ATM Switches
An excellent reference for introducing communications engineers to high-speed systems/products, and helping network analysts understand the implementation issues involved in setting up an ATM network.
TABLE OF CONTENTS ATM Switches
Acronym List
Overview
(This collection is a superset of the terms collected by Donald R. Marks and Zelda Ford for Data Communications magazine and those posted by the ATM Forum in http://www.atmforum.com/.)
| AAL | ATM adaptation layer: The standards layer that allows multiple applications to have data converted to and from the ATM cell. A protocol used that translates higher layer services into the size and format of an ATM cell. | |
| AAL connection | Association established by the AAL between two or more next higher layer entities. | |
| AAL-1 | ATM adaptation layer type 1: AAL functions in support of constant bit rate, time-dependent traffic such as voice and video. | |
| AAL-2 | ATM adaptation layer type 2: This AAL is still undefined by the International Standards bodies. It is a placeholder for variable bit rate video transmission. | |
| AAL-3/4 | ATM adaptation layer type 3/4: AAL functions in support of variable bit rate, delay-tolerant data traffic requiring some sequencing and/or error detection support. Originally two AAL types, i.e. connection-oriented and connectionless, which have been combined. | |
| AAL-5 | ATM adaptation layer type 5: AAL functions in support of variable bit rate, delay-tolerant connection-oriented data traffic requiring minimal sequencing or error detection support. | |
| ABR | Available bit rate: ABR is an ATM layer service category for which the limiting ATM layer transfer characteristics provided by the network may change subsequent to connection establishment. A flow control mechanism is specified that supports several types of feedback to control the source rate in response to changing ATM layer transfer... |
Copyright Artech House, Inc. 1997 under license agreement with Books24x7
