Frame Relay

Frame Relay is a high-performance WAN protocol that operates at the

physical and data link layers of the OSI reference model. Frame Relay originally
was designed for use across Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
interfaces. Today, it is used over a variety of other network interfaces as well.
This chapter focuses on Frame Relay's specifications and applications in the
context of WAN services. Frame Relay assumes a high-speed user link as well
as high-speed transport system, in general, fiber optic.
Frame Relay is an example of a packet-switched technology. Packet-
switched networks enable end stations to dynamically share the network medium
and the available bandwidth. Variable-length packets are used for more efficient
and flexible transfers. These packets then are switched between the various
network segments until the destination is reached. Statistical multiplexing
techniques control network access in a packet-switched network. The advantage
of this technique is that it accommodates more flexibility and more efficient use of
bandwidth.
Frame Relay often is described as a streamlined version of X.25, offering
fewer of the robust capabilities, such as windowing and retransmission of lost
data, which are offered in X.25. This is because Frame Relay typically operates
over WAN facilities that offer more reliable connection services and a higher
degree of reliability than the facilities available during the late 1970s and early
1980s that served as the common platforms for X.25 WANs. As mentioned
earlier, Frame Relay is strictly a Layer 2 protocol suite, whereas X.25 provides
services at Layer 3 (the network layer) as well. This enables Frame Relay to offer
higher performance and greater transmission efficiency than X.25 and makes
Frame Relay suitable for current WAN applications, such as LAN
interconnection. Below is a table for .25/Fram Relay Comparison:
Initial proposals for the standardization of Frame Relay were presented to
the Consultative Committee on International Telephone and Telegraph (CCITT)
in 1984. Due to lack of interoperability and lack of complete standardization,
however, Frame Relay did not experience significant deployment during the late
1980s.
Internationally, Frame Relay was standardized by the International
Telecommunications Union - Telecommunications Sector (ITU-T). In the United
States, Frame Relay is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
standard. The standards are summarized in the table below:
Attribute X.25 Frame Relay
Facilities Analog Assumed Digital Assumed
Payload 128B/256 Fixed 4,096B Variable
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Access Speed 56 kbps-DSI 56 Kbps-DSI, DS3
Link Layer Protocol LAP B LAP-D/LAP-F
Latency High Moderate
Orientation Connection- Orientated Connection- Orientated
Error Control Network User
Protocol Cnversion Yes No


Subject Area ITU-T ANSI
Architecture and Service Description I.233 TI.606
Data Link Layer Core Aspects Q.922 Annex A TI.618
PVC Management Q.933 Annex A TI.617 Annex D
Congestion Management I.370 TI.606a
SVC Signaling Q.933 TI.617
Access to the Frame Relay is provided on the basis of a dedicated digital
link into a Frame Relay node. The typical access link can range up to 44.736
Mbps can be in the form of DDS (56/64 Kbps), Switched (56/64 Kbps) ISDN BRI
(64/128 Kbps), ISDN PRI (1.544 Mbps), FT1 (N x 64 Kbps), T1 (1.544 Mbps) and
T3 (44.736 Mbps).
Devices attached to a Frame Relay WAN fall into two general categories:
data terminal equipment (DTE) and data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE).
DTEs generally are considered to be terminating equipment for a specific
network and typically are located on the premises of a customer. In fact, they
may be owned by the customer. Examples of DTE devices are terminals,
personal computers, routers, and bridges.
DCEs are carrier-owned internetworking devices. The purpose of DCE
equipment is to provide clocking and switching services in a network, which are
the devices that actually transmit data through the WAN. In most cases, these
are packet switches. Figure 10-1 shows the relationship between the two
categories of devices.

Figure 10-1: DCEs generally reside within carrier-operated WANs.
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The connection between a DTE device and a DCE device consists of both
a physical-layer component and a link-layer component. The physical component
defines the mechanical, electrical, functional, and procedural specifications for
the connection between the devices. One of the most commonly used physical-
layer interface specifications is the recommended standard (RS)-232
specifications. The link-layer component defines the protocol that establishes the
connection between the DTE device, such as a router, and the DCE device, such
as a switch. This chapter examines a commonly utilized protocol specification
used in WAN networking - the Frame Relay protocol.
Frame Relay Virtual Circuits
Frame Relay provides connection-oriented data link layer communication. This
means that a defined communication exists between each pair of devices and
that these connections are associated with a connection identifier. This service is
implemented by using a Frame Relay virtual circuit, which is a logical connection
created between two data terminal equipment (DTE) devices across a Frame
Relay packet-switched network (PSN).
Virtual circuits provide a bi-directional communications path from one DTE device
to another and are uniquely identified by a data-link connection identifier (DLCI).
A number of virtual circuits can be multiplexed into a single physical circuit for
transmission across the network. This capability often can reduce the equipment
and network complexity required to connect multiple DTE devices.
A virtual circuit can pass through any number of intermediate DCE devices
(switches) located within the Frame Relay PSN.
Frame Relay virtual circuits fall into two categories: switched virtual circuits
(SVCs) and permanent virtual circuits (PVCs).
Switched Virtual Circuits (SVCs)
Switched virtual circuits (SVCs) are temporary connections used in situations
requiring only sporadic data transfer between DTE devices across the Frame
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Relay network. A communication session across an SVC consists of four
operational states:
Call Setup---The virtual circuit between two Frame Relay DTE devices is
established.
Data Transfer---Data is transmitted between the DTE devices over the
virtual circuit.
Idle---The connection between DTE devices is still active, but no data is
transferred. If an SVC remains in an idle state for a defined period of time,
the call can be terminated.
Call Termination---The virtual circuit between DTE devices is terminated.
After the virtual circuit is terminated, the DTE devices must establish a new SVC
if there is additional data to be exchanged. It is expected that SVCs will be
established, maintained, and terminated using the same signaling protocols used
in ISDN. Few manufacturers of Frame Relay DCE equipment, however, support
Switched Virtual Connections. Therefore, their actual deployment is minimal in
today's Frame Relay networks.
Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs)
Permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) are permanently established connections that
are used for frequent and consistent data transfers between DTE devices across
the Frame Relay network. Communication across a PVC does not require the
call setup and termination states that are used with SVCs. PVCs always operate
in one of the following two operational states:
Data Transfer---Data is transmitted between the DTE devices over the
virtual circuit.
Idle---The connection between DTE devices is active, but no data is
transferred. Unlike SVCs, PVCs will not be terminated under any
circumstances due to being in an idle state.
DTE devices can begin transferring data whenever they are ready because the
circuit is permanently established.
Data-Link Connection Identifier (DLCI)
Frame Relay virtual circuits are identified by data-link connection identifiers
(DLCIs). DLCI values typically are assigned by the Frame Relay service provider
(for example, the telephone company). Frame Relay DLCIs have local
significance, which means that the values themselves are not unique in the
Frame Relay WAN. Two DTE devices connected by a virtual circuit, for example,
may use a different DLCI value to refer to the same connection. Figure 10-2
illustrates how a single virtual circuit may be assigned a different DLCI value on
each end of the connection.
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Figure 10-2: A single Frame Relay virtual circuit can be assigned different
DLCIs on each end of a VC.


Congestion-Control Mechanisms
Frame Relay reduces network overhead by implementing simple congestion-
notification mechanisms rather than explicit, per-virtual-circuit flow control. Frame
Relay typically is implemented on reliable network media, so data integrity is not
sacrificed because flow control can be left to higher-layer protocols. Frame Relay
implements two congestion-notification mechanisms:
Forward-explicit congestion notification (FECN)
Backward-explicit congestion notification (BECN)
FECN and BECN each are controlled by a single bit contained in the Frame
Relay frame header. The Frame Relay frame header also contains a Discard
Eligibility (DE) bit, which is used to identify less important traffic that can be
dropped during periods of congestion.
The FECN bit is part of the Address field in the Frame Relay frame header. The
FECN mechanism is initiated when a DTE device sends Frame Relay frames into
the network. If the network is congested, DCE devices (switches) set the value of
the frames' FECN bit to 1. When the frames reach the destination DTE device,
the Address field (with the FECN bit set) indicates that the frame experienced
congestion in the path from source to destination. The DTE device can relay this
information to a higher-layer protocol for processing. Depending on the
implementation, flow-control may be initiated, or the indication may be ignored.
The BECN bit is part of the Address field in the Frame Relay frame header. DCE
devices set the value of the BECN bit to 1 in frames traveling in the opposite
direction of frames with their FECN bit set. This informs the receiving DTE device
that a particular path through the network is congested. The DTE device then can
relay this information to a higher-layer protocol for processing. Depending on the
implementation, flow-control may be initiated, or the indication may be ignored.
Frame Relay Discard Eligibility (DE)
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The Discard Eligibility (DE) bit is used to indicate that a frame has lower
importance than other frames. The DE bit is part of the Address field in the
Frame Relay frame header.
DTE devices can set the value of the DE bit of a frame to 1 to indicate that the
frame has lower importance than other frames. When the network becomes
congested, DCE devices will discard frames with the DE bit set before discarding
those that do not. This reduces the likelihood of critical data being dropped by
Frame Relay DCE devices during periods of congestion.
Frame Relay Error Checking
Frame Relay uses a common error-checking mechanism known as the cyclic
redundancy check (CRC). The CRC compares two calculated values to
determine whether errors occurred during the transmission from source to
destination. Frame Relay reduces network overhead by implementing error
checking rather than error correction. Frame Relay typically is implemented on
reliable network media, so data integrity is not sacrificed because error correction
can be left to higher-layer protocols running on top of Frame Relay.
Frame Relay Local Management Interface (LMI)
The Local Management Interface (LMI) is a set of enhancements to the basic
Frame Relay specification. The LMI was developed in 1990 by Cisco Systems,
StrataCom, Northern Telecom, and Digital Equipment Corporation. It offers a
number of features (called extensions) for managing complex internetworks. Key
Frame Relay LMI extensions include global addressing, virtual-circuit status
messages, and multicasting.
The LMI global addressing extension gives Frame Relay data-link connection
identifier (DLCI) values global rather than local significance. DLCI values become
DTE addresses that are unique in the Frame Relay WAN. The global addressing
extension adds functionality and manageability to Frame Relay internetworks.
Individual network interfaces and the end nodes attached to them, for example,
can be identified by using standard address-resolution and discovery techniques.
In addition, the entire Frame Relay network appears to be a typical LAN to
routers on its periphery.
LMI virtual circuit status messages provide communication and synchronization
between Frame Relay DTE and DCE devices. These messages are used to
periodically report on the status of PVCs, which prevents data from being sent
into black holes (that is, over PVCs that no longer exist).
The LMI multicasting extension allows multicast groups to be assigned.
Multicasting saves bandwidth by allowing routing updates and address-resolution
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messages to be sent only to specific groups of routers. The extension also
transmits reports on the status of multicast groups in update messages.
Frame Relay Network Implementation
A common private Frame Relay network implementation is to equip a T1
multiplexer with both Frame Relay and non-Frame Relay interfaces. Frame Relay
traffic is forwarded out the Frame Relay interface and onto the data network.
Non-Frame Relay traffic is forwarded to the appropriate application or service,
such as a private branch exchange (PBX) for telephone service or to a video-
teleconferencing application.
A typical Frame Relay network consists of a number of DTE devices, such as
routers, connected to remote ports on multiplexer equipment via traditional point-
to-point services such as T1, fractional T1, or 56 K circuits. An example of a
simple Frame Relay network is shown in Figure 10-3.

Figure 10-3: A simple Frame Relay network connects various devices to
different services over a WAN.


The majority of Frame Relay networks deployed today are provisioned by service
providers who intend to offer transmission services to customers. This is often
referred to as a public Frame Relay service. Frame Relay is implemented in both
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public carrier-provided networks and in private enterprise networks. The following
section examines the two methodologies for deploying Frame Relay.
Public Carrier-Provided Networks
In public carrier-provided Frame Relay networks, the Frame Relay switching
equipment is located in the central offices of a telecommunications carrier.
Subscribers are charged based on their network use but are relieved from
administering and maintaining the Frame Relay network equipment and service.
Generally, the DCE equipment also is owned by the telecommunications
provider. DCE equipment either will be customer-owned or perhaps owned by
the telecommunications provider as a service to the customer.
The majority of today's Frame Relay networks are public carrier-provided
networks.
Private Enterprise Networks
More frequently, organizations worldwide are deploying private Frame Relay
networks. In private Frame Relay networks, the administration and maintenance
of the network are the responsibilities of the enterprise (a private company). All
the equipment, including the switching equipment, is owned by the customer.
Frame Relay Frame Formats
To understand much of the functionality of Frame Relay, it is helpful to
understand the structure of the Frame Relay frame. Figure 10-4 depicts the basic
format of the Frame Relay frame, and Figure 10-5 illustrates the LMI version of
the Frame Relay frame.
Flags indicate the beginning and end of the frame. Three primary components
make up the Frame Relay frame: the header and address area, the user-data
portion, and the frame-check sequence (FCS). The address area, which is 2
bytes in length, is comprised of 10 bits representing the actual circuit identifier
and 6 bits of fields related to congestion management. This identifier commonly
is referred to as the data-link connection identifier (DLCI). Each of these is
discussed in the descriptions that follow.
Standard Frame Relay Frame
Standard Frame Relay frames consist of the fields illustrated in Figure 10-4.

Figure 10-4: Five fields comprise the Frame Relay frame.
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The following descriptions summarize the basic Frame Relay frame fields
illustrated in Figure 10-4.
Flags---Delimits the beginning and end of the frame. The value of this field
is always the same and is represented either as the hexadecimal number
7E or the binary number 01111110.
Address---Contains the following information:
o DLCI: The 10-bit DLCI is the essence of the Frame Relay header.
This value represents the virtual connection between the DTE
device and the switch. Each virtual connection that is multiplexed
onto the physical channel will be represented by a unique DLCI.
The DLCI values have local significance only, which means that
they are unique only to the physical channel on which they reside.
Therefore, devices at opposite ends of a connection can use
different DLCI values to refer to the same virtual connection.
o Extended Address (EA): The EA is used to indicate whether the
byte in which the EA value is 1 is the last addressing field. If the
value is 1, then the current byte is determined to be the last DLCI
octet. Although current Frame Relay implementations all use a two-
octet DLCI, this capability does allow for longer DLCIs to be used in
the future. The eighth bit of each byte of the Address field is used to
indicate the EA.
o C/R: The C/R is the bit that follows the most significant DLCI byte in
the Address field. The C/R bit is not currently defined.
o Congestion Control: This consists of the three bits that control the
Frame Relay congestion-notification mechanisms. These are the
FECN, BECN, and DE bits, which are the last three bits in the
Address field.
Forward-explicit congestion notification (FECN) is a single bit field that can
be set to a value of 1 by a switch to indicate to an end DTE device, such
as a router, that congestion was experienced in the direction of the frame
transmission from source to destination. The primary benefit of the use of
the FECN and BECN fields is the ability of higher-layer protocols to react
intelligently to these congestion indicators. Today, DECnet and OSI are
the only higher-layer protocols that implement these capabilities.
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Backward-explicit congestion notification (BECN) is a single bit field that,
when set to a value of 1 by a switch, indicates that congestion was
experienced in the network in the direction opposite of the frame
transmission from source to destination.
Discard eligibility (DE) is set by the DTE device, such as a router, to
indicate that the marked frame is of lesser importance relative to other
frames being transmitted. Frames that are marked as "discard eligible"
should be discarded before other frames in a congested network. This
allows for a fairly basic prioritization mechanism in Frame Relay networks.
Data---Contains encapsulated upper-layer data. Each frame in this
variable-length field includes a user data or payload field that will vary in
length up to 16,000 octets. This field serves to transport the higher-layer
protocol packet (PDU) through a Frame Relay network.
Frame Check Sequence---Ensures the integrity of transmitted data. This
value is computed by the source device and verified by the receiver to
ensure integrity of transmission.
LMI Frame Format
Frame Relay frames that conform to the LMI specifications consist of the fields
illustrated in Figure 10-5.

Figure 10-5: Nine fields comprise the Frame Relay that conforms to the LMI
format.


The following descriptions summarize the fields illustrated in Figure 10-5.
Flag---Delimits the beginning and end of the frame.
LMI DLCI---Identifies the frame as an LMI frame instead of a basic Frame
Relay frame. The LMI-specific DLCI value defined in the LMI consortium
specification is DLCI = 1023.
Unnumbered Information Indicator---Sets the poll/final bit to zero.
Protocol Discriminator---Always contains a value indicating that the frame
is an LMI frame.
Call Reference---Always contains zeros. This field currently is not used for
any purpose.
Message Type---Labels the frame as one of the following message types:
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o Status-inquiry message: Allows a user device to inquire about the
status of the network.
o Status message: Responds to status-inquiry messages. Status
messages include keep-alives and PVC status messages.
Information Elements---Contains a variable number of individual
information elements (IEs). IEs consist of the following fields:
o IE Identifier: Uniquely identifies the IE.
o IE Length: Indicates the length of the IE.
o Data: Consists of one or more bytes containing encapsulated
upper-layer data.
Frame Check Sequence (FCS)---Ensures the integrity of transmitted data.

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