Planning Multiple DACS Complexes, an Example of Systems Engineering at AT&T Bell Laboratories

The Digital Access and Cross-Connect System (DACS) provides reliable, efficient, and economical cross-connections and test access for DS1 and DS1C systems. As the special services applications for digital networks increase and as new features are added to DACS to support new services, the number of DACS terminations required in an office may exceed the capacity of a single DACS frame. This necessitates the installation of additional DACS frames with interframe ties to provide for complete cross-connection flexibility between the frames. Such a collection of DACS frames within the same centeral office is referred to as a 'Multi-DACS' complex. The increasing number of Multi-DACS complexes has created a serious need for planning growth and administration guidelines to effectively and economically manage these complexes, as well as determine the deployment of such enhanced features as Digital Multipoint Bridge (DMB) and Subrate Data Cross-Connect (SRDC) capability.