Routing multipoint connections using virtual paths in an ATM network

Abstract

The point-to-multipoint routing problem is studied for an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network that uses virtual paths (VPs). ATM networks with asymmetric and symmetric VPs are considered, and the performance factors studied are bandwidth and establishment and switching costs. A VP with intermediate exit, where a node that performs VP switching can copy the switched packets for the local destination, is proposed and studied. Mathematical formulations of multicast routing problems are presented, and heuristics for finding a low cost multicast routing tree, based on the transshipment simplex algorithm, are developed.<>