Atm network externally controlled for network resource reservation of end-to-end switched virtual connection

In an ATM network, a database is provided in a network controller for holding data pertaining to network topology and remaining network resource. The controller has a supervisory circuit that constantly monitors communication links between ATM switches. Route decision and resource reservation logic circuitry updates the database if a network failure condition is detected by the supervisory circuit. The logic circuitry also receives, from a source terminal, a reservation request indicating a reservation of an end-to-end network resource between a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time, and makes a search through the database to reserve the network resource in the database if the network resource is available. The logic circuit causes the ATM switches to establish an end-to-end connection using the reserved network resource at the scheduled start time, informs the source terminal of a VCI/VPI of the established connection for subsequent transmission of messages, releases the established connection when the request in the registration memory indicates the scheduled end time, and removes the request from the registration memory. The logic circuit also accommodates class of service requests; for a first class, the database is searched, and requested resources are reserved at the time the request is received. For a second class, the search is not performed until the scheduled start time. In an ATM network, a data base is provided in a network controller for holding data pertaining to network topology and remaining network resource. The controller has a supervisory circuit that constantly monitors communication links between ATM switches. Route decision and resource reservation logic circuitry is provided for updating the data base if a faulty condition is detected by the supervisory circuit. The logic circuitry receives, from a source terminal, a reservation request indicating a reservation of an end-to-end network resource between a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time, and makes a search through the data base to reserve the network resource in the data base if the network resource is available. The logic circuit causes the ATM switches to establish an end-to-end connection using the reserved network resource at the scheduled start time, informs the source terminal of a VCI/VPI of the established connection for subsequent transmission of messages, releases the established connection when the request in the registration memory indicates the scheduled end time, and removes the request from the registration memory.