Virtual Circuit Network

LECTURE 4 • Long distance transmission is typically done

Virtual-Circuit Networks over a network of switched nodes
• Nodes, End systems, Physical Links, Logical
Links
• A collection of nodes and connections is a
communications network
• Data routed by being switched from node to
node
Chapter 18 Virtual-Circuit Networks: Frame Relay and
ATM
(Forouzan, Data Communications and Networking, 4th Edition)

1 2

18-1 FRAME RELAY

Benefit of Frame Relay
Frame Relay is a virtual-circuit wide-area network • Faster than X.25’s 64Kbps speed
that was designed in response to demands for a new • Light weight, without flow and error control
type of WAN in the late 1980s and early 1990s. —Frame is simply dropped if there is error
• No network layer
Topics discussed in this section: • Work with any physical layer protocol
Architecture • Flexible transmission speed
Frame Relay Layers —Bursty data and bandwidth on demand
Extended Address • Support both Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC)
FRADs and Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC)
VOFR —PVC is more costly but better for lengthy connection
LMI
3 4
Figure 18.1 Frame Relay network Figure 18.2 Frame Relay layers

Frame relay WAN is used as

one link in the global Internet

Frame Relay operates only at the physical and data

link layers.
Frame Relay does not provide flow or error control;
they must be provided by the upper-layer protocols.
5 6

Figure 18.3 Frame Relay frame Figure 18.4 Three address formats

VCIs in Frame Relay are called DLCIs.

• EA enables the uses of 16-bit and 23-bit DLCI
• EA = 1 in the last byte of address

7 8
Figure 18.5 FRAD 18-2 ATM

• Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is the cell relay protocol

designed by the ATM Forum and adopted by the ITU-T.
• A cell network uses the cell as the basic unit of data
• Frame Relay assembler/disassembler exchange.
• Also called Frame Relay Access Device • A cell is defined as a small, fixed-size block of information.
• Support frames arriving from other protocols
• Including voice via VOFR (Voice over Frame Relay)
Topics discussed in this section:
• LMI (Local Management Information) additionally Design Goals
provides Problems
• Keep-alive mechanism
Architecture
• Multicast service
Switching
• End system can check status of frame relay switch
ATM Layers
9 10

ATM Design Goals Figure 18.6 Multiplexing using different frame sizes

• Optimize the use of high-data-rate transmission

media (optical fiber)
• Interface with existing systems and networks
• Inexpensive to implement • Problems
• Connection-oriented for accurate and • As networks become more complex, header
predictable delivery gets larger, causing more waste
• Move most functions to hardware for speed • Complex software is needed to manage
various frame sizes
• Session with large packet causes
unacceptable delay to session with small
11
packet 12
Figure 18.7 Multiplexing using cells Figure 18.8 ATM multiplexing

• Frames of different sizes are split into small data

unit of equal length
• ATM = Asynchronous Transfer Mode
• Cell = small data unit of fixed size
• Based on asynchronous time-division
• Easier to handle real-time session (phone) multiplexing
without being aware of segmentation and
• Slot is empty if none of the channel has a cell to
multiplexing delay
send
A cell network uses the cell as the basic unit of data
exchange. A cell is defined as a small, fixed-size block
13 14
of information.

Figure 18.9 Architecture of an ATM network Figure 18.10 TP, VPs, and VCs

• TP = Transmission path or physical connection

• VP = Virtual Path
• Provides a set of connections between two switches
• Combination of VCs that share the same path and are bundled
• NNI = Network-to-network interface together
• UNI = User-to-network interface • VC = Virtual Circuit
• All cells in the same message follow the same VC and remain in
their original order
• Logically connecting two points
15 16
Figure 18.11 Example of VPs and VCs Figure 18.12 Connection identifiers

• A virtual connection is defined by a pair of numbers:

the VPI and the VCI
• VPI = Virtual Path Identifier
• VCI = Virtual Circuit Identifier
• VCI defines a particular VC inside the VP
• First two VCs share the same virtual path 17 18

Figure 18.14 An ATM cell Figure 18.13 Virtual connection identifiers in UNIs and NNIs

• VCI and VPI are used to allow hierarchical routing

• Most ATM switches use VPI for routing
• PVC = Permanent Virtual Circuit • Only those at the network boundary (interact with endpoint
—Both VPI and VCI are fixed devices) use both VPI and VCI

• SVC = Switched Virtual Circuit • Different size of VPI in NNI from UNI
—Need additional network layer protocol and network
layer addresses to create a connection
19 20
Figure 18.15 Routing with a switch Figure 18.16 ATM layers

• AAL = Application Adaptation Layer

• Designed to enable ATM to accept any types of
payload, both data frames and bit streams
• ATM layer provides routing, traffic management,
switching, and multiplexing services
21 22

Figure 18.17 ATM layers in endpoint devices and switches Figure 18.18 ATM layer

• ATM switch only uses the two bottom layers

• Physical layer can be SONET or other protocols

23 24
Figure 18.19 ATM headers

AAL
• Consists of two sub-layers
—Segmentation and reassembly (SAR)
—Convergence sub-layer (CS) guarantees data integrity
through error detection
• Have four versions: AAL1, AAL2, AAL3/4, AAL5
—AAL1 and AAL5 are most common

• Each row represents one byte

• Flow control is not needed at NNI
• Payload type identifies management vs user data
• HEC can correct single-bit error in the header 25 26

Figure 18.20 AAL1 Figure 18.21 AAL2 (Low bit rate and short frame)

20 ms of 9600 bps

• SN: 3-bit to maintain cell sequence

• Allowing multiplexing of short frames into 1 cell
• SNP: Error correcting code • LI indicates how much of final packet is data (vs. padding)
27 • SF indicates offset from the beginning of (higher layer) packet 28
 Figure 18.22 AAL3/4 (Connection oriented and connectionless traffic) Figure 18.23 AAL5

• CPI defines how

subsequent fields
are interpreted
• Btag/Etag is the
same for all cells
belonging to the
same packet
• BAsize tells receiver
to prepare buffer
space
• ST specifies position
of the segment in
the message
/Padding • Beginning (00)
• Middle (01) • AAL3/4 provides comprehensive sequencing and error control that
• End (10) are not necessary for every application
• Single segment • L indicates length of original data
/Data flow id
(11) • CRC is done for the entire data unit
• LI indicates how 29 • AAL5 steals one bit in PT field to indicate the last PDU 30
much is padding

18-3 ATM LANs Figure 18.24 ATM LANs

ATM is mainly a wide-area network (WAN ATM);

however, the technology can be adapted to local-area
networks (ATM LANs). The high data rate of the
technology has attracted the attention of designers who
are looking for greater and greater speeds in LANs.

Topics discussed in this section:

ATM LAN Architecture
LAN Emulation (LANE) • ATM supports different types of connections between 2
Client/Server Model end users
Mixed Architecture with Client/Server • ATM can also guarantee bandwidth for applications
31 32
Figure 18.25 Pure ATM LAN Figure 18.26 Legacy ATM LAN

• Station uses VPI and VCI instead of source and • Converter/bridge changes the frame format
destination addresses • Data from several stations can be multiplexed to create
• Drawback: existing LANs cannot be upgraded high-data-rate input to ATM switch
33 • Mixed architecture allows gradual migration 34

LAN Emulation (LANE)

Figure 18.28 Client and servers in a LANE

• Traditional LANs are connectionless protocols

— Use physical address instead of VCI
• Traditional LANs also supports broadcast and multicast
services
— Not easy in ATM
• LANE is needed to provide interoperability between
traditional LAN and ATM LAN
— Conversion between frames and cells • LAN Emulation Client (LEC) software is installed on top of three
ATM protocol sub-layers (AAL2, AAL3/4, and AAL5)
• LANE provides connectionless service that built on top of
• LAN Emulation Configuration Server (LECS) is used for initial
connection-oriented service connection between client and LANE
— Stations use source and destination addresses for initial • LECS has a well-known ATM address
connection and then use VPI and VCI addressing afterward • LAN Emulation Server (LES) creates VC between source and
destination initially
35 • Broadcast and Unknown Server (BUS) has PVC to every stations 36
Figure 18.29 Client and servers in a LANE

• Converter acts as
LEC clients and
communicates on
behalf of their
connected
stations

37