Test Suites Approved by the ATM Forum; New Specifications Enable Conformance and Interoperability Testing for ATM Equipment.MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 1996--A range of test suites has been approved by ATM Forum A membership organization founded in 1991 to promote ATM networking technology. It worked with ANSI and the ITU to set standards. Its first specification in 1992 defined the User-Network Interface (UNI). In 2004, the Forum merged with the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance. members that enable conformance and interoperability testing to be performed on ATM equipment. Both suppliers and users of new ATM network elements can use the seven new suites to ensure that equipment conforms to ATM Forum specifications and that different vendors' equipment interoperates. Gregan Crawford, chair of the ATM Forum's Testing Working Group, said "These test suites are the first in a series that will help the industry achieve consistency in the design of ATM equipment. Without consistent testing, problems are bound to arise, mainly due to the different interpretations of any one of the many ATM-related standards." Three test suites have now been approved for testing equipment for conformance at the ATM layer for both the UNI 3.0 and 3.1 specifications. Two are for UNI 3.0 and UNI 3.1 compliant intermediate systems while the other is for UNI 3.0 compliant end systems. The conformance test suite for UNI 3.1 compliant end systems will follow shortly. Other approved suites include interoperability test suites for the ATM Layer and for DS3 (PLCP PLCP Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (SONET) PLCP Planning Command Pool PLCP Physical Layer Conversion Protocol (DQDB, NEC) PLCP Premobilization Legal Counseling Program mapping), STS-3c, 100 Mbps Multi-Mode Fiber See multimode fiber. ("TAXI") physical layers. Also approved are Protocol Implementation Conformance Statements (PICSs) for a number of physical layers, including DS1, DS3, STS-3c, 100 Mbps Multi-mode fiber for the ATM Layer and for the AAL (ATM Adaption Layer) The part of the ATM protocol that breaks up application packets into 48-byte payloads which become ATM cells when the 5-byte headers are attached. The AAL resides between the higher layer transport protocols and the ATM layer. Type 5. A PICS is a check list that a vendor completes to indicate the degree to which the equipment to be tested is believed to conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" the associated specification. It provides essential input to the testing process. Ongoing conformance work includes the development of conformance test suites for the AAL5, the signaling SSCOP SSCOP Service Specific Connection Oriented Protocol SSCOP Service Specific Convergence Protocol (Wandel Goltermann) and UNI 3.1 Signaling. The latter will be a major achievement and already represents a great deal of work by the Testing Working Group. Additional activities include work on ATM circuit steering for remote access and test of ATM, performance testing Performance Testing covers a broad range of engineering or functional evaluations where a material, product, or system is not specified by detailed material or component specifications: Rather, emphasis is on the final measurable performance characteristics. and bench marking methodology. Formed in October 1991, the ATM Forum's worldwide membership currently includes more than 780 organizations, representing all sectors of the computer and communications industries, as well as government agencies, research organizations and end users. The Forum's charter is to speed the development and deployment of ATM products and services. Activities include the development and recommendation of interoperability specifications and the promotion of industry cooperation and awareness. CONTACT: The ATM Forum North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. Market Awareness Committee Drusie Demopoulos, 408/486-2511 drusie_demopoulos@baynetworks.com |
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