Understanding the Network: A Practical Guide to Internetworking

Switching Fundamentals

ATM, Ethernet, Token Ring, Frame Relay, and FDDI switches are not based on a new technology, but rather on the same basic design principles of standard Central Office (CO) PSTN switches. switchesThis design assumes that there is a finite amount of bandwidth, which limits the number of point-to-point connections that can be established simultaneously. These connections are established across a switching matrix (also known as the switch backplane), which is essentially a connecting grid that provides the capability for all a switch's ports to establish connections with each other. The most important aspect of the switch matrix is that it needs to be large enough to provide a clear path for all these interconnections. If ...