Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for handling asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells sent from first user equipment through a plurality of ATM nodes and destined for second equipment, when the second equipment does not support ATM operations and maintenance (OAM) functionality. In particular, an ATM node connected to the second equipment is configured as an OAM proxy connection end-point for the second equipment such that ATM data cells which are destined for the second equipment are sent in a usual fashion, but ATM OAM cells destined for the second equipment are terminated and acted upon by the ATM node and are not forwarded to the second equipment. The proxy connection end-point functionality is preferably obtained by providing a user-friendly management information database (MIB) which stores configuration information for the ATM node.

Abstract: A method and switch appratus for transporting an ATM layer OAM cell across a FUNI are disclosed. The method broadly includes generating a DXI (FUNI) frame from the ATM layer OAM cell by using certain bits of the five byte ATM overhead as bits in the two byte DXI (FUNI) header, using the forty-eight byte ATM OAM cell payload as the payload for the DXI (FUNI) frame, and providing an indication in a predetermined bit field of the two byte DXI header that the forty-eight byte payload is an ATM OAM cell. Preferably, the predetermined bit field includes the previously reserved second lsb of Octet 1 of the DXI frame header, and the previously reserved third lsb of Octet 2 of the DXI frame header, which are set to values of "0" and "1" to indicate an ATM OAM cell, and to "0" and "0" to identify "regular" data.

Abstract: A method for identifying and declaring a physical loopback condition upon running an OAM loopback test is provided. The method modifies ITU-T Recommendation I.610. According to the method, an OAM loopback test cell is generated with a correlation tag and a loopback indication value representing an outbound (forward) test cell, with the correlation tag being stored. Upon receiving back an OAM loopback test cell, the value of the loopback indication is determined, and the correlation tag of the incoming OAM loopback test cell is compared with the stored correlation tag. If the correlation tags match and the value of the loopback indication represents a forward test cell, a physical loopback condition is declared. On the other hand, if the correlation tags match and the value of the loopback indication represents a backward test cell, a successful OAM loopback condition is declared.