Testing of high speed network components
TN (United States) Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, W Wing, USDOE, Washington, DC (United States) (US) · 1997
At the time of the start of this project, a battle was being fought between the computer networking technologies and telephone networking technologies. The telecommunications industry wanted to standardize on Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) as the technology of choice for carrying all cross-country traffic. The computer industry wanted to use Packet Transfer Mode (PTM). The project had several goals, some unspoken. At the highest, most obvious level, the project goals were to test the high-speed components being developed by the computer technology industry. However, in addition, both industrial partners were having trouble finding markets for the high-speed networking technology they were developing and deploying. Thus, a part of the project was to demonstrate applications developed at Oak Ridge which would stretch the limits of the network, and thus demonstrate the utility of high-speed networks. Finally, an unspoken goal of the computer technology industry was to convince the telecommunications industry that packet switching was superior to cell switching. Conversely, the telecommunications industry hoped to see the computer technology industry`s packet switch fail to perform in a real-world test. Project was terminated early due to failure of one of the CRADA partners to deliver needed component.