Overcoming limitations in ATM performance measurements

During the last years PNOs have observed that it was very difficult to actually measure the performance of ATM networks. The problem they faced was that the materials contained in ITU-T recommendations were incomplete, contained inconsistencies and in some situations were too complex to be efficiently implemented in network equipment. This paper thus identifies the limitations in the standards related to ATM performance measurement on the three main performance areas (information transfer performance, availability performance and call processing performance) and proposes a solution for most of identified limitations. Extending results from earlier initiatives (ATM Pilot, JAMES project, various Eurescom projects including P515, P708), it aims at providing operators with a better means of handling performance aspects of ATM networks and switch vendors with a better understanding of operators needs.