Providing scaleable QoS-based connectivity services

The advent of real-time distributed multimedia applications demands more from the network than simply an increase in bandwidth. To enable rapid deployment of new network services requires an open extendible network management model. The ReTINA ACTS (AC048) project seeks to answer the call for advanced network management building on the TINA connection management architecture (TINA-CMA) model. Emphasis within this paper is given to extending TINA-CMA to provide reservation and guarantee of network quality of service (QoS) and to the results obtained from our implementation of a QoS enhanced distributed connection management platform. Such a platform relies on the construction of a universal facade over heterogeneous switching models and of efficient control of the switching fabric. The paper discussed the issues with regard to ATM based networks and to analyse the suitability of current switch control protocols.