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Frame Relay Basics
Frame relay is a way for networks to be accessed and transmit data through LAN's without incurring the high costs and maintenance of a private network.
Frame relay is a shared wide area network (WAN) managed outside the location of the end user. Frame relay therefore requires fewer multiplexors and modems to connect sites than a regular network.
Frame relay can be extremely convenient due to the fact that the frame relay network is managed not by the end user, but by a long distance provider.
Frame Relay was designed to replace X.25. X.25 has extensive network error checking and routinely monitors each traveling data packet. It is these extensive monitoring procedures that cause X.25 to be slower in transmission. Frame Relay does not automatically monitor every traveling packet or network, but instead leaves the decision up to the end user. Each end user of Frame Relay is responsible for the monitoring and error checking within their own routers.
Frames in a Frame Relay network each has bits called the “flag” which tells the network when the frame starts and ends. The flag or bits also contain addressing and destination information within them to inform the provider of how to bill and send each packet.
Access lines to a Frame Relay network can be dial-up 56 Kbps to T3 and even SONET.
A Frame Relay circuit holds particular attractive properties that include, less location hardware, flexible capacity, internal backup routes, flat pricing, and long distance provider managed networks.
Another convenience of frame relay is it's ease and flexibility for expanding capacity.
Upgrading a frame relay network does not require as much network hardware for the end user, thus reducing costs and time.
Frame relay's run primarily on ATM technology for switching and frame management.
Reliability mainly relies on the carrier's ability to manage the frames efficiently.
Frame relay does not produce as high a quality transfer for voice applications due to congestion, however the technology continues to improve and some companies already do use frame relay for this particular application due in part to the ability for the end user to monitor packets and usage.
Voice is transmitted over a Frame Relay using voice compression and silence suppression. Silence suppression in a Frame Relay network is used for pauses between words which use those spaces or pauses to transmit other Frame Relay users data or voice. Voice compression is performed to lessen the size of the voice packet, ensuring less network capacity load and helping alleviate Frame Relay congestion. Voice transmissions are given the highest priority over data to help avoid delay in voice conversations.
Some end users (mainly voice users) have equipment in place to monitor the Frame Relay congestion rate. Should the congestion rate exceed quality expectations, the end user has the ability to switch voice over to the public switched network. A congested Frame Relay network will end up with delayed and dropped packets which degrade voice quality significantly.
As a matter of fact, some carriers now offer Frame Relay monitoring via the Internet to their customers to help curb the potential of congestion which equals disrupted customer transmissions. If information is highly sensitive to security or regularly of high priority, then many organizations will opt to create their own Frame Relay networks to ensure redundancy.
Frame Relay consists of these usage properties: PVC, SVC, Port, CIR, NNI, and FRAD.
PVC is the Permanent Virtual Circuit which is a predefined transmission link or path. The link or path is directed through a carrier’s network. The PVC ensures Frame Relay transmissions between two geographically separated locations such as Los Angeles to New York and so on. The PVC is permanent in nature, so transmission locations are predefined for this Frame Relay circuit. A Permanent Virtual Circuit is ideal for high volume traffic between predetermined Frame Relay network locations due to their flat rate pricing.
SVC is the Switched Virtual Circuit in a Frame Relay network. The SVC works like the PVC with the exception of it’s permanent transmission path. The SVC is used for temporary connections between each point in a Frame Relay network. SVC is cost effective for low level usage due to it’s pricing based on usage.
Port is the point of entry between the Frame Relay network and the Frame Relay provider’s network. The port is capable of handling multiple PVC connections. Port speeds can be utilized at 56 Kbps, T1, and so on.
CIR is the Committed Information Rate. The CIR is the minimal guaranteed amount of bits per second put through a Frame Relay network. Some end users of Frame Relay opt for the zero CIR and in turn save money using the “burst” method of transmission at the full speed of the Frame Relay port. Typically a CIR can only guarantee half the port capacity.
NNI is the Frame Relay Network-to-Network Interface capable of allowing separate and multiple frame relay networks to communicate with each other. NNI enables locations of a Frame Relay network out of one particular carrier’s range to still communicate with another carrier’s Frame Relay network.
FRAD is the Frame Relay Circuit Access Device which more commonly is a card with a router. The FRAD converts the LAN packets into Frame Relay network compatible ones.