suitable technology for the communication of multimedia traffic including voice.
There are many ways in which voice can be carried over ATM, and this fact is reflected in the many standards that have been
developed by the ATM Forum and the ITU-T. We shall look at the various standard methods available, but concentrate on the support
of voice over ATM Adaptation Layer 2 (AAL2).

 Circuit emulation using both the unstructured and structured modes of AAL1

 DBCES - Dynamic Bandwidth Circuit Emulation Service using AAL1

 An in-depth look at the support of voice using AAL2

ATM in the 3rd generation - 3G - UMTS mobile environment

Voice over DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

 SWITCHED VIRTUAL CIRCUIT (SVC)

The following example shows in detail how an SVC connection is established in an ATM network.

 ATM and DSL Networks:

For decades, residential users have been using the dial-up modem to access the Internet via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
However. With the theoretical upper bound of 56 kbps on the bandwidth available using dial-up modems, other broadband access technologies
are being explored. Not all solutions proposed for broadband access are easily deployable. Most solutions for broadband access involve huge
infrastructure costs in the installation of new network elements and the networking of these elements by cables. This means that the solutions are
not cost effective and are beyond the reach of the common users.

Amongst the proposed solutions for broadband access, Digital Subscriber line (DSL) is being seen as a technology that will over the above
limitations of cost to offer a cost

 OTHER APPLICATION

In the academic arena, ATM technology facilitates fast, reliable, and dependable access to an expanding array of Web initiatives and institutional
resources. ATM enables tele-education, telementoring, and real-time interactions with subject experts in remote locations; multimedia
applications; and curricular enhancement and enrichment. ATM also promotes deployment of virtual schools, virtual universities, virtual
museums, and virtual communities.

ATM is a connection-oriented virtual network transmission and switching technology that combines the low-delay of circuit-switched networks
with the bandwidth flexibility and high-speed of packet-switched networks. ATM is an enabler of basic and advanced applications such as remote
sensing, 3-D (three-dimensional) interactive simulations, tele-instruction, biological tele-research, and medical tele-consultations. Edge devices at
the boundary of an ATM network convert non-ATM traffic streams into standard ATM cells.
ATM technology is implemented in backbone, enterprise, and edge switches as well as hubs, routers, bridges, multiplexers, servers, server farms,
and NICs (Network Interface Cards) in high-end Internet appliances. The ATM Data Exchange Interface (DXI) enables fast access to public
network services. A flexible and extendible networking solution, ATM technology supports network configurations that include DANs (Desk
Area Networks), LANs, MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks), WANs (Wide Area Networks), and GANs (Global Area Networks).