AROMA: Advanced resource management in service integrated multilayered HFC access networks

• Forschungsstelle: EU FRP
• Projektnummer: 97.0600-2
• Projekttitel Englisch: AROMA: Advanced resource management in service integrated multilayered HFC access networks

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) network; native ATM; API; OoS enhancing protocol

Alternative Projektnummern (Englisch)

EU project number: AC327

Forschungsprogramme (Englisch)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.2 Communications technologies

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

See abstract

Weitere Hinweise und Angaben (Englisch)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Chur

Partner und Internationale Organisationen (Englisch)

Alcatel SEL AG (D); Rechenzentrum Universität Stuttgart (D); National Technical Unversity of Athens (EL); Centro de Estudos Comunicaoes (P); Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores P); Communication Technology Laboratory (CH); TV CABLU (RO)

Abstract (Englisch)

The overall objective of the AROMA project is to contribute to the integration between ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) and the Internet by designing, implementing and demonstrating flexible generic solutions which advance the provision of services with end-to-end QoS (Quality of Service) into multi-layered HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coax) systems. The QoS- and SVC (Switched Virtual Circuit)-based end-to-end connection provides HFC network operators with the flexibility to deliver Internet services to a large number of end users and with the opportunity to charge them accordingly. The CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) / Java-based management agents and consoles enable the HFC network components to be smoothly integrated into an existing managed IP/ATM network. This integration is pursued on two fronts: by adding QoS sensitive support to Internet protocols in order to enhance legacy TCP/IP applications and by defining native ATM architectural solutions for new applications.
The project demonstrates how intelligent resource management can provide end-to-end QoS in a heterogeneous network environment consisting of a HFC access network as a shared medium, an SDH/ATM core network with ATM signaling (ITU-T: Q.2931) and Internet including DiffServ (Differentiated Services). The main issue of the project is the smooth end-to-end operation of IP based applications and native ATM applications using different types of protocols for the guarantee of QoS. In particular the HFC network segment requires novel methods of resource management by means of signaling between the user terminals and a legacy ATM switch via an HFC specific management unit. The embedding of HFC (shared medium) access networks in an SDH/ATM network and Internet environment requires novel solutions by the application of switched connections in order to use the network resources efficiently and dynamically and to provide QoS simultaneously. (In existing ATM based HFC systems permanent connections are established.) The AROMA project has developed and demonstrated these novel approaches.
The HTA Chur has been contributing to the specification of an ATM programming interface in accordance with the ATM Forum semantic description of a native ATM API (Application Programming Interface) and to the implementation of a native ATM protocol stack for the development of applications with very different requirements for bandwidth allocation and quality of service, especially dynamic bandwidth provision and low latency. This platform can be used to create an integrated services framework for the rapid development of QoS-based ATM applications adapted to the specific environment of the HFC network.
HTA Chur has made the following achievements:
- Review of communication APIs, especially CAPI (Common ISDN Application Programming Interface), as a basis for the specification of the native ATM API.
- Essential contributions to the specification for a native ATM protocol stack.
- Essential contributions to the implementation of the specified native ATM protocol stack.
- Implementation and test of the control plane functions of the Native ATM Application Programming Interface (NAAPI).
- Design of the application framework and a sample speech application.
- Realisation of an integrated services framework based on NAAPI through implementation of components with frequently used functions.
- Implementation of a (simple) native Voice over ATM application which will be extended with the support of supplementary services based on the session initiation protocol (SIP).
- Design and implementation of an ATM signaling test program which can be used to test the signaling functionality within the HFC access network.

Datenbankreferenzen (Englisch)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 97.0600-2