ATM

Stallings “High-Speed Networks”

 Voice

A/D AAL
s1 , s2 … cells
Digital voice samples

Video

A/D … Compression AAL

cells
compressed
picture frames
frames

Data AAL
Bursty variable-length cells
packets
 ATM
• ATM standard (defined by CCITT) is widely
accepted by common carriers as mode of operation
for communication – particularly BISDN.
• ATM is a form of cell switching using small
fixed-sized packets.

Basic ATM Cell Format

5 Bytes 48 Bytes

Header Payload
 ATM Conceptual Model

1. ATM network will be organized as a hierarchy.

User’s equipment connects to networks via a UNI
(User-Network Interface).
Connections between provided networks are made through
NNI (Network-Network Interface).
2. ATM will be connection-oriented.
A connection (an ATM channel) must be
established before any cells are sent.
 Private ATM
network
Private
UNI
X X

Private
N I
NNI
cU Public ATM
X
ubli network A
P

X X

NNI
Public X
UNI
B-ICI Public ATM
network B
X

Public
UNI
X X
 ATM Connections
• two levels of ATM connections:
virtual path connections
virtual channel connections
• indicated by two fields in the cell header:
virtual path identifier VPI
virtual channel identifier VCI
 ATM Virtual Connections

Virtual Paths

Physical Link

Virtual Channels
Multiplexing with Different Packet Sizes
Multiplexing with Cells
 Asynchronous
Multiplexing of Cells
Packetiz
er Digital
Voic Pipe
e Cell
s
Dat
a

Vide Multiplex
o er
Cell Switching
Virtual Path Identifier
Switching Using VPI
VPI and VCI
Switching Using VPI and VCI
 ATM Cell Switching
1
Switch voice 67 1
…

video 67 2
video 25 25 N 75
5 voice 32
32 1 67 data 39 3
32 3 39
6 data 32 video 61

…
61 2 67
…

N video 75 N
ATM Interfaces
Public and Private UNIs
ATM Layers
 Management plane

Plane management
Control plane User plane

Layer management
Higher layers Higher layers

ATM adaptation layer

ATM layer

Physical layer
 Layered Architecture
User User
information information

AAL AAL

ATM ATM

PHY PHY
…
End system
End system UNI ATM UNI
Network
 User User
information information

AAL AAL

ATM ATM ATM ATM

PHY PHY PHY PHY

…
End system Network End system
 ATM Protocol Architecture
• ATM Adaptation Layer (AAL) – the protocol
for packaging data into cells is collectively
referred to as AAL.
• Provides mapping of different type of
applications to ATM service of the same type
• Segments and Reassembles into 48 byte
payload
• Accepts, Delivers 48 byte payloads to ATM
layer
 ATM Architecture
An AAL is further divided into:
The Convergence Sublayer (CS)
manages the flow of data to and from SAR
sublayer.
The Segmentation and Reassembly
Sublayer
(SAR)
breaks data into cells at the sender and reassembles
cells into larger data units at the receiver.
AAL Types
ATM Adaptation Layer

AAL
AAL
1 : Circuit
Audi
Emulation 48
o
Vide bytes
o 2 : Audio / Video
Dat To
a 3/4 : Data Transfer ATM
Dat Layer
a
5 : Lower Overhead
AAL for Data
 ATM Layer
• Header Processing
– Adding / Removing header top 48 byte payload
• Handling of Connection Identifiers
– VCI and VPI translation
• Cell Multiplexing and Demultiplexing
• Generic Flow Control
 ATM Layer
48 byte
Payloads
from AAL

To Physical Layer
 Revised ATM Service Categories
Class Description Example

CBR Constant Bit Rate T1 circuit

RT-VBR Real Time Variable Bit Real-time

Rate videoconferencing
NRT-VBR Non-real-time Variable Bit Multimedia email
Rate
ABR Available Bit Rate Browsing the Web

UBR Unspecified Bit Rate Background file

transfer
 AAL Types
• AAL1
• CBR Ex: Circuit Emulation
• Connection oriented
• Timing information exists
• AAL2
• real time VBR Ex: Compressed Video
• Connection oriented
• Requires timing information
• Ex: Compressed video
• AAL2 is under development
 AAL Types
• AAL 3/4
• nrt-VBR Ex: Frame Relay
• Connection oriented or connectionless
• No timing information
• AAL5
• VBR Ex: Data Communication
• Connection oriented
• No timing information
• Simpler than AAL 3/4
• Started in ITU; Completed in ATM Forum
AAL1
AAL2
AAL3/4
AAL5
 AAL 5

Information
Higher layer

Service specific
convergence
sublayer Assume null

Common part PAD

Information T
convergence
sublayer

SAR sublayer …
48 48 48
(0) (0) (1)

ATM layer …
PTI = 1
PTI = 0 PTI = 0
ATM Layer
ATM Headers
PT Fields
Figure 18-19

VP Switching

WCB/McGraw-Hill © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,

Figure 18-20
VPC Switching

WCB/McGraw-Hill © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,