LAN Emulation

   Abbreviated LANE. An Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) specification that defines ways of connecting legacy local-area networks such as Ethernet and token ring to an ATM backbone, allowing ATM to replace older and slower backbone circuits.

   LANE provides the translation services needed between the two types of networks and is totally transparent to the high-level protocols. LANE consists of four major components:

   • Broadcast and unknown server (BUS), which manages address resolution.

   • LAN Emulation Client (LEC), which runs on all nodes connected to the ATM network, initiates data transfers between other clients, and makes mapping requests between MAC (media access control) addresses and ATM addresses.

   • LAN Emulation Configuration Server (LECS), which provides configuration information and tracks on which virtual LAN each LAN Emulation Client operates.

   • LAN Emulation Server (LES), which provides address mapping between MAC addresses and ATM addresses and usually runs on the same node as the BUS.

   See also Asynchronous Transfer Mode; Integrated-Private Network-to-Network Interface; IP over ATM; IP switching.