Network adaptation issues
Editor: Michel Besson
Authors: Michel Besson, Peter Baxedale
In this chapter the most important aspects of the components adapting ATM Network Elements (NE) to the Q3 interface required by the VPC and Routing management system are discussed.
The RACE II project R2061 EXPLOIT developed an ATM testbed, located in Basel, is organised around a kernel of several ATM switches interconnected through high speed links. Various classes of traffic can be generated within this network through different types of terminal equipment connected directly or indirectly via appropriate adaptors or interworking units.
Each Network Element (ATM switch) is connected to a subsystem controller (SSC - a UNIX work station) through a high speed link. The SSCs contain the software blocks responsible for controlling routing, connection acceptance, traffic policing and updating the connection tables.
For the purpose of managing the ATM switches, an agent implementing a Q-Adaptor Function (QAF) was developed and installed on each of the SSCs. The agent is responsible for interacting with the software resources in the SSCs and representing these resources as managed objects through a TMN compliant interface.