Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks, sometimes referred to as“Another Technical Mistake,” are touted as the savior of thecongested Internet. However, after several years of its existence, it isstill uncertain whether ATM will become the future or whether it is justa meteor in the sky. Part of this uncertainty stems from thecomplexities of ATM protocol specifications and the standardizationprocesses. It is difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of thecurrent status of ATM details, let alone understand them. Therefore,Black has done a wonderful service by writing three volumes about ATM.This first volume contains everything you want to know about ATM.

This book begins by introducing several existing technologies, suchas T1/E1, X.25, ISDN, and SS7. It then details all the fundamentals ofATM, which include ATM cell format, ATM adaptation layers, ATM switchingoperations, traffic management, call and connection control, SONET(Synchronous Optical NETwork), and ATM operations, administration, andmaintenance. Although there is a chapter on internetworking with ATM, itis rather incomplete, perhaps because volume 3 is devoted to this topic.In general, the narratives use nontechnical terms and are easy tounderstand even for nonspecialists.

With the advances in network technologies, networkingjargon is becoming complex and unfathomable. The author is considerateenough to put a section at the end of the book that explains theabbreviations used. Alas, it is incomplete and has several errors. Forexample, there is no entry for CEPT (which appears on page 99), BECN isduplicated, and the explanation for MPOA is wrong. A related drawback isthat the index is oversimplified. For instance, UNI does not have aseparate entry but appears as a subheading under “Call andconnection control.” Furthermore, many places in the book refer toUNI, but only one is indexed.

Perhaps three volumes are too much for proofreading. There are manymistakes in spelling, grammar, and mathematical formulas, ranging from amisspelling of “proprietary” to an incorrect value in aformula: on page 154, “.000125*.016=.016” should be“.000125*128=.016.”

In spite of all the carelessness, this is a good and useful book.If you know nothing about ATM, this book is a good start. If you knowsomething about ATM, it is a good reference book and a must for keepingup to date. Do not miss it.