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Module 5

Frame Relay
Introducing Frame Relay

Packet-switched, connection-oriented, WAN service.

Operates at the data link layer of the OSI reference


model.

Uses a subset of the high-level data link control


(HDLC) protocol called Link Access Procedure for
Frame Relay (LAPF).

Frames carry data between DTE and DCE.


Introducing Frame Relay
Introducing Frame Relay
Frame Relay terminology

Virtual circuit (VC): Connection through the Frame Relay network between
two DTEs.

Switched virtual circuits (SVCs): established dynamically by sending


signaling messages to the network.

Permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) : preconfigured by the carrier. The


switching information for a VC is stored in the memory of the switch.

Data Link Channel Identifier (DLCI): used to identify the various virtual
circuits on a single access line.
Frame Relay terminology
Frame Relay terminology
Frame Relay stack layered support
Frame Relay bandwidth and flow control

Bandwidth Utilization

Committed information rate (CIR): is the rate at which the service


provider agrees to accept bits on the VC.

Individual CIRs are normally less than the port speed. However, the sum of
the CIRs will normally be greater than the port speed.

This accomodates the bursty nature of computer communications and


provides each channel with bandwidth on demand up to a maximum of the
port speed.

Excess Information Rate (EIR): the difference between the CIR and the
maximum.
Frame Relay bandwidth and flow control

Congestion avoidance and flow control

No error recovery mechanism.

Discard Eligibility (DE) bits: marked excess frame.

Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) bits:

The Forward ECN (FECN) bit is set on every frame that the switch
receives on the congested link.

The Backward ECN (BECN) bit is set on every frame that the switch
places onto the congested link.
Frame Relay bandwidth and flow control
Frame Relay LMI

Local Management Interface (LMI): used by DTEs to dynamically acquire


information about the status of the network.
The 10-bit DLCI field allows VC identifiers 0 through 1023. The LMI extensions
reserve some of these identifiers.
Three types of LMIs are supported by Cisco routers:
Cisco The original LMI extensions
Ansi Corresponding to the ANSI standard T1.617 Annex D
q933a Corresponding to the ITU standard Q933 Annex A
The LMI extensions include the following:
The heartbeat mechanism, which verifies that a VC is operational
The multicast mechanism
The flow control
The ability to give DLCIs global significance
The VC status mechanism
Inverse ARP and LMI operation

LMI status messages combined with Inverse ARP messages allow a router to
associate network layer and data link layer addresses.
Procedure:
When a router that is connected to a Frame Relay network is started, it sends
an LMI status inquiry message to the network.
The network replies with an LMI status message containing details of every
VC configured on the access link.
If the router needs to map the VCs to network layer addresses, it will send an
Inverse ARP message on each VC.
The Inverse ARP message includes the network layer address of the router,
so the remote DTE, or router, can also perform the mapping.
If several network layer protocols are supported on the link, Inverse ARP
messages will be sent for each.
Inverse ARP and LMI operation
Configuring basic Frame Relay
Frame Relay is configured on a serial interface and the default encapsulation type is
the Cisco proprietary version of HDLC.
To change the encapsulation to Frame Relay use the encapsulation frame-relay
[cisco | ietf] command.
Configuring a static Frame Relay map
Reachability issues with routing updates in NBMA
Frame Relay network provides non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) connectivity
between remote sites.
The physical topology consists of multiple PVCs.

Problems:
Reachability issues regarding routing updates: Split Horizon.
The need to replicate broadcasts on each PVC when a physical interface contains
more than one PVC.

Solution:
Configure the hub router with logically assigned interfaces: subinterfaces.
In split-horizon routing environments, routing updates received on one subinterface
can be sent out another subinterface.
In a subinterface configuration, each virtual circuit can be configured as a point-to-
point connection.
This allows each subinterface to act similarly to a leased line.
Reachability issues with routing updates in NBMA
Reachability issues with routing updates in NBMA
Frame Relay subinterfaces
Configuring Frame Relay subinterfaces
Verifying the Frame Relay configuration
Verifying the Frame Relay configuration
Verifying the Frame Relay configuration
Verifying the Frame Relay configuration

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