Acropolis Institute of Technology &

Research, Indore
www.acropolis.in
Lecture 15 – Data Link
Layer Protocol
By: Narendra Pal Singh Rathore
Overview – Topics to be Covered
❖HDLC
❖SLIP
❖PPP
❖ATM

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HDLC (High-Level Data Link Control)
❖HDLC is a bit-oriented protocol.
❖Its supports
Half-duplex and full-duplex communication lines,
Point-to-point (peer to peer) and multi-point networks
Switched or non- switched channels
❖HDLC supports several modes of operations including a simple sliding
window mode for reliable delivery.

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 HDLC Stations and Configurations
❖Three types of stations for data link control
Primary Station
Secondary Station
Combined Station
❖Primary Station
It is used as the controlling station on the link.
It has the responsibility of controlling all other stations on the link (usually
secondary stations)
A primary issues commands and secondary issues responses.
It is also responsible for the organization of data flow on the link and takes
care of error recovery at the data link level.
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Secondary Station
❖The secondary station is under the control of the primary station.
❖It has no ability, or direct responsibility for controlling the link.
❖It is only activated when requested by the primary station.
❖It only responds to the primary station.
❖The secondary station's frames are called responses.
❖It can only send response frames when requested by the primary
station.
❖A primary station maintains a separate logical link with each
secondary station.
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Combined Station
❖A combined station is a combination of a primary and secondary
station.
❖On the link, all combined stations can send and receive commands
and responses without any permission from any other stations on
the link.
❖Each combined station is in full control of itself and does not rely on
any other stations on the link.
❖No other stations can control any combined station.
❖May issue both commands and responses.

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Primary and Secondary Stations

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HDLC Configurations
❖The word configuration refers to the relationship between the
hardware devices on a link.
❖Three-configuration defined by HDLC
Unbalanced Configuration
Balanced Configuration
Symmetrical Configuration

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Unbalanced Configuration
❖It consists of a primary station and one or more secondary stations.
❖The unbalanced condition arises because one station controls the
other stations.
❖ In an unbalanced configuration, any of the following can be used
Full-Duplex or Half-Duplex operation
Point to Point or Multi-point networks

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Unbalanced Configuration

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Balanced Configuration
❖It consists of two or more combined stations.
❖Each of the stations has equal and complimentary responsibility
compared to each other.
❖Balanced configurations can use only the following
Full - Duplex or Half - Duplex operation
Point to Point networks

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Balanced Configuration

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Symmetrical Configuration
❖This third type of configuration is not widely in use today.
❖It consists of two independent point-to-point.
❖In this configuration, each station has a primary and secondary
status.
❖Each station is logically considered as two stations.

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Symmetrical Configuration

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HDLC Operational Modes
❖A mode in HDLC is relationship between two devices involved in an
exchange.
❖The model describes who controls the link.
❖HDLC offers three different modes of operation
Normal Response Mode(NRM)
Asynchronous Response Mode (ARM)
Asynchronous Balanced Mode (ABM)

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Normal Response Mode(NRM)
❖This is the mode in which the primary station initiates transfers to
the secondary station.
❖The secondary station can only transmit a response when, and only
when, it is instructed to do so by the primary station.
❖The secondary station must receive explicit permission from the
primary station to transfer a response.
❖After receiving permission from the primary station, the secondary
station initiates its transmission.
❖Normal Response mode is only used within an unbalanced
configuration.
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Normal Response Mode

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/high-level-data-link-control-hdlc

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Asynchronous Response Mode
❖The primary station doesn’t initiate transfer to the secondary station.
❖In fact, the secondary station does not have to wait to receive explicit
permission from the primary station to transfer any frames.
❖The frame may be more than just acknowledgement frames.
❖They may contain data, or control information regarding the status of
the secondary station.

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Asynchronous Balanced Mode
❖This mode is used in case of combined stations.
❖There is no need for permission on the part of any station in this
mode.
❖This is because combined stations do not require any sort of
instructions to perform any task on the link.
❖Asynchronous Balance Mode is not used widely today.

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Asynchronous Balanced Mode

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/high-level-data-link-control-hdlc

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HDLC Frame Structure

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HDLC Frame Structure
❖Each type of frame serves as an envelope for the transmission of a
different type of message.
I-frames are used to transport user data and control; information relating to
user data (piggybacking).
S- Frames are used only to transport control information.
U-frames are reserved for system management.

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Size of Different Fields
Field Name Size (In bits)
Flag Field (F) 8 bits
Address Field (A) 8 bits
Control Field (C) 8 or 16 bits
Information field (I) or data Variable; not used in some frame

Frame check sequence (FCS) 16 bits or 32 bits

Closing flag field (F) 8 bits

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The Flag field
❖Stations attached to the data link must continually listen for a flag
sequence.
❖The flag sequence is an octet looking like 01111110.
❖Flags are continuously transmitted on the link between frames to
keep the link active.
❖These two-bit sequences are
Seven 1's, but less than 15 signal an abort signal. The stations on the link
know there is a problem on the link.
15 or more 1's indicate that the channel is in an idle state.

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The Flag field
❖The time between the transmissions of actual frames is called the
interframe time fill.

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The Address field
❖The address field (A) identifies the primary or secondary stations
involvement in the frame transmission or reception.
❖Each station on the link has a unique address.
❖If a primary station created the frame, it contains a to address.
❖If a secondary station created the frame, it contains a from address.

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The Control field
❖To determine how to control the communications process.
❖This field contains the commands, responses and sequences
numbers used to maintain the data flow accountability of the link.
❖Defines the functions of the frame and initiates the logic to control
the movement of traffic between sending and receiving stations.
❖Information Transfer Format
The frame is used to transmit end-user data between two devices.

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The Control field
❖Supervisory Format
Its use depends on the operational mode being used.
The control field performs control functions such as acknowledgment of
frames, requests for re-transmission, and requests for temporary
suspension of frames being transmitted.
❖Unnumbered Format
This control field format is also used for control purposes.
It is used to perform link initialization, link disconnection and other link
control functions.

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The Poll/Final Bit (P/F)
❖The 5th bit position in the control field is called the poll/final bit, or
P/F bit.
❖It can only be recognized when it is set to 1.
❖ If it is set to 0, it is ignored.
❖The poll/final bit is used to provide dialogue between the primary
station and secondary station.

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The Information Field or Data Field
❖This field is not always present in a HDLC frame.
❖It is only present when the Information Transfer Format is being used
in the control field.
❖The information field contains the actually data, the sender is
transmitting to the receiver in an I-Frame and network management
information in U-Frame.

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The Frame Check Sequence Field
❖This field contains a 16-bit, or 32-bit cyclic redundancy check bits.
❖It is used for error detection.

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Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
❖Although HDLC is a general protocol that can be used for both
point-to-point and multi- point configurations, one of the most
common protocols for point-to-point access is the Point-to-Point
Protocol (PPP).
❖Today, millions of Internet users who need to connect their home
computers to the server of an Internet service provider use PPP.

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Services Provided by PPP
❖PPP defines the format of the frame to be exchanged between
devices.
❖PPP defines how two devices can negotiate the establishment of the
link and the exchange of data.
❖PPP defines how network layer data are encapsulated in the data link
frame.
❖PPP defines how two devices can authenticate each other.
❖PPP provides multiple network layer services supporting a variety of
network layer protocols.

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Services Provided by PPP
❖PPP provides network address configuration. This is particularly
useful when a home user needs a temporary network address to
connect to the Internet.

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Services Missing in PPP
❖Not provide flow control. A sender can send several frames one after
another with no concern about overwhelming the receiver.
❖PPP has a very simple mechanism for error control. A CRC field is
used to detect errors. If the frame is corrupted, it is silently
discarded; the upper-layer protocol needs to take care of the
problem. Lack of error control and sequence numbering may cause a
packet to be received out of order.
❖PPP does not provide a sophisticated addressing mechanism to
handle frames in a multipoint configuration.

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PPP Frame Format
❖PPP is a byte-oriented protocol.

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PPP Frame Format
❖Flag
Starts and ends with a 1-byte flag with bit pattern 01111110.
❖Address
Constant value and set to 11111111 (broadcast address).
❖Control
This field is set to the constant value 11000000.
❖Protocol
What is being carried in the data field: either user data or other
information.

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PPP Frame Format
❖Payload field
This field carries either the user data or other information.
❖FCS
The frame check sequence (FCS) is simply a 2-byte or 4-byte standard CRC.

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PPP Transition Phases

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PPP Transition Phases
❖Dead
In the dead phase the link is not being used.
There is no active carrier (at the physical layer) and the line is quiet.
❖Establish
When one of the nodes starts the communication, the connection goes into
this phase.
Options are negotiated between the two parties.
If the negotiation is successful, the system goes to the authentication phase
(if authentication is required) or directly to the networking phase.

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PPP Transition Phases
❖Authenticate
The authentication phase is optional.
The two nodes may decide, during the establishment phase, not to skip this
phase.
If they decide to proceed with authentication, they send several
authentication packets.
If the result is successful, the connection goes to the networking phase;
otherwise, it goes to the termination phase.

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PPP Transition Phases
❖Network
Negotiation for the network layer protocols takes place.
PPP specifies that two nodes establish a network layer agreement before
data at the network layer can be exchanged.
❖Open
In this phase, data transfer takes place.
When a connection reaches this phase, the exchange of data packets can be
started.
The connection remains in this phase until one of the endpoints wants to
terminate the connection.

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PPP Transition Phases
❖Terminate
In the termination phase the connection is terminated.

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Difference Between HDLC and PPP
HDLC PPP

HDLC stands for High -level Data Link Control. PPP stands for Point -to-Point Protocol.

HDLC is a bit-oriented protocol. PPP is a byte -oriented protocol

HDLC is implemented by Point -to-point configuration PPP is implemented by Point -to-Point configuration only.
and multi -point configurations.

Dynamic addressing is not offered by HDLC. While in this Dynamic addressing is offered.

HDLC is used in synchronous media. PPP is used in synchronous media as well as

asynchronous media.

HDLC does not provide link authentication. While PPP provide link authentication using various
protocols.

HDLC is more costly comparatively. While PPP is comparatively less costly.

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Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP)
❖Works with TCP/IP for communication over serial ports and routers.
❖It can be used by two systems to communicate via a direct cable
connection or modem link.
❖The initial purpose of this protocol was to connect Sun workstation
to the Internet over a dial-up line using modem.
❖Serial Line Internet Protocol is the Predecessor protocol of
Point-to-Point Protocol.

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 SLIP Architecture

Src: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-serial-line-internet-protocol-slip-and-point-to-point-protocol-ppp/

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SLIP and PPP
SLIP PPP

SLIP stands for Serial Line Internet Protocol. PPP stands for Point -to-Point Protocol

SLIP does not perform error detection & correction PPP performs error detection & correction.

SLIP supports only IP Protocol. PPP supports multiple protocols.

IP address is assigned statically IP address is assigned dynamically

SLIP does not provide any authentication. PPP provides authentication.

In SLIP data is transferred in synchronous form. While in this, data is transferred in both synchronous and
asynchronous form.

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Gratuitous ARP
❖A Gratuitous ARP is an ARP Response that was not prompted by an
ARP Request.
❖The Gratuitous ARP is sent as a broadcast, as a way for a node to
announce or update its IP to MAC mapping to the entire network.
❖A Gratuitous ARP reply is a reply to without an ARP request.
❖The source and destination IP Addresses are both set to the IP of the
machine sending the Gratuitous ARP packet.
❖Destination MAC address is the broadcast MAC address ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff.

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Src: https://www.practicalnetworking.net/series/arp/gratuitous-arp/

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 Q&A
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Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
❖ This presentation is the culmination of content extracted from a variety of sources namely
lecture notes, presentations, books and websites. In many cases, the identity of the original
contributor is not available with the author. The author wish to take this opportunity to
thank individual contributors of these extracts.
❖ The author wishes to record that this presentation is solely used for education purpose and
copyright violation if any, is unintentional. The author is willing to remove any such extract
from the presentation with immediate effect.
❖ The materials available at referred sites are not maintained by Acropolis Institute and we are
not responsible for the contents thereof. Ref https://www.gatevidyalay.com/delay-in-computer-networks/
❖ All trademarks, service marks, and trade names used in this presentation are the marks of
the respective owner(s).
Narendra Pal Singh Rathore
Assistant Professor, IT
Acropolis Institute(AITR), Indore
narendrasingh@acropolis.in
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 THANKS
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