IBM OPTIONS ATM OC-3c, User Manual

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5
N
ETWORK
C
ONFIGURATION
E
XAMPLES
This chapter provides examples of possible network
configurations using the ATM Module. If you are
unfamiliar with ATM, you should read this chapter in
conjunction with Chapter 4, “Putting Your ATM
Network Together”.
ATM Backbone in the Building
This section gives an example of an ATM backbone
within a single building, as shown in Figure 5-1.
In this case, the Ethernet Switch on each floor is
provided with a high speed (155Mbps) full duplex link
to the backbone. Using ATM as a backbone
technology removes bottlenecks by providing scalable
bandwidth, low-latency, high-speed data switching.
Ethernet VLANs can be extended into the ATM
network using
Emulated LANs (ELANs) . Ethernet
packets are then switched between Ethernet to ATM
transparently.
As well as providing a fast switched backbone
between Ethernet LANs, ATM equipped file servers
and services may be directly attached to the ATM
network; giving improved performance to the
Ethernet desktop.
Further advantages are gained in multi-media
applications, due to ATM’s built-in quality of service.
Figure 5-1 ATM Backbone in the Building