Module-1: Chapter 8(8.

3)
Switching
• A network is a set of connected-devices.
• Whenever we have multiple-devices, we have the problem of
how to connect them to make one-to-one communication
possible.
• Switching.
• A switched-network consists of a series of interlinked-nodes,
called switches.
• Switches are devices capable of creating temporary
connections between two or more devices.
• In a switched-network,
• Some nodes are connected to the end-systems
• Some nodes are used only for routing.
Figure 8.2 Taxonomy of switched networks
Switching and TCP/IP Layers
Switching can happen at several layers of the TCP/IP
protocol suite.
1. Switching at Physical Layer:-circuit switching.
2. Switching at Data-Link Layer:- packet switching(virtual
circuit)
3. Switching at Network Layer:- packet switching.(both
currently datagram)
4. Switching at Application Layer:-message switching.
 8-3 PACKET SWITCHING NETWORKS

• In data communications, we need to send messages from

one end system to another.
• If the message is going to pass through a packet-switched
network
• it needs to be divided into packets of fixed or variable
size.
• The size of the packet is determined by the network and the
governing protocol.
Datagram Networks
• In a datagram network, each packet is treated
independently of all others.
• Even if a packet is part of a multipacket transmission,
the network treats it as though it existed alone.
• Packets in this approach are referred to as datagrams.
• Datagram switching is normally done at the network
layer.
Figure 8.7 A datagram network with four switches (routers)
• The datagram networks are sometimes referred to as
connectionless networks.
• Each packet is treated the same by a switch regardless
of its source or destination.
• If there are no setup or teardown phases, how are the
packets routed to their destinations in a datagram
network?
Routing Table

• In this type of network, each switch (or packet switch)

has a routing table which is based on the destination
address.
• The routing tables are dynamic and are updated
periodically.
• The destination addresses and the corresponding
forwarding output ports are recorded in the tables.
Figure 8.8 Routing table in a datagram network
Destination Address
• Every packet carries a header that contains the destination-
address of the packet.
• When the switch receives the packet,
• This destination-address is examined.
• The routing-table is consulted to find the corresponding port
through which the packet should be forwarded.
• The destination address in the header of a packet in remains the
same during the entire journey of the packet.
 Efficiency
• Datagram-networks are more efficient when compared to
circuit-switched-network. This is because
• Resources are allocated only when there are packets to
be transferred.
• If a source sends a packet and there is a delay of a few
minutes before another packet can be sent, the resources
can be re-allocated during these minutes for other
packets from other sources.
Figure 8.9 Delay in a datagram network

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VIRTUAL-CIRCUIT NETWORKS

• A virtual-circuit network is a cross between a

circuit-switched network and a datagram
network.
• It has some characteristics of both.
characteristics of VCN:
• As in a circuit-switched-network, there are setup & teardown
phases in addition to the data transfer phase.
• Resources can be allocated during the setup phase, as in a
circuit-switched network, or on demand, as in a datagram
network..
• As in a datagram-network, data is divided into packets. Each
packet carries an address in the header.
characteristics of VCN:
• As in a circuit-switched-network, all packets follow the same
path established during the connection.
• A virtual-circuit network is implemented in the data link layer.
• A circuit-switched-network is implemented in the physical
layer.
• A datagram-network is implemented in the network layer.
Figure 8.10 Virtual-circuit network
Addressing
In a virtual-circuit network, two types of addressing are
involved
1. Global:A source or a destination needs to have a global
address—an address that can be unique in the scope of the
network
2. local (virtual-circuit identifier):The identifier that is
actually used for data transfer is called the VCI or the label.
A VCI is a small number that has only switch scope; it is
used by a frame between two switches.
Figure 8.11 Virtual-circuit identifier
 Three Phases
• a source and destination need to go through three phases
in a virtual-circuit network
1. Setup: the source and destination use their global
addresses to help switches make table entries for the
connection
2. Teardown: the source and destination inform the
switches to delete the corresponding entry
3. Data transfer: occurs between these two phase
Data-Transfer Phase
• To transfer a frame from a source to its destination, all switches
need to have a table entry for this virtual circuit.
• The table, in its simplest form, has four columns. This means
that the switch holds four pieces of information for each virtual
circuit that is already set up.
Data-Transfer Phase
• The data-transfer phase is active until the source sends
all its frames to the destination.
• The process creates a virtual circuit, not a real circuit,
between the source and destination.
Figure 8.12 Switch and tables in a virtual-circuit network

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Figure 8.13 Source-to-destination data transfer in a virtual-circuit network

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 Setup Phase
• In the setup phase, a switch creates an entry for a virtual
circuit.
• Two steps are required: the setup request and the
acknowledgment.

• Setup Request
• A setup request frame is sent from the source to the
destination.

• Acknowledgment
• A special frame, called the acknowledgment frame,
completes the entries in the switching tables

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Figure 8.14 Setup request in a virtual-circuit network

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a. Source A sends a setup frame to switch 1.

b. Switch 1 receives the setup request frame. It knows that a

frame going from A to B goes out through port 3.

• The switch, has a routing table which is different from the

switching table. For the moment, assume that it knows the
output port.
• The switch creates an entry in its table for this virtual
circuit, but it is only able to fill three of the four columns.
• The switch assigns the incoming port (1) and chooses an
available incoming VCI (14) and the outgoing port (3). The
switch then forwards the frame through port 3 to switch 2.
Switch 2 receives the setup request frame. The same events happen
here as at switch 1; 3 columns of the table are completed: in this
case, incoming port (1),incoming VCI (66), and outgoing port (2).

d. Switch 3 receives the setup request frame. Again, three columns

are completed: incoming port (2), incoming VCI (22), and outgoing
port (3).

e. Destination B receives the setup frame, and if it is ready to

receive frames from A, it assigns a VCI to the incoming frames that
come from A, in this case 77. This VCI lets the destination know
that the frames come from A, and not other sources.
Figure 8.15 Setup acknowledgment in a virtual-circuit network

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a. The destination sends an acknowledgment to switch 3.
a. The acknowledgment carries the global source and
destination addresses so the switch knows which entry in
the table is to be completed.
b. The frame also carries VCI 77, chosen by the destination as
the incoming VCI for frames from A.
c. Switch 3 uses this VCI to complete the outgoing VCI
column for this entry. Note that 77 is the incoming VCI for
destination B, but the outgoing VCI for switch 3.

b. Switch 3 sends an acknowledgment to switch 2 that contains its

incoming VCI in the table, chosen in the previous step. Switch
2 uses this as the outgoing VCI in the table.
c. Switch 2 sends an acknowledgment to switch 1 that contains
its incoming VCI in the table, chosen in the previous step.
Switch 1 uses this as the outgoing VCI in the table.
d. Finally switch 1 sends an acknowledgment to source A that
contains its incoming VCI in the table, chosen in the previous
step.
e. The source uses this as the outgoing VCI for the data frames
to be sent to destination B.

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Teardown Phase

• In this phase, source A, after sending all frames to B,

sends a special frame called a teardown request.
Destination B responds with a teardown confirmation
frame.

• All switches delete the corresponding entry from their

tables.

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Efficiency
• resource reservation in a virtual-circuit network can be
made during the setup or can be on demand during the
data-transfer phase.
• first case, the delay for each packet is the same
• second case, each packet may encounter different
delays.
• There is one big advantage in a virtual-circuit network even
if resource allocation is on demand.
• The source can check the availability of the resources,
without actually reserving it.
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Figure 8.16 Delay in a virtual-circuit network

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