A permanent virtual circuit (PVC) over an ATM network is provisioned by
using a deterministic PVC addressing scheme for computing a unique
combination of VPI and VCI values based on certain input parameters
associated with the network to which the PVC is logically connected.
Specifically, the VPI and VCI of a PVC are deterministically computed as
a known function of numerical values of particular network elements
associated with the network and the particular PVC being provisioned
using a function that enables the values of these network elements to be
uniquely determined from the VPI and VCI of the PVC. Thus, once the VPI
and VCI are determined for a PVC, the particular network elements
associated with that PVC can be unambiguously identified from their
values.