The simple data link (SDL) is a new framing protocol for variable/fixed length packets over a general-purpose point-to-point communications channel. SDL extends the HEC-like framing mechanism used in ATM to variable-length data. Its low implementation complexity makes it particularly suitable for high-speed transport links in wavelength channels and dark fiber applications. SDL is a very attractive alternative to conventional solutions such as ATM and PPP-over-SONET (POS) for high data rate environments. SDL has also been designed to facilitate many OAM&P functions needed in next generation multiservice optical packet networks including multiprotocol encapsulation, virtual links, quality-of-service (QoS) differentiation, link management, and control. We describe framing and data link synchronization procedures in SDL, and evaluate its performance over octet and bit synchronous transport facilities.

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is now well recognized as the fundamental switching and multiplexing technique for future broadband ISDN. As these networks will be increasingly relied upon for providing a multitude of integrated voice, data, and video services, network reliability is a key concern. There are several intrinsic features of ATM networks that could potentially be exploited to provide improved restoration techniques, beyond those established for synchronous transfer mode (STM) networks, such as digital cross-connect restoration or self-healing rings. These features include ATM cell level error detection, inherent rate adaptation and nonhierarchical multiplexing. The authors explore the use of these features in developing fast restoration strategies for ATM networks. In particular, they address: (1) ATM error detection capabilities for enhanced failure detection, (2) network rerouting strategies, (3) spare capacity allocation, and (4) network control architecture and related implementation aspects. Their findings suggest that fast network span failure detection and bandwidth-efficient rerouting capabilities can be combined to develop restoration strategies for ATM networks with significantly greater performance-cost ratios when compared to existing STM network restoration strategies.>