Frame Relay provides a packet-switched network to many different customers at the same time. This is a really good thing because it spreads the cost of the switches among many customers. But remember, Frame Relay is based on the assumption that all customers won’t ever need to transmit data constantly, and all at the same time.
Frame Relay works by providing a portion of dedicated bandwidth to each user, and it also allows the user to exceed their guaranteed bandwidth if resources on the telco network happen to be available. So basically, Frame Relay providers allow customers to buy a lower amount of bandwidth than what they really use. There are two separate bandwidth specifications with Frame Relay:
Access rate The maximum speed at which the Frame Relay interface can transmit. CIR The maximum bandwidth of data guaranteed to be delivered. In reality, it’s the average amount that the service provider will allow you to transmit.
If these two values are the same, the Frame Relay connection is pretty much just like a leased line. But they can also be set to different values. Here’s an example: Let’s say that you buy an access rate of T1 (1.544Mbps) and a CIR of 256Kbps. By doing this, the first 256Kbps of traffic you send is guaranteed to be delivered. Anything beyond that is called a “burst”— a transmission that exceeds your guaranteed 256Kbps rate, and can be any amount up to the T1 access rate (if that amount is in your contract). If your combined committed burst (the basis for your CIR) and excess burst sizes, known as the MBR or maximum burst rate when combined, exceed the access rate, you can pretty much say goodbye to your additional traffic. It will most likely be dropped, although this really depends on the subscription level of a particular service provider.
In a perfect world, this always works beautifully—but remember that little word guarantee? As in guaranteed rate—of 256Kbps, to be exact? This means that any burst of data you send that exceeds your guaranteed 256Kbps rate will be delivered on something called a “best effort” basis of delivery. Or maybe not—if your telco’s equipment doesn’t have the capacity to deliver it at the time you transmitted, then your frames will be discarded, and the DTE will be notified. Timing is everything--you can scream data out at six times your guaranteed rate of 256Kbps (T1) only if your telco has the capacity available on its equipment at that moment.
Frame Relay works by providing a portion of dedicated bandwidth to each user, and it also allows the user to exceed their guaranteed bandwidth if resources on the telco network happen to be available. So basically, Frame Relay providers allow customers to buy a lower amount of bandwidth than what they really use. There are two separate bandwidth specifications with Frame Relay:
Access rate The maximum speed at which the Frame Relay interface can transmit. CIR The maximum bandwidth of data guaranteed to be delivered. In reality, it’s the average amount that the service provider will allow you to transmit.
If these two values are the same, the Frame Relay connection is pretty much just like a leased line. But they can also be set to different values. Here’s an example: Let’s say that you buy an access rate of T1 (1.544Mbps) and a CIR of 256Kbps. By doing this, the first 256Kbps of traffic you send is guaranteed to be delivered. Anything beyond that is called a “burst”— a transmission that exceeds your guaranteed 256Kbps rate, and can be any amount up to the T1 access rate (if that amount is in your contract). If your combined committed burst (the basis for your CIR) and excess burst sizes, known as the MBR or maximum burst rate when combined, exceed the access rate, you can pretty much say goodbye to your additional traffic. It will most likely be dropped, although this really depends on the subscription level of a particular service provider.
In a perfect world, this always works beautifully—but remember that little word guarantee? As in guaranteed rate—of 256Kbps, to be exact? This means that any burst of data you send that exceeds your guaranteed 256Kbps rate will be delivered on something called a “best effort” basis of delivery. Or maybe not—if your telco’s equipment doesn’t have the capacity to deliver it at the time you transmitted, then your frames will be discarded, and the DTE will be notified. Timing is everything--you can scream data out at six times your guaranteed rate of 256Kbps (T1) only if your telco has the capacity available on its equipment at that moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment