Frame Relay

What is it??
• Frame Relay (FR) - public network WAN technology based
on packet switching
• FR standard defines an interface between an end user and a
public network. FR is a protocol of 2nd level of OSI model

end user

Frame Relay cloud

Internal Frame Relay protocol (between switching devices in the cloud) is

Frame Relay
interface
not standardized (probably it will be some day)

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
What is it about?
• Aim: transport user data between port A and B
FRAD - Frame Relay
VC - Virtual Circuit
Access Device PVC - Permanent VC
PVC

A B
FR switches

• Data is transmitted as variable length frames

Max. frame length is 4096 bytes (recommended length is
1600 bytes)
• From users point of view: ports A and B are connected with a
transparent logical link (virtual circuit - VC)
CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Standards
• Frame Relay “independent existence”:
– In 1990 “Group of Four” (DEC, Northern Telecom, Cisco,
Stratacom) presented FR as an independent standard
– Later this Frame Relay Forum was established: main
standardization body for FR
• Standards on which FR is based:
ANSI T1.602, ANSI T1.606 (Frame Relaying Bearer Service -
Architectural Framework and Service Description, 1990), ANSI
T1.607-1990, ANSI T1S1/91-659,ANSI T1.617, ANSI T1.618,
CCITT I.122 (Framework for providing Additional Packet Mode
Bearer Services, 1988), CCITT Q.922, CCITT Q.933

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Most important features
• Based on packet (frame) switching
• Frames of variable length (up to 4096 bytes, typically 1600 bytes)
• Connection oriented; only permanent connections - PVCs; switched
VCs in standard extensions
• High data rates at user-network interfaces (2Mbps, ultimately up to 45
Mbps)
• Bandwidth on demand
• No flow control mechanisms (nearly)
• No error control (but FCS) or retransmission mechanisms
• All protocol functions implemented at 2nd level (data link) of OSI
model
No standards for physical interface: can be X.21, V.35, G.703, G.704
CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Why was it proposed?
• Efficiency: increased demand for high throughput
networking (X.25 too slow)
• “Bursty applications”: LAN connectivity, Internet, not
only terminal applications
• Fibre optic lines: low (very, very low) bit error rates
• New, smarter software: applications (or higher level
protocols like TCP) performing error control,
retransmissions; reliable date links delivered by higher
levels of OSI model

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Frame format
Frame header

Address Information Frame check

Flag field field sequence Flag

address CR EA address FECNBECN DE EA

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Octet 1 Octet 2
• begin and end of frame marker (1 byte: 01111110)
• address field - two bytes:
– address: DLCI - Data Link Connection Identifier
– CR: 1 bit, user defined
– EA: extended address (“1” - there will be next address byte)
– FECN: Forward Explicit Congestion Notification (see congestion control)
– BECN: Backward Explicit Congestion Notification
– DE: Discard Eligibility - this frame can be discarded
• FCS: Frame Check Sequence (Control Sum)

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
Interface types
• UNI: User-|Network Interface
• NNI: Network-Network Interface
UNI NNI NNI UNI
PVC segment

Frame Relay Frame Relay Frame Relay user

user network network network

Multi-network PVC

CEENet 97 Workshop
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 Frame Relay
Parameters of a UNI interface
• Physical speed - just clock rate
• Guaranteed bandwidth parameters
– CIR: Committed Information Rate
– BC: Committed Burst Size
• Extended bandwidth parameters
– EIR: Extended Information Rate
– BE: Extended Burst Size
• TC: Measurement Interval
User 192kbps
EIR
traffic
256kbps

64kbps CIR
time
CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
CIR and EIR - how does it work
• BC = TC * CIR
• BE = TC * EIR
Bits
Clock rate

BC+BE

CIR + EIR
BC

CIR

Time
T0
Frame 1 Frame 2 Frame 3 Frame 4 Frame 5 T0+TC
Within CIR Within CIR Marked DE Marked DE Discarded

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
Flow and congestion control
• There is no explicit flow control in FR; the network informs a user about
congestion
• Congestion: FR frames are discarded from overflowed buffers of switching
devices
• Congestion information:
– FECN - Forward Explicit Congestion Notification
– BECN - Backward Explicit Congestion Notification

Transmission direction FRAD

FRAD
BECN
FECN
• There are recommendations for access devices what to do with FECN and
BECN (usually not implemented)

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
Local addressing
• DLCI (Data Link Connection Identifier) - identification of a virtual circuit
• DLCI - of local (for a given port) meaning
• there can be max. 976 VCs on an interface user-network

A C

To A: DLCI 121
To B: DLCI 243

To A: DLCI 182
• DLCI values:B0- LMI channel, 1-15 - reserved, 16-991 - available for
To C: DLCI 121

VCs, 992-1007 - layer 2 management of FR service, 1008-1022 -

reserved, 1023 - in channel layer management

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
Global addressing
• Extension proposed by “Group of Four”
• Each end user access device FRAD is assigned a unique
DLCI number - a global address
Transmission to a given user goes over VC identified by a
unique DLCI
• Current DLCI format limits number of devices to less than
1000
• Another addition to the standard - extended DLCI
addresses

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Local Management Interface - LMI
• LMI - a signaling protocol used on an interface: end user - network
(UNI)
• Implementation optional (everybody implements it...)
• Usage:
– notification about: creation, deletion, existence of PVCs on a given port
– notification about status and availability of PVCs
– periodic checks of integrity of physical connection
• Planned extensions:
– dynamic (SVC) channel creation and deletion
– congestion notification
• Also planned: LMI for network-network interface (NNI)

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Extensions to the standard
• Global addressing
• “Asynchronous status update” in LMI
• Multicasting - possibility to send frames to multiple end
users (FRAD) through a single DLCI identifier
• Switched Virtual Circuits (SVC) - virtual channels
configured dynamically (call setup) for data transmissions
and then deleted (as in X.25 or POTS)

CEENet 97 Workshop
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 Frame Relay
Multiprotocol over Frame Relay
• Standardized in RFC1490
• Not only IP, also other protocols, as well as remote
bridging over Frame Relay
• Can be used with LLC, SNAP, IPX, IP
• Can be used for ARP, RARP, IARP
• Redefines the data part of the frame and not the address
header

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
IARP
• FRADs know DLCIs of available PVCs (through LMI),
but don’t know IP addresses of other ends
• IP addresses for given DLCIs are obtained automatically;
mapping IP-DLCI is generated - dynamic mapping

• IARP can be switched of; static maps have to be generated

by FRAD user

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
Topologies
• star

• full mesh

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 Frame Relay
FR versus leased line
Advantages:
• Decreases number of ports on user devices
– important for star topology
– vital for full mesh topologies ( N(N-1)/2 connections, N(N-1) ports)
• Backup lines become public operator responsibility and no
longer that of an end user; backup connections are switched
transparently to the user
• More bandwidth is available for traffic peaks; CIR can be
more expensive than similar leased line; CIR+EIR is much
cheaper

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
FR versus leased lines
Advantages:
• Allows to build virtual LANs over whole countries
(because of mesh topology and ARPs); simplifies routing
• Allows to build private virtual corporate networks; they
can be separated from the world at the 2nd level of OSI
model - safety
• A private network can be connected to the Internet in only
one point: safety and economy

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
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 Frame Relay
FR versus leased lines
Advantages:
• Simplicity of the configuration for the end user equipment
(not necessarily for the operator…)
• Example: IP over Frame Relay on Cisco IOS

interface serial 0
ip address 194.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay ietf
frame-relay lmi-type ansi

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
FR versus leased lines
Disadvantages:
• Not for delay sensitive applications like: voice, video
(though the former is sometimes transmitted over FR)
• No guarantee that frames are delivered to the end point; is
CIR really CIR?

Lots depend on the FR operator; especially overbooking -

how many times sum of all CIRs extends physical capacity
of operators connections

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
How do you really use it
• Rent ports at the operator’s switches (normally together
with local leased lines and modems); you have to select
clock rates
• Ask for PVCs between ports you want; it can be your
ports, ports on publicly available devices, like border
router
• Configure your FRADs - see Cisco example

Isn’t it simple??

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Relay
Case example: Poland
• Two big public FR networks:
– Polish Telecom TPSA (POLPAK-T): at least 1 switch in 50 biggest
cities, 2-34Mbps trunks
– NASK (Academic Operator): switches in some 15 bigger cities
• Internet connectivity through FR - to border routers
• CIR=0 PVCs for free
• Good prices: 256kbps port with PVC to a border router in
POLPAK-T - about 350$ a month (all inclusive)
• PVCs abroad (e.g. direct channel to a router in the US)
become to be available; prices better than satellite; not yet
tested
CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.
 Frame Really?
In my opinion: yes

With caution, but yes

CEENet 97 Workshop
M.Krzyzanows
ki, IdS, Warsaw Univ.