ABSTRACT: This document provides the view of Telcordia on proposed generic criteria for incorporating ATM Virtual Path functionality into SONET rings. SONET ATM VP rings are ring configurations with a SONET physical layer that may either carry ATM traffic exclusively or a combination of ATM and STM traffic. The former are supported by pure ATM ADMs and the latter by Hybrid ADMs.

This GR introduces a modified terminology for SONET, ATM, and hybrid SONET/ATM entities and provides a general SONET ATM ring evolution overview. It further introduces functional models, discusses potential applications and operations functionality, and presents a set of ATM Virtual Path level requirements for SONET ATM VP ADMs. Early broadband ATM services may utilize existing SONET infrastructures in a Hybrid SONET/ATM network approach. In such situations, the Hybrid ADM provides a cost-effective evolution path to ATM networks. In other situations without an existing SONET infrastructure, pure ATM ADMs may serve in ring applications where only ATM traffic needs to be supported.

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