Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bucky89 who wrote (57578)	11/27/1998 4:30:00 PM
From: Tera Bit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 61433

>please show me where my comments are off. It's not the fact that they are off that troubles me. There is a tendency to simplify the complex. >The complexity in an ATM network resides in the edge switches. >It's the edge switches that have to worry about IP/MPLS, FR >interworking, and the higher level ATM Adaptation Layers >(AAL's). Traditionally, carrier switches are not "IP" aware. That is to say they are generally switching packets across DLCI/PVC "clouds". The IP intelligence (read that the ability to send a packet across the correct DLCI) is coming from a CPE router in most cases. My understanding is that in an MPLS world, CORE switches will run standard routing protocols and LDP. >The edge switches make everything simple and easy >for the core by cutting all data packets into nice-sized >53-byte cells. That way, the core switches don't get overwhelmed >and overworked, and all they have to worry about is switching >the cells down the right virtual path/connection. In a 100% CBR world, this would essentially be true. As you know,we don't live in that world. Good shaping of UBR/nrt-VBR /ABR and intelligent packet discard algorithms are non trivial and improtant factors that insure cores are not overwhelmed. PNNI, OAM, packet discard, are just 3 examples of many complex tasks a core switch does. Save the AAL part, the core typically needs to do everthing the edge does but faster. Does that make it more or less complex? I don't know. Cheers