Network capabilities in support of multimedia applications

The broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) promises to offer customers a vast array of services based on fiber optic transmission, high-speed switching and multiplexing, and access to a wide range of shared resources. Customers will use these services to support applications which are expected to become increasingly multimedia oriented. Types of media that can be used include voice, stereo audio, text, encoded data, raster and vector graphics, still images, and full-motion video. Emerging multimedia applications are examined, and some of the network capabilities needed to support these applications are discussed. A service primitives architecture is proposed as a flexible framework on which network capabilities can be defined. A server-based approach is suggested as a method of flexibly managing network capabilities in a service primitives environment