SUPPORTING IP ON THE ATM NETWORKS - AN OVERVIEW

In the past 10 years, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology has emerged as a key component of next-generation networks. It can offer u nprecedented scalability and performance/cost ratio, as well as the ab ility to reserve network resources for real-time traffic and support f or multimedia and multipoint communications. Obviously, in the future information infrastructure, ATM will play an important role, However, today's information infrastructure, e.g. the vast installed base of lo cal area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) is constructed by using internetwork layer protocols such as IF, IPX and AppleTalk to internetwork the subnets, Therefore, a keg to ATM's success and the I nternet's further success will be the ability to allow for interoperat ion between existing network technologies and ATM. The key to such con nectivity is the use of the same network layer protocols, such as IP a nd IPX, on both existing networks and on ATM, since it. is the functio n of the network layer to provide a uniform network view to higher-lev el protocols and applications [RFC 1943, IP over ATM: A Framework Docu ment; A. Alles, ATM Internetworking, Cisco Systems, Inc., May, 1995]. Until now, there have been various different ways of running TP across an ATM network, e.g, LAN Emulation and Multiprotocol over ATM standar dized by ATM Forum, classical IP over ATM and Next Hop Resolution Prot ocol proposed by the Internet Engineering Task Force, IP Switching imp lemented by Ipsilon Networks Inc., Tag Switching presented by Cisco Sy stems Inc., etc. This paper gives an overview and an assessment on the se proposed schemes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.