OPERATIONS STANDARDS FOR GLOBAL ATM NETWORKS - NETWORK ELEMENT VIEW

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recently completed wor k on a series of standards on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) equipme nt functional operations and network element management. The objective of these standards is to enable flexible design and interoperability of network elements for use in a global ATM network, independent of an y specific implementation. This article discusses these standards with respect to their development and application in planning ATM networks . Specifically, this article addresses the following: the modeling app roach taken in the development of the ITU standards, key operational f eatures specified in the ATM network element functional model, and cap abilities of the ATM network element management interface. Examples of ATM equipment are provided to illustrate how the functional models sp ecified in the ITU standards may be used by network planners and equip ment manufacturers to specify and develop ATM equipment tailored to sp ecific needs, while ensuring network interoperability. The article con cludes with some points on the future enhancement of these and related ATM equipment operations standards.