CHAPTER 14 oTHER WIRED NETwORKS 425

12- A)
14.43 Architecture
TM is a cell-switched nefwork. The user access devices, called the endpoints,
connected throug a user-to-network interface (UND to the switches inside
network. 1 he switches are connected through network-to-network interfaces
(NNIS). Figure 14.45 shows an example of an ATM network.

Figure 14.4 Architecture of an A7TM netvork

UNI NNE
NNI UNI

witch

EDOpotnt
Endpoints
Switch

upots

Virtual Connection
Connection between two endpoints is accomplished through transmision paths, virtual
paths, and virtual circuits. A transmission path (TP) is the physical connection (wire,
cable, satellite, and so on) between an endpoint and a switch or between two switches.
nink of two switches as two cities. A ransmissiOn path is the set of all highways that
directly connect the two Cities
A transmission
path is divided
into several virtual paths. A virtual path (VP)
pro-
VIdes
connection
a
of or a set
connections
between two switehes. Think of a virtual
path
asa
highway that connects two cities. Each highway is a virtual path; the set of all high-
ways is the transmission
path.
ell nerworks are based on virtual circuits (VCS). All cells belonging to a sin-
C message follow the same virtual circuit and remain in their original order until
ney reach their destination. Think of a virtual circuit as thhe Tanes ot a highway (Vir-
tual
path). Figure 14.44 shows the relationship between a transmission path (a
physi-
nection), virtual paths (a combination of virtual circuits that are bundled
c r because parts of their paths are the same), and virtual circuits that logically
onnect twO points.

ldentifiers
hrtual circuit network, to route data from one endpoint to another, the virtual con-
ions
to be identified. For created a hierar-
this purpose, the designers ot AlM
idedentifier with two levels: a virtual-path identitier (VP) and a virtual-circuit
( V C H . The VP1 defines the specific VP, and the VCt defines a particular VC
436 PART H1 DATA-LUNK LAYER

Figure 14.44 TP VPs, and

VCs

VPEV
P VC
VC

inside the
VP. The VPI is the same for all Virtual
connections that
cally) into one VP are bundled (
The lengths of the VPls for
UNIs and NNIs are
dog
8 bits, whereas in an
NNI, the VPlis 12 bits. ditterent.
In a UNI, the VPI
interfaces (16 bits). We therefore he iength of the vclis
the
24 bits in a
can say
UNI and by 28 bits in an NNI that a virtual connection is same in het
(see identified
Figure 14.45). byb
igure 1445 irtual connection
identifiers in UNIs and NNs

bits 6 bit
12hits 6 bits

24 bits
VPl and VCl 28 bits
in a UNI
VPl and VCt in
an NN
The whole idea
behind
hierarchical routing. Most ofdividing a virtual
circuit identifier into
VPIs. The switches at the switches in a
typical ATM network two parts is to al
the boundaries
the
endpoint devices, use both VPls and of the
network, those that are routed sii
Cells
VCIs. interact directly wie
The basic data unit in an ATM
S
bytes network is called a cell.
than 48 allocated
to the header A cell is
bytes). Most of the header is bytes carrying the payloadonly 53 bytes long
and 48

tual (user
occupied by the VPI and VCI thatdata may
connectaon
a switch through
to another which a cell should travel from an define tp
switch. Figure 14.46 shows
the cell endpoint to a switch of t
structure.
Figure 14.46 An ATM cell

Header
ay load
VIVCID
Sbyies 8 Dy

$3 bytes
 CHAPTER 14 OTHER WIRED NETWORKS 427

vtion Establishment and Release

ATM uses
twO Dpes
of connections: PVC and SVC

permanent virtual-cireuit connection (PVC)is established between two endpoints

byAenetwork provider. The VPls and VCis are defincd for the pernmanent connec
and the values are entcred for the tables of cach switch.

In a switched virta-cireut connection (SVC), each time an endpoint wants to make

nection with another endpoint, a new virtual circuit must be established. ATM
not do the job by itself, but needs the network-layer addresses and the services of
wher protocol (such as lP). The signaling mechanism of this other protocol makes a
connection request by using the network-layer addresses of the two endpoints. The
actual mechanism depends on the network-layer protocol.

Swilcaung
ATM uses switches to route the cell irom a source endpoint to the destination endpoint.
A switch routes the cell using both the VPls and the VCls. The routing requires the
whole identifier. Figure 14.47 shows how a PVC switch routes the cell. A cell with a
VPI of 155 and vtot o armves at switch interface (port) 1. The switch checks its
switching table, which stores SIx pieces of information per row: arrival interface num-
ber, incoming VP, ncoming VCI, corresponding outgoinginterface number, the new
VPIL and the new VC. The switch finds the entry with interface 1, VPI 153, and
VCI67 and discovers that the combination corresponds to output interface 3. VPI 140,
and VCI 92. It changes the VPI and VCI in the header to 140 and 92, respectively, and
sends the cell out through interface 3

Figure 14.47 Routing with a switch

Output
Interface VP Vet Interface VPI
VCI
140

VPI VCT
153 67
VCI
40 92

ATM Layers
ne AIM standard defines three layers. They are, from top to bottom, the application
plation layer, the ATM layer, and the physical layer (see Figure 14.48),. The end-
n t s use all
three layers while the switches use only the two bottom layers
43
PRr 1 nATALINK LAYER

ggure 14.48 ATM layers

AALI
AAL2 ANLA ANLS
AAL. Ayt

TM layer

hy sical fayer

ATM
ysica Bysieal

LAL LA
The application adaptation layer (AAL) was
designed to
two ATM conce enable
Fist, AtM must accept any ype of payload, both data
data frame can come from an
frames and streams of bits A
upper-layer protocol that creates a clearly defined frame
to be sent to a carrier network such AIM, A good example is
as

also cary multimedia

the Intenet. ATM
payloads. It can accept continuous bit streams and break then
into chunks to be encapsulated into a cell at the ATM layer. AAL uses two
accomplish these tasks. sublayers lo
Whether the form of the data is a data frame or a stream
be of bits, the payload n
segmented into 48-byte segments to be carried by cell. At the
segments need to be reassembled to recreate the original
a
destination, thee
payload. The AAL Oe
sublayer, called a segmentation and reassembly (SAR) to do
tion is at the source;
sublayer, so, Segi
reassembly, at the destination.
Before data are segmented by SAR, they be
rity of thc data. This is done by a
must
prepared to guarantee t
sublayer called the comvergence sublayer (C
AIM defines four versions of the AAL:
AALI, AAL2, AAL3/4, and AALS. NE
cuss only AALS here, which Is used in the Internet today.
For lnternet ed the
applications, the AALS sublayer was designed. It is also
simple and efficient adaptation layer (SEAL). AAL5 all cel assumes that
belonping

to a single message travel

sequentially and that control functions are inc
the
upper layers of the secnding application. Figure 14.49 shows the AALS
The packet at the CS uses a trailer with Sublay
four fields. The U0 1s the f th
identifier. The CPI 1s the common part identifier. The L field
defines the c
original data. The CRC Tield is a two-byte crror-checking field for the dala

c
 CHAPTER 14 OTHER WIRED NETWORKS 429

Figure 14.4 AALS

Data packet up to 65,535bytes

Data

SAK
48 byes
48 bytes 48 byfes

H H
548 bytes S48 bytes A8 bytes

CS trailer
[0U TCPI CRC 0U :Channel identifier
PCommon part identifer
CROE ngith
CRC: ErO detector

ATM Layer
The ATM layer provides routing. traffic management, switching, and multiplexing
services. It processes outgoing traffic by accepting 48-byte segments from the AAL
sublayers and transtorming them into 53-byte cells by the addition ofa 5-byte header.

Physical Layer
Like Ethernet and wireless LANS, ATM cells be carried
can
by any physical-layer
camiet:

Congestion Control and Quality of Service

ATM has a very developed congestion control and quality of service.

14.5 END-CHAPTER MATERIALS

14.5.1 Recommended Reading
ror
details about subjects discussed in this chapter, we recommend the
more
following
05. The items in brackets [... referto the reference list at the end of the text

Books

r excellent books discuss link-layer issues. Among them we recommend [Ham

1Zar 02]. [Ror 96]. [Tan 03], [GW 04]. [For 03], [KMK 041, (Sta 04]. [Kes 02],
DUS.IKei 021. ISpu 001. [KCK 98], (Sau and [WV
98) lz00]. [Per O0], 00]