Editor: David Griffin

Authors: Eric Scharf, David Griffin

Much of the work of the project addresses the management of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks, and so some background knowledge of ATM is required by the reader. The introduction presented here together with the references listed will provide the reader who has not studied ATM in detail with an introduction to the network issues addressed by the management systems described in the later chapters.

This chapter briefly introduces the important concepts associated with ATM networks. Specifically, the following are taken into account:

• that ATM networks are connection-oriented,
• the distinction between control and management plane activities,
• the fact that VCCs are multiplexed onto VPCs which in turn are multiplexed onto ATM transmission links,
• the differences between VC switching functions and VP cross-connect functions,
• the fact that VPCs are configured by management activity prior to the establishment of VCCs through signalling and control plane actions,
• the relationship between calls and connections,
• the concepts of CAC and RSA, and,
• the notion of Connection Types, or CoSs.

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