Switching

(Circuit and Packet Switching)

Lecture 09
Switching

■ A network is a set of connected devices. Whenever we have multiple

devices, we have the problem of how to connect them to make one-to-one
communication possible.
■ The solution is switching
■ A switched network consists of a series of interlinked nodes, called
switches.
Switch
Switching

■ Long distance transmission is typically done over a network of switched

nodes
■ Nodes not concerned with content of data
■ End devices are stations
– Computer, terminal, phone, etc.
■ A collection of nodes and connections is a communications network
■ Data routed by being switched from node to node
Switched Network

■ A Computer network in which connectivity is provided

by using numbers of switches.
■ A fully switched network uses only switches for
connecting all devices used in that network.
Switched Network

■ Computers are denoted by A,B,C up to L

■ Switches are denoted by I,II,III up to VIII
Switched Network
Switching
Nodes

■ Nodes may connect to other nodes only, or to stations and other nodes
■ Node to node links usually multiplexed
■ Network is usually partially connected
– Some redundant connections are desirable for reliability
■ Two different switching technologies
– Circuit switching
– Packet switching
Circuit Switched Network

■ A network in which a dedicated circuit is established between sender and

receiver and all data passes over this circuit.
– The telephone system is a common example.
■ The connection is dedicated until one party or another terminates the
connection.
Circuit Switched Network

■ Circuit switching is used in public telephone network but it is

used for data transmission also along with voice
communication
■ Voice communication is efficient but data communication is
not that efficient
■ In this method a dedicated path is established between two
computer using one or more switch
Circuit Switched Network

■ The transfer mode of a network involves setting up a dedicated

end to end connection. This path is maintained till the end of
communication.
■ Link is released after communication is over
■ Circuit switching takes place at physical layer
Circuit Switched Network

■ 4 switches ■ 2 end systems A & M; these may be

computers
■ 4links
■ If A has transmit to M, it will do
through this circuit switched network
Circuit Switched Network

■ Switching at the physical layer in the traditional telephone network uses

the circuit-switching approach.
Circuit Switching
Circuit Switching

■ Dedicated communication path between two stations

■ Three phases
– Establish
– Transfer
– Disconnect
■ Must have switching capacity and channel capacity to establish
connection
■ Must have intelligence to work out routing
Circuit Switching

■ In place of using 3x4=12 point to point connections only 3 switches are

used in above figure.
Issues in Circuit Switching

■ Inefficient
– Channel capacity dedicated for duration of connection
– If no data, capacity wasted
■ Set up (connection) takes time
– Since connection is dedicate so only time taken in connection is the
only delay in transmission
■ Developed for voice traffic (phone)
Circuit Switching Pros/Cons/Application

■ Advantages
– Dedicated transmission
– No delay in transmission
■ Disadvantages
– Because of dedicated connection other devices waste time in waiting
– Dedicated connection will consume all bandwidth
– Sometimes it may take long time to establish a connection
■ Applications
– Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
Circuit Switching Applications

■ Blocking
– A network is unable to connect stations because all paths are in use
– Used on voice systems
■ Short duration calls
■ Non-blocking
– Permits all stations to connect (in pairs) at once
■ Used for some data connections
Circuit Switching Types
Circuit Switching Types
Space Division Switching
■ In space division switching, the paths in the circuit are separated from
each other spatially. This technology is used in both analog & digital
networks. It uses following switches for connection:
– Cross bar switch
– Multistage switch
Packet Switched Network

■ Packet Switching refers to protocols in which messages are divided into

packets before they are sent.
■ Each packet is then transmitted individually and can even follow
different routes to its destination.
■ Once all the packets forming a message arrive at the destination, they are
recompiled into the original message.
Packet Switched Network

■ Data are transmitted in short packets. Typically an upper bound on packet size
is 1000 octets.
■ If a station has a longer message to send it breaks it up into a series of small
packets. Each packet now contains part of the user's data and some control
information.
■ The control information should at least contain:
– Destination Address
– Source Address
■ Store and forward
– Packets are received, stored briefly (buffered) and past on to the next node
Packet Switched Network
Packet Switched Network Advantages

■ Security
■ Bandwidth used to full potential
■ Devices of different speeds can communicate
■ Not affected by line failure (redirects signal)
■ Availability
– No waiting for a direct connection to become available
■ During a crisis or disaster, when the public telephone network might stop
working, e-mails and texts can still be sent via packet switching
Packet Switched Network Advantages

■ Line efficiency
– Single node to node link can be shared by many packets over time
– Packets queued and transmitted as fast as possible
■ Packets are accepted even when network is busy
– Delivery may slow down
■ Priorities can be used
Packet Switched Network Disadvantages

■ Under heavy use there can be a delay

■ Data packets can get lost or become corrupted
■ Protocols are needed for a reliable transfer
■ Not so good for some types data streams
– e.g. real-time video streams can lose frames due to the way packets
arrive out of sequence
Packet Switched Network & Types

■ A network in which all data messages are transmitted using short

packages, called packets.
■ More efficient use of a telecommunications line since packets from
multiple sources can share the medium.
■ Station breaks long message into packets
■ Packets sent one at a time to the network
■ Packets handled in two ways
– Datagram
– Virtual circuit
Packet Switched Network
Datagram
■ One form of packet switched network is the datagram. With a datagram,
each packet is on its own and may follow its own path.
■ Each packet treated independently
■ Packets can take any practical route
■ Packets may arrive out of order
■ Packets may go missing
■ Up to receiver to re-order packets and recover from missing packets
Datagram
Packet Switched Network
Virtual circuit

■ Virtual circuit packet switched network create a logical path through the
subnet and all packets from one connection follow this path.
■ Preplanned route established before any packets sent
■ Call request and call accept packets establish connection (handshake)
■ Each packet contains a virtual circuit identifier instead of destination
address
■ No routing decisions required for each packet
■ Clear request to drop circuit
■ Not a dedicated path
Virtual Circuit
Virtual Circuits vs Datagram
■ Virtual Circuits Approach
– Network can provide
sequencing and error control
– Packets are forwarded more
quickly
■ No routing decisions to make
– Less reliable
– Loss of a node looses all
circuits through that node
■ Datagram Approach
– No call setup phase
■ Better if few packets
– More flexible
■ Routing can be used to avoid
congested parts of the network
– More reliable
■ If a node fails, subsequent
packets may find an alternate
route that bypass that node