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Frame Relay Fundamentals (Block-1)

  • Block 1 VOD 1:  Frame Relay Theory and Operations VOD
    • Frame Relay support for multiple protocols including TCP, IP, IPX, and DECNET.
    • History (per FRF).
    • Theory of Operations (UNI, NNI, DLCI).
    • Frame Structure.
    • Interface Types.
    • Advantages over TDM.
    • Access speeds: dial through T3.
    • Frame over DSL (over ATM core) see new edge networks.
    • Frame-ATM internetworking.
    • Trend.
  • Block 1 VOD 2:  DTE to DTE Communications
    • DTE Interfaces
      • Encapsulation per interface or per DLCI
      • physical or logical
      • multipoint or point-to-point
    • Interface Status
      • Show interface
      • Show frame PVC
      • Backup interface
    • Encapsulation Types — Which method of specifying the upper layer protocol to use?
      • Cisco (default)
      • IETF
      • Type set on physical interface, or on end of interface-DLCI, or on end of map statement.
      • Must match end-to-end in that routers other than Cisco (Juniper) use only IETF.
      • Cisco routers will work even with mismatch, since the router does understand both.
    • Enabling CDP
      • Disabled by default on frame relay interfaces
      • Can be enabled per interface or subinterface "cdp enable"
      • Frame network will be transparent to cdp
      • Enabling on physical does not enable it for subinterfaces
  • Block 1 VOD 3: Local Management Interface
    • Overview: Purpose and operation
      • Status information between Frame Relay devices (UNI, NNI)
      • Message types
        • Status Enquiry sent by DTE
        • Status Message Frame sent by DCE
        • Update Status Message
    • Types:  ANSI, ITU, Cisco
      • Cisco
      • ANSI (also referred to as Annex-D)
      • q933a (also referred to as Annex-A)
      • Differences
    • Configuration, Autosense
    • ELMI
    • Show and Debugs
    • Number of PVCs limited by MTU.
  • Block 1 VOD 4: Frame Relay Mapping
    • Purpose, multipoint versus point-to-point
    • Dynamic (Inverse ARP)
      • Basic Operation
      • Options: Frame inarp interval or ip
      • Limitations
      • Disabling
      • Clear frame inarp
    • Static
      • Local Address
    • Broadcast keyword
    • Map bridge or clns or IPv6
    • Show frame map
  • Block 1 VOD 5: Full Mesh versus Hub and Spoke
    • Topology
      • TTL, broadcast domain segmentation
      • Mixing static and dynamic maps
      • MTU Issues
        • Controller MTU vs IP MTU
        • Demo: Ping with high MTU, 4000 byte packet from spoke to spoke with default mtu at hub.  How get packet thru. 
        • Ping with DF Bit set, demo “M” response.  See debug ip icmp on hub. 
    • Quad Zero Maps
  • Block 1 VOD 6: Frame Relay Switching in IOS
    • Real life switching equipment
    • Lab:
      • 2522, “virtual switch” with tunnel
      • Set clock rate for back-to-back cables
    • Dedicated Frame Relay switch
      • Set LMI type  (autosense only on DTE ints)
      • Frame route statements
      • Show frame route
    • Using the Connect syntax
    • Hybrid Switching (DCE-DTE)
      • One side is interface type dce
      • Same DLCI used in map statement on each side
      • No frame route statements
      • Could use interface-dlci on sub-interfaces, but intf-type always goes on major interface, not subinterface
      • See Document ID  14194
    • Back-to-Back Switching (DTE-DTE)
      • No frame switching or int type dce
      • No Keepalive disables LMI for that interface
      • Example, uses interface-dlci with point-to-point interfaces
      • Inverse ARP still operates: Do not need lmi for inverse ARP
      • See Cisco Document ID 14193
    • Switching over a tunnel
      • No frame config on tunnel
      • Outside interfaces have frame route of incoming DLCI to tunnel DLCI.  Tunnel DLCI is same on both sides
      • Example shows route statements on a layer 3 DTE interface and on an interface configured as DCE
      • See:  “Switching over an IP Tunnel” in the WAN Configuration Guide for Frame Relay
      • Completed “Virtual Switch” Example
  • Block 1 VOD 7: Bridging over Frame Relay
    • Mapping
    • STP Issues on multipoint
    • CDP Issues

Advanced Frame Relay Techniques (Block-2)

  • Block 2 VOD 1: PPP over Frame Relay
    • PPP over Frame Relay
      • RFC 1973
      • Offers authentication, no map requirement, point-to-point interface for routing protocols
      • PPP over Frame Relay is supported only for serial interfaces
      • Supports only IP (not IPv6)
      • Configure virtual-template interface
      • Associate DLCI with virtual-template
      • Note peer neighbor route
      • Show int virtual-access 1  to see interface statistics
      • Show frame pvc
      • Show interface virtual-access
      • DOiT Lab 8
      • Debugging
    • MLPoFR for Voice over Frame Relay or ATM interworking
      • Goal: Reduce delay and jitter
      • Enable queuing as desired and FRTS
      • Create a virtual template and interface multilink
      • Associate the VT with the bundle and the PVC
  • Block 2 VOD 2: End-to-End Keepalive
    • Useful when LMI is not end-to-end (no keepalive?)
    • Modes: Bidirectional, request, reply, passive-reply
    • Required: Set mode in map-class Frame Relay
    • Configurable error threshold and event window
  • Block 2 VOD 3: Auto-install over Frame Relay
    • Configuration of target router No DHCP pool (broken?)
      • Ip helper
      • BOOTP, not DHCP
      • frame map
    • cisconet.cfg and rtr.cfg files on a tftp server

Routing over Frame Relay (Block-3)

  • Block 3 VOD 1: RIP, EIGRP, and BGP over Frame Relay
    • RIP
      • Broadcast/multicast/unicast
      • Split horizon
      • Neighbor statements for spoke-to-spoke
    • EIGRP
      • Broadcast, multicast, and unicast
      • Split Horizon
      • Neighbor statements for spoke-to-spoke
      • Bandwidth-percent: Physical, point-to-point, andmultipoint
    • BGP
      • Only unicast
      • Multihop for spoke-to-spoke
  • Block 3 VOD 2: Running OSPF on Frame Relay
    • Multicast/unicast
    • OSPF Network types on Frame Relay
      • Default NBMA for physical, multipoint
        • Neighbor
        • DR at hub
      • Broadcast
        • DR
      • Point-to-point
        • Limitations
      • Multipoint
        • advantages on hub and spoke
        • host routes
      • Mixing network types

Frame Relay Quality of Service (Block-4)

  • Block 4 VOD 1: Frame Relay traffic shaping
    • Purpose: Buffer out-of-profile, smooth bursts
    • Token bucket algorithm
    • Default parameters
    • Map-class configuration
      • CIR, Bc, Be, Tc, holdq
    • Demonstration with generator
      • Show frame pvc XXX
    • Adaptive shaping
    • Traffic-shape map-class command
  • Block 4 VOD 2: MQC on Frame Relay
    • Policy application: Physical, logical, and PVC
    • Classification and Marking
      • Match DLCI
    • Frame Relay Queuing Techniques
      • Maximum reservable bandwidth
    • Shape average and shape peak
  • Block 4 VOD 3:  VOIP over Frame Relay
    • Using Router Auto QoS Macro
      • Classification and marking
      • FRTS parameters
      • Priority queuing options/config
      • FRF.12 fragmentation
  • Block 4 VOD 4: Prioritizing Frame Relay traffic
    • Traffic type on a PVC
      • Priority-group
      • LLQ
      • IP RTP Priority
    • FR PIPQ
      • Prioritize DLCIs.  Ina map-class assign a DLCI High, Medium, Normal or Low
      • At interface, assign priority queue limits
    • DLCI priority levels
      • Different traffic types placed on different DLCIs, so different CIR for each type. 
      • Can use with custom or priority queueing to manage the bandwidth
      • Permits multiple DLCIs on a point-to-point.  Mapping provided by priority list.
    • Broadcast queue
      • Broadcast queue has priority when transmitting  below configured maximum.  Maximum in B/s and packets/second. No more than the maximum is provided. A policed priority queue for broadcast traffic.
      • When configured, debug frame packet says "broadcast dequeue" for each RIPv2 packet. So includes multicast.
      • Show interface shows broadcast queue.   
      • Perform test with Frame Relay: broadcast-queue 200 1000 1 extended ping to 224.1.1.1 with zero timeout filled queue and then doled out the pings. You may also ping 172.16.14.255 to fill queue.
      • Buffers traffic replicated for multiple DLCIs,  not original packet, which goes through normal queue.
      • Sh int  shows number of packets in queue,  number dropped and original number
  • Block 4 VOD 5: Enhanced Frame Relay Switching
    • Traffic policing on the Frame Relay switched interface
      • Map-class to set CIR, Bc and Be
      • All must be set
      • Up to CIR transmitted,  between CIR and EIR set DE, over EIR drop
      • Apply to interface or PVC
      • Activate Frame Relay policing
    • Frame Relay congestion management (switched)
      • Can drop traffic marked DE when threshold percent of queue depth is reached
      • Can set FECN and BECN bits when ECN queue depth percent is reached.