Course 403: Frame Relay Fundamentals

• Review basics of data communications to include the OSI- Open Systems Interconnect Layers.
• LAN/WAN technologies, internetworking; historical perspective of WAN networking solutions.
• Comparing frame relay to X.25.
• Why frame relay has been so successful
• The basic components of a frame relay network, describes benefits and limitations of the technology, and compares frame relay to other networking technologies in use today .Overview of the equipment it uses to provide services to customers, and Frame Relay interoperability with other protocols.
• and more ...

Executive Overview

• Driving Forces for Frame Relay
• The Need for Frame Relay
• Accelerators for the Growth of Frame Relay
• Frame Relay Network Basics
• Benefits and Limitations of Frame Relay
• Limitations
• Frame Relay and Other Networking Technologies

Carrier Selection

• The Forces behind Frame Relay
• Trends in the data communications environment
• The nature of network traffic, changes in the network fabric
• The Frame Relay alternative
• How Frame Relay Works
• Elements of a Frame Relay network
• Unit of information - the Frame Relay frame
• Traffic flow sequence, Frame Relay connections
• Benefits of Frame Relay
• Reduced internetworking costs, increased performance
• Reduced network complexity, increased interoperability
• Frame Relay Technical Details
• Standards, Frame Relay architecture, congestion control
• PVC Management - Local Management Interface
• Interworking with Other Technologies
• Interworking with ATM, switched access to Frame Relay
• Frame Relay and X.25, LAN interconnection
  

Frame Relay Standards and SPs

• Standards Organizations
• ANSI
• The Frame Relay Forum
• IETF

ITU-T

• Commercial Organizations
• Frame Relay Service Providers
• Frame Relay Vendors

Architecture of Frame Relay

• Frame Relay Layers
• Frame Relay and X25 Packet Switching
• Network Interfaces
• User-Network Interface
• Network-to-Network Interface
• Local Management Interface
• Frame Relay Layer 2 Formats
• Frame Format
• Header Format
• Data Link Connection Identifiers
• How DLCIs Identify Visual Circuits
• Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs)
• Switched Virtual Circuits (SVCs)
• Local Management Interface (LMI)
• Congestion Handling

Connecting to the Network

• Access Circuits
• Leased Access Circuits
• Local Frame Relay Services
• Dial-Up Access
• Physical Connections to the Access Circuit
• Physical Interfaces
• Data Service Units/Channel Service Units
• Port Connections
• Network-to-Network Interfaces
• Access Devices
• Routers for Frame Relay Networks
• Frame Relay Access Devices

Frame Relay Virtual Circuits

• Virtual Circuits
• Switches
• Differences between PVCs and SVCs
• Permanent Virtual Circuits
• Switched Virtual Circuits
• More on SVCs
• SVC Signaling Specifications
• Advantages and Disadvantages of SVCs
• Switched Physical Access and SVCs

Traffic Management

• Committed Information Rate
• The User View of CIR
• The Standards View of CIR
• Capacity Allocation
• Bursting
• Dynamic Allocation
• Oversubscription of Port Connections
• Asymmetric PVCs
• Congestion Management and Flow Control

Engineering of Frame Relay Networks Frame Relay Switch Families

• Public Service Provider Switches
• The Non-CIR Approach
• PVC Services and Bursting
• Capacity Planning
• Traffic Handling
• Congestion Management
• Network Management

Network Management System Functions

• Management Data Sources
• Data from Switches
• Data from Routers
• Data from Protocol Analzyers
• Data from Enhanced DSU/CSUs
• Frame Relay Standards versus Proprietary Network Management Systems
• Frame Relay Standards in Network Management

Frame Relay Pricing

• Pricing Structures
• PVC Pricing
• Access Circuit Charges
• Port Connection Charges
• Permanent Virtual Circuit Changes
• Variations in PVC Pricing
• SVC Pricing

Procurement of Frame Relay Services

• The RFP Process
• Objectives
• Evaluation Criteria
• Contract Negotiations
• Monitoring the Contract

Design and Implementation of Frame Relay Networks

• Overview
• Physical Network Design
• Backbone Network Design
• Access Network Design
• Virtual Circuit Network Design
• The Access Network Design Process
• Access Options and Applications
• Backbone Options
• Switch Platform Considerations
• Private vs. Public Frame Relay

Voice over Frame Relay

• Advantages
• Challenges
• Measuring Voice Quality
• Improving Voice Performance
• Voice Compression
• Silence Suppression
• Voice-Engineering Techniques
• Small Voice Frames
• Fragmentation of Data Frames
• Priority of Voice Frames
• QoS in the Frame Relay Network

Internetworking with Frame RelayRouting over Frame Relay Networks

• Routing Protocols
• Improved Routing Protocols
• Frame Relay Interfaces for Routers
• TCP and Congestion Control
• Routers and Congestion
• Prioritizing Traffic within Routers
• Effects of Frame Relay on Router Interconnectivity
• RFC 1490/2427 Multiprotocol Encapsulation
• RFC 1490 Encapsulation Formats

Frame Relay and ATM

• Comparison
• Network Interworking
• Service Interworking
• The ATM Frame User-Network Interface

Bandwidth Characteristics

• Mapping Issues
• Migration Path