Nortel Networks 8672ATME ATM terms and acronyms, This chapter contains the following information

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Chapter 2

Passport 8672ATME Module terminology

This chapter contains the following information:

•“ATM terms and acronyms ,” next

•“SONET terms and acronyms” on page 35

•“SONET transmission rates” on page 36

ATM terms and acronyms

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is a connection-oriented, cell-based technology that relays traffic across a network. ATM provides a cost-effective way of transmitting voice, video, and data across a network at high speeds. It offers topology-independent, resilient networking technology.

An ATM cell is a fixed-length packet of 53 bytes. It consists of a 5-byte header containing address information and a fixed 48-byte information field. The fixed-length cell size allows you to predict network delays.

The following terms and acronyms are frequently used with ATM information:

•ATM: Asynchronous transfer mode. ATM is a switched, connection-oriented, fixed-length, cell-based transmission method specifically designed to run at high data rates and to carry a complete range of user traffic, including voice, data, and video. ATM uses dedicated media connections running in parallel, allowing simultaneous multiple connections through a single switch device at very high speeds.

•PVC: Permanent virtual circuit. Dedicated connection between devices that is manually set up.

Using the Passport 8672ATME Module