ATM Switches (was: New MAE-EAST)

[Tim Salo <salo () networkcs com>]

A long time ago, Kent wrote:

> Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 06:58:56 -0800
> From: "Kent W. England" <kwe () 6SigmaNets com>
> Subject: Re: New MAE-EAST
>       [...]
> ...  Find a co-lo where you can
> cross-connect without being robbed or build your own NAP, just don't use
> DEC-designed Gigaswitches and FDDI. Use full duplex 100 Mbps Ethernet
> switch or find an old Fore switch cheap.

Building an interconnect around a first-generation ATM switch is a lot
like building an interconnect around a first-generation router, 
(think Cisco AGS or even Bridge GS/3).

The first FORE switch (the ASX-100), as well as its contemporaries, didn't
have the buffering necessary to adequately support wide-area traffic.
I suggest that, if you intend to use ATM as a medium, you look at the
current FORE switches, perhaps the ASX-1000.  Such a switch would
provide the buffering necessary for wide-area connections as well as
support for newer ATM features.

An ATM switch might also allow you to connect it directly to wide-area
ATM services.  This might, depending on your particular circumstances,
allow some interesting configurations, such as a wide-area interconnect.

Also, I suggest:

o       Don't use ATM DSUs, (ADSUs).  They simply weren't designed for
        the sort of load likely to be experienced at a successful
        interconnect.

o       If you are the first to construct an interconnect with a particular
        class of equipment or a specific product, try to test the
        configuration under load before committing to production.

        -       Believe your test results.  If things don't work while
                testing, they probably won't work in production.

-tjs