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Abstract

An ATM subnetwork, suitable for a low-cost home area network, comprises an interconnected mesh of simple ATM switches, end stations and multi-access buses implemented in fully-hardware configurations. Software for signalling and management functions does not reside in these devices, but rather is banished to computers outside the interconnected mesh. Specifically, an external controller acts a proxy for the simple ATM switches and performs all virtual channel connection set-up within the interconnected mesh. Additionally, proxy controllers manage each simple end station and proxy signalling agents permit standard ATM devices to be connected to the simple switches. These proxy processes communicate with the devices within the interconnected mesh via a control protocol of single cell messages delivered over dedicated permanent virtual circuits. The external controller performs a two-phase distributed topology determination algorithm to gain knowledge of the topology of the interconnected mesh sufficient to establish virtual channel connections.

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First Claim