DIANA: Demonstration of IP and ATM networking for real time applications

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 98.0057-1

Key words (English)

IP; Quality of Service; RSVP; ATM; ISDN

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: AC319

Research programs (English)

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

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: ASPA CH

Abstract (English)

Netmodule is a young startup company developing next generation real-time and multimedia devices. A main business target is the integration of ISDN and IP. To achieve this several Voice over IP technologies are used such as H323, SIP and ISoIP. Common to all these protocols is the need of good IP links offering QoS in the local, access and core network. For this reason reservation protocols which interoperate between different underlying network technologies are important.

Main Objectives
The main objectives of the DIANA project are to develop, integrate, validate and demonstrate resource reservation and traffic control functionality's which seamlessly interoperate between ATM and IP networks to achieve QoS. At the boundary between the ATM and IP domains, DIANA aims to translate between RSVP and ATM signaling, thereby supporting the different QoS specifications of IP and ATM.
The developments in DIANA allow the investigation of different approaches for the convergence of RSVP/IP and ATM, as well as providing an insight into the feasibility and efficiency of this topology and also the optimum sizes of the two domains.
Technical Approach of the DIANA Project
DIANA investigates, implements and demonstrates an approach, which encompasses IP to ATM translation and real integration. DIANA specifies and develops a generic network infrastructure including native ATM and Next Generation IP domains, which offer both guaranteed services; the latter based on the RSVP (Resource ReSerVation Protocol) specification and the latest outputs from the IETF Integrated Services Working Group. This is achieved by prototyping a RSVP/IP/ATM Integration Unit.
Key Issues
Incorporation of IP-based QoS indicators, mapping of IP and ATM service and QoS specifications, validation of the RSVP protocol (CAC, packet scheduling, and IP flow to ATM VC conversion - including signaling) and optimal exploitation of Internet and ATM networks for their appropriate capabilities, development of an IP/ATM Integration Unit.
Demonstration and Trials
Demonstration and trial networks were installed to verify the implementation and the expected theoretical results. A major demonstration was held at the Telecom 99 in GENEVA.
The demonstrations proved the concepts of DIANA and highlighted that it is possible to achieve resource reservation across domain boundaries. They also showed the complexity and deficiencies of RSVP. The demonstrations provided a comparison between the different approaches used. These approaches were:
RSVP-over-ATM: RSVP reservations are translated into ATM QoS parameters and appropriate VC's are opened and assigned to the RSVP classes.
Simple Integrated Media Access (SIMA) by Nokia: This approach combines RSVP and the Differentiated Services model.
Scalable Resource Protocol (SRP) by EPFL: This is a new approach to a self-regulating QoS system.
To demonstrate the DIANA concepts an audio and a video streaming application was used. Audio uses less bandwidth but for interactive audio the end to end delay must be small. The used applications were VAT (audio) and ARMIDA (video)
Impact
The project contributed to guidelines aimed at recipients involved with the design of networks combining ATM and IP based equipment, services and applications. The project also contributed to guidelines (NIGG-12) for developers and researchers active in the field of IP and ATM Quality of Service.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 98.0057-1