Performance issues of ATM multicasting based on per-PDU ID assignment

One of the problems to deal with when offering multicasting at the ATM level is forwarding. When using ATM adaptation layer 5 (AAL5), the cell-interleaving problem must be solved to be able to properly reassemble AAL5 packets at end-systems. Compound VC (CVC) is one of the solutions that have been proposed. Its main characteristic is the utilization of dynamically assigned packet identifiers to allow multiplexing. The convenience of this approach is validated through simulation. This paper also presents some preliminary results on the behavior of the packet loss probability due to running out of identifiers. The curves obtained will help in providing some dimensioning rules for the number of identifiers required for a given multicast group according to its traffic characteristics and a negotiated packet loss probability