This site could also be aptly named STP - for STARTAP. It monitors the link of the one-armed router connected to the STARTAP ATM switch in Chicago. Routing at STARTAP is sophisticated. STARTAP consists of a number of physically distributed routers peering with each other via a mesh of ATM virtual channels at the ATM switch administered by Ameritech in Chicago. Connecting research networks not deploying their own routers in Chicago use the STARTAP router for peering, which is where the PMA name stems from - these are networks in the Asia-Pacific Region (APAN).
The ATM link is utilized by a number of ATM virtual channels. The Coral network capture software will filter for IP headers and via conversion to tsh format remove the association of IP packets to ATM VC's. The view deliverd by the traces is thus a summary of all IP activity on the link. Per-VC analysis is not possible at this point in time.
STARTAP is planning to upgrade to a StarLight architecture in the near future,
which will involve changes to network topology and link configuration. It is
expected that the PMA infrastructure at STARTAP will grow with the changes anticipated.
STARTAP Architecture Diagram (original link)
Performance Measurements from NLANR's AMP monitor at STARTAP
