Providing flexible redundancy for an ATM access switch system

ATM switches require stringent reliability and availability even for access nodes. Carrier class ATM switches fulfill this requirement by employing expensive and sophisticated fault tolerant architectures. However, access switch systems are relatively cheap and compact. Most access switches support fundamental system reliability by providing redundancy for common parts of a system (e.g., switch fabric, power etc.). In addition to providing reliable connection to the core switch systems, access switch systems also need to support various customer premises services. Depending on the need of the network provider, highly reliable line redundancy is more important than the switching capacity of the access system or vice versa. This paper presents an implementation of an ATM switch that provides flexible line card redundancy and scalable switching capacity. Switching capacity of the system is scalable up to 10 Gbps from 5 Gbps depending on the configuration of line card redundancy