This read-create value determines whether this ATM interface acts as the user side or the network side in the automatic ATM interface-type determination procedure, with an ATM end system taking the user role and an ATM network node taking the network role. It lets an admin explicitly set the interface's role so the correct operational ATM interface type is derived automatically. For example, on a link connecting a customer's ATM terminal to this switch, an admin would set this switch's side of that interface to network so the terminal is correctly recognized as the user side.