12.1 Introduction

Installing and maintaining Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks presents new challenges for network operators as they strive to provide the highest-quality network for data, video, and voice applications. These challenges include provisioning ATM switches to provide the correct traffic parameters, quickly troubleshooting the network to isolate problems that might arise, and maintaining service quality as demand for network resources increases with the addition of new users.

This chapter provides an overview of installing and maintaining ATM networks. It begins by providing testing objectives, followed by the protocol stack model, and finally a description of the types of test equipment and practices used to install and troubleshoot networks.

The section on traffic management provides information relating to the types of services offered to customers and introduces the traffic parameters related to those classes of service.

There is a section examining the Quality of Service (QoS) measurements that can be made at the ATM layer to track network performance and help the service provider maintain the most reliable network. Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC) testing describes the types of tests that can be performed when signaling protocols are used to negotiate traffic and QoS parameters prior to establishing a connection between two end stations.

Rounding out the chapter is a section on Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) cells and their function in an ATM network, and a troubleshooting summary to help technicians determine the source of network problems.