ARC-LITE: an integrated quality-of-service ATM/IP switching-routing engine

Abstract

In wide-area broadband networks, the intelligence and advanced functionality should reside at the network edge. The switches within the core of the network must be able to switch traffic at high speeds, but do not require the ability to perform sophisticated processing. In this paper, we describe the design of ARC-LITE, an edge switch-routing node that provides ATM/IP processing and advanced quality-of-service features. We explain why ARC-LITE is a revolutionary advance in switch-router technology and how it can be used to enhance the performance and functionality of ATM networks.