MPOA: routing multiple protocols over ATM

Almost all internetworks today including the biggest of them all-the Internet-rely on a set of communications services collectively labelled as `routing´. For almost the entire history of internetworks this routing service has been synonymous with, and inseparable from, a class of networking devices known as `routers´. To understand what multi protocol over ATM has achieved, it is necessary to hold in the minds eye a clear distinction between the service of routing, and its implementation on routers. Put at its simplest, MPOA enables ATM networks to route, without the use of routers. Why this might be needed is explored further, as to some extent the benefits speak for themselves. MPOA networks offer higher throughputs, with lower delays, than conventionally routed networks. MPOA networks are much easier to manage and require much less administration, which translates into savings in the ongoing cost of ownership. Lastly, MPOA networks offer a facility known as quality of service, notoriously difficult to achieve in conventionally routed internetworks, but mandatory in those networks that are to support the increasing use of video and voice services. From this perspective MPOA defines the next generation routing architecture, and can be seen as the natural evolution of routing