The ATM enterprise network switch: Enabler of network transformation

A revolution is in progress that is dramatically changing the way information networks are designed. The introduction of a new form of switching, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), in both in-building and wide area environments will revolutionize the way networks of the future operate. Network transformation is the process of evolving corporate networks towards multimedia, dynamic-bandwidth, ATM-based infrastructures. This article will discuss numerous approaches to integrating ATM switching and cell-based routing, and will introduce a new wide area product class which has evolved in the marketplace: the ATM enterprise network switch (ATM ENS), which consolidates cell-based routing, ATM switching and multimedia consolidation on a single high-performance platform. It will then discuss various approaches to consolidating voice and video traffic over an ATM ENS, with a particular focus on traffic management implications. Finally it will discuss two key transition issues in the transformation of corporate networks through the deployment of ATM ENS-based networks: support for migration from virtual private voice networks, and the need to allow connectivity to remote sites using more bandwidth-effective alternatives to ATM transmission.