Basic Features of ATM

Following are some of the basic features of ATM presented by ITU-T in I.150 recommendation: ATM technology employs fixed sized packets called cells. Each cell incorporates of a header and an information field, basically applied to find out the virtual channel and also to carry out the sound routing. Due to the way of ATM networks carrying voice traffic, simple fixed sized cells are used. ATM is a connection oriented network technology in a sense that they should inform every switch about the traffic parameters and service requirements before communications between two systems in a network. Separate virtual circuits are used to carry user information and signals. ATM cells, information fields are conveyed transparently via the network inside which no processing like error control are carried out. Every services like data, video and voice can be carried through ATM. Even the connectionless services. An adaptation function is furnished in order to adapt different services so that every services information is fit into ATM cells. The service particular functions like cell loss recovery, clock recovery etc are possible only because of this adaptation function.

Some other magnificent principles of ATM are as follows: ATM is a high speed connection oriented network that employs fiber optics wire, switch with switched point to point connection and are connected to each other and to the end stations.

 In order to pass traffic amongst two positions, it makes use of the virtual networking concept. With ATM network, one is able to transfer a broad range of classes of services of multimedia like text, voice, video over a single network effectively. The high data transfer speed (155 Mbps, 622 Mbps and even 2.5 Gbps) supplied by the ATM network allows a high bandwidth distributed applications due to which the applications like video conferencing applications, applications using video on demand mechanisms are possible. Unlike Ethernet, ATM does not share a wire. When a wire is shared, it becomes overloaded since everybody uses it at the same time. However, in ATM, every computer is directly connected to a switch. It endorses both the basic approaches of switching amongst a single incorporated switching mechanism. This makes ATM suitable for every distributed applications generating CBR and VBR traffic.

Benefits of ATM

High Quality of Service level (QoS)

Quality of Service (QoS)

In a networking concept, Quality of Service is a broad set of networking techniques, standards and technologies to manage network traffic in a costefficient way so that a high quality performance is ensured for the critical applications. The major purpose of QoS is to enable the network administrators use the available resources effectively and assure the ability of network to give predictable results. For instance: QoS can be used in order to prioritize network traffic for latency sensitive softwares like video and voice applications. Delay (latency), error rate, uptime (availability) and throughput (bandwidth) are some of the elements associated with the quality of service. The networking technologies like Frame relay, ATM and even the primitive LAN technologies like token ring and Ethernet endorses the mechanisms of QoS.

Networking elements associated with QoS

QoS is one of the prominent features of ATM. It was projected to ameliorate QoS and usage on high traffic network. Fixed sized small cells and no routing makes network to manage bandwidth more easily than the primitive LAN technologies like Ethernet. Five broad service categories of ATM [CBR (Constant Bit Rate), VBR (Variable Bit Rate), ABR (Available Bit Rate), UBR (Unspecified Bit Rate), WUBR (Weighted Unspecified Bit Rate),] offer a fine control over the parameters of network traffic which are managed and requested.

The networks in ATM are more cost efficient. With ATM, you can use various applications on the same network making your administration, operation, materials and operation costs lower. Flexibility

Various classes of service in order to carry data, voice and video over a single network are endorsed by the ATM networks. Moreover, ATM networks can allocate every connection to cope with the precise demand of every application. ATM networks are flexible in such a way that it can assure bandwidth from the desktop from DS-1 to OC-12 in the United States while E1, E3, OC-3 and DS-3 globally.

 Scalability Projected to spring up with your endeavor as your demands and necessities, the ATM networks are able to connect to the networks of Frame relay and can also support it to ATM service internationally. Likewise, various speeds are available (DS3, DS1, OC3, NxDS1 and OC12). The good thing about the ATM technology is that the internetworking with Ethernet, broadband and frame relay can go smoothly.

Manageability

The homogeneous network surroundings of ATM plays significant role to improve the network reliability, flexibility and the performance. Also the carriers network management platform takes into account the higher manageability in reporting, troubleshooting and in many more. Secure

The recovery of failure and the automatic configuration is possible in ATM networks.

Some other benefits of ATM are as follows: ATM networks offer high performance through switching of hardware. For high traffic, ATM can render you the dynamic bandwidth. Supports different classes of services needed for the purpose of multimedia (voice and video). The architecture of LAN and WAN are common in the ATM networks. In compliance with international standards. Like primitive telephony services, ATM technology is connection oriented. Simplified network architecture