Link-based performance monitoring of ATM networks

The complexity of today's communication networks supporting a wide range of QoS parameters and providing almost "unlimited" bandwidth intensifies the importance of adequate management solutions. Especially for ATM with its inherent distribution aspect caused by the concept of virtual connections, the management and monitoring of the whole network-not only of single devices-is crucial for guaranteeing an efficient operation. In this context, the following paper presents an approach to link-based performance monitoring of ATM networks. Based on our functional management architecture and our ATM network monitor new monitoring functions which provide aggregated statistical data about throughput and error rate of the physical links of an ATM network are described. Existing management information bases (MIBs) are evaluated regarding their suitability for performance monitoring and a new MIB, the ATM-QOS-LINK-MIB, is introduced. Since it is planned to use these functions in the campus backbone of our university one part of the paper concerns several enhancements providing improved flexibility of the monitoring process necessary for ATM components manageable mainly through private MIBs.