Wednesday, November 21, 2012

FRAME RELAY

Configuring Frame Relay


This chapter describes the tasks for configuring Frame Relay on a router or access server. For a complete description of the commands mentioned in this chapter, refer to the "Frame Relay Commands" chapter in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference.
Although Frame Relay access was originally restricted to leased lines, dial-up access is now supported. For more information, see the "Configure DDR over Frame Relay" section in the "Configuring DDR" chapter of this module.
To install software on a new router or access server by downloading software from a central server over an interface that supports Frame Relay, see the "Loading System Images, Microcode Images, and Configuration Files" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Configuration Guide.
To configure access between SNA devices over a Frame Relay network, see the "Configuring SNA Frame Relay Access Support" chapter in the Bridging and IBM Networking Configuration Guide.

Frame Relay Hardware Configurations

One of the following hardware configurations is possible for Frame Relay connections:
Routers and access servers can connect directly to the Frame Relay switch.
Routers and access servers can connect directly to a channel service unit/digital service unit (CSU/DSU), which then connects to a remote Frame Relay switch.

Note   A Frame Relay network is not required to support only routers that are connected directly or only routers connected via CSU/DSUs. Within a network, some routers can connect to a Frame Relay switch through a direct connection and others through connections via CSU/DSUs. However, a single router interface configured for Frame Relay can be only one or the other.

The CSU/DSU converts V.35 or RS-449 signals to the properly coded T1 transmission signal for successful reception by the Frame Relay network. Figure 25 illustrates the connections between the different components.
Figure 25 Typical Frame Relay Configuration
The Frame Relay interface actually consists of one physical connection between the network server and the switch that provides the service. This single physical connection provides direct connectivity to each device on a network, such as a StrataCom FastPacket wide-area network (WAN).

Frame Relay Configuration Task List

There are required, basic steps you must follow to enable Frame Relay for your network. In addition, you can customize Frame Relay for your particular network needs and monitor Frame Relay connections. The following sections outline these tasks. The tasks in the first three sections are required.
See the "Frame Relay Configuration Examples" section at the end of this chapter for ideas of how to configure Frame Relay on your network. See the "Frame Relay Commands" chapter in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference for information about the commands listed in the tasks.

Enable Frame Relay Encapsulation

To set Frame Relay encapsulation at the interface level, perform the following tasks beginning in global configuration mode:
Task
Command
Specify the serial interface, and enter interface configuration mode.
interface serial number1
Enable Frame Relay, and specify the encapsulation method.
encapsulation frame-relay [ietf]

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference.

Frame Relay supports encapsulation of all supported protocols except bridging in conformance with RFC 1490, allowing interoperability between multiple vendors. Use the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) form of Frame Relay encapsulation if your router or access server is connected to another vendor's equipment across a Frame Relay network. IETF encapsulation is supported at either the interface level or on a per-data-link connection identifier (DLCI) (map entry) basis.
For an example of how to enable Frame Relay and set the encapsulation method, see the sections "IETF Encapsulation Examples" and "Static Address Mapping Examples" later in this chapter.

Configure Dynamic or Static Address Mapping

Dynamic address mapping uses Frame Relay Inverse ARP to request the next hop protocol address for a specific connection, given its known DLCI. Responses to Inverse ARP requests are entered in an address-to-DLCI mapping table on the router or access server; the table is then used to supply the next hop protocol address or the DLCI for outgoing traffic.
Inverse ARP is enabled by default for all protocols it supports, but can be disabled for specific protocol-DLCI pairs. As a result, you can use dynamic mapping for some protocols and static mapping for other protocols on the same DLCI. You can explicitly disable Inverse ARP for a protocol-DLCI pair if you know that the protocol is not supported on the other end of the connection. See the "Disable or Reenable Frame Relay Inverse ARP" section later in this chapter for more information.

Configure Dynamic Mapping

Because Inverse ARP is enabled by default for all protocols that it supports, no additional command is required to configure dynamic mapping on an interface.

Configure Static Mapping

A static map links a specified next hop protocol address to a specified DLCI. Static mapping removes the need for Inverse ARP requests; when you supply a static map, Inverse ARP is automatically disabled for the specified protocol on the specified DLCI.
You must use static mapping if the router at the other end either does not support Inverse ARP at all or does not support Inverse ARP for a specific protocol that you want to use over Frame Relay.
To establish static mapping according to your network needs, perform one of the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Define the mapping between a next hop protocol address and the DLCI used to connect to the address.
frame-relay map protocol protocol-address dlci [broadcast] [ietf] [cisco]
Define a DLCI used to send International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Connectionless Network Service (CLNS) frames.
frame-relay map clns dlci [broadcast]
Define a DLCI used to connect to a bridge.
frame-relay map bridge dlci broadcast [ietf]

The supported protocols and the corresponding keywords to enable them are as follows:
IP—ip
DECnet—decnet
AppleTalk—appletalk
XNS—xns
Novell IPX—ipx
VINES—vines
ISO CLNS—clns
You can greatly simplify the configuration for the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol by adding the optional broadcast keyword when doing this task. See the frame-relay map command description in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference and the examples at the end of this chapter for more information about using the broadcast keyword.
For examples of how to establish static address mapping, see the "Static Address Mapping Examples" section later in this chapter.

Configure the LMI

Our Frame Relay software supports the industry-accepted standards for addressing the Local Management Interface (LMI), including the Cisco specification. To configure the LMI, complete the tasks in the following sections. The tasks in the first two sections are required.

Set the LMI Type

If the router or access server is attached to a public data network (PDN), the LMI type must match the type used on the public network. Otherwise, you can select an LMI type to suit the needs of your private Frame Relay network.
You can set one of three types of LMIs on our devices: ANSI T1.617 Annex D, Cisco, and ITU-T Q.933 Annex A. To do so, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Set the LMI type.
frame-relay lmi-type {ansi | cisco | q933a}

The default LMI type is cisco.
For an example of how to set the LMI type, see the "Pure Frame Relay DCE Example" section later in this chapter.

Set the LMI Keepalive Interval

A keepalive interval must be set to enable the LMI. By default, this interval is 10 seconds and, per the LMI protocol, must be less than the corresponding interval on the switch. To set the keepalive interval, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Set the keepalive interval.
frame-relay keepalive number
Turn off keepalives on networks without an LMI.
no frame-relay keepalive

This command has the same effect as the keepalive interface configuration command.
For an example of how to specify an LMI keepalive interval, see the "Two Routers in Static Mode Example" section later in this chapter.

Set the LMI Polling and Timer Intervals

You can set various optional counters, intervals, and thresholds to fine-tune the operation of your LMI DTE and DCE devices. Set these attributes by performing one or more of the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Set the DCE and Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) error threshold.
frame-relay lmi-n392dce threshold
Set the DCE and NNI monitored events count.
frame-relay lmi-n393dce events
Set the polling verification timer on a DCE or NNI interface.
frame-relay lmi-t392dce timer
Set a full status polling interval on a DTE or NNI interface.
frame-relay lmi-n391dte keep-exchanges
Set the DTE or NNI error threshold.
frame-relay lmi-n392dte threshold
Set the DTE and NNI monitored events count.
frame-relay lmi-n393dte events

See the "Frame Relay Commands" chapter in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference for details about commands used to set the polling and timing intervals.

Customize Frame Relay for Your Network

Perform the tasks in the following sections to customize Frame Relay:
Disable or Reenable Frame Relay Inverse ARP (multipoint communication only)

Configure Frame Relay Subinterfaces

To understand and define Frame Relay Subinterfaces, perform the tasks in the following sections:
After these tasks are completed, you can also perform the following optional tasks:
For an example of how to define a subinterface, see the section "Subinterface Examples" later in this chapter.

Understand Frame Relay Subinterfaces

Frame Relay subinterfaces provide a mechanism for supporting partially meshed Frame Relay networks. Most protocols assume transitivity on a logical network; that is, if station A can talk to station B, and station B can talk to station C, then station A should be able to talk to station C directly. Transitivity is true on LANs, but not on Frame Relay networks unless A is directly connected to C.
Additionally, certain protocols such as AppleTalk and transparent bridging cannot be supported on partially meshed networks because they require "split horizon," in which a packet received on an interface cannot be transmitted out the same interface even if the packet is received and transmitted on different virtual circuits.
Configuring Frame Relay subinterfaces ensures that a single physical interface is treated as multiple virtual interfaces. This capability allows us to overcome split horizon rules. Packets received on one virtual interface can now be forwarded out another virtual interface, even if they are configured on the same physical interface.
Subinterfaces address the limitations of Frame Relay networks by providing a way to subdivide a partially meshed Frame Relay network into a number of smaller, fully meshed (or point-to-point) subnetworks. Each subnetwork is assigned its own network number and appears to the protocols as if it is reachable through a separate interface. (Note that point-to-point subinterfaces can be unnumbered for use with IP, reducing the addressing burden that might otherwise result.)
For example, suppose you have a five-node Frame Relay network (see ) that is partially meshed (Network A). If the entire network is viewed as a single subnetwork (with a single network number assigned), most protocols assume that node A can transmit a packet directly to node E, when in fact it must be relayed through nodes C and D. This network can be made to work with certain protocols (for example, IP) but will not work at all with other protocols (for example, AppleTalk) because nodes C and D will not relay the packet out the same interface on which it was received. One way to make this network work fully is to create a fully meshed network (Network B), but doing so requires a large number of PVCs, which may not be economically feasible.
Using subinterfaces, you can subdivide the Frame Relay network into three smaller subnetworks (Network C) with separate network numbers. Nodes A, B, and C are connected to a fully meshed network, and nodes C and D, as well as nodes D and E are connected via point-to-point networks. In this configuration, nodes C and D can access two subinterfaces and can therefore forward packets without violating split horizon rules. If transparent bridging is being used, each subinterface is viewed as a separate bridge port.
Figure 26 Using Subinterfaces to Provide Full Connectivity on a Partially Meshed Frame Relay Network

Define Frame Relay Subinterfaces

To configure subinterfaces on a Frame Relay network, perform the following tasks:
Task
Command
Step 1 Specify a serial interface.
interface serial number1
Step 2 Configure Frame Relay encapsulation on the serial interface.
encapsulation frame-relay
Step 3 Specify a subinterface.
interface serial number.subinterface-number {multipoint | point-to-point}1

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Configuration Guide.

Subinterfaces can be configured for multipoint or point-to-point communication. (There is no default.)

Define Subinterface Addressing

For point-to-point subinterfaces, the destination is presumed to be known and is identified or implied in the frame-relay interface-dlci command. For multipoint subinterfaces, the destinations can be dynamically resolved through the use of Frame Relay Inverse ARP or can be statically mapped through the use of the frame-relay map command.

Addressing on Point-to-Point Subinterfaces

If you specified a point-to-point subinterface in Step 3 of the previous procedure, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Associate the selected point-to-point subinterface with a DLCI.
frame-relay interface-dlci dlci [option]

For an explanation of the many available options, refer to this command in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference. For an example of how to associate a DLCI with a subinterface, see the section "Subinterface Examples" later in this chapter.
If you define a subinterface for point-to-point communication, you cannot reassign the same subinterface number to be used for multipoint communication without first rebooting the router or access server. Instead, you can simply avoid using that subinterface number and use a different subinterface number instead.

Addressing on Multipoint Subinterfaces

If you specified a multipoint subinterface in Step 3 under "Define Frame Relay Subinterfaces," perform the tasks in one or both of the following sections:
You can configure some protocols for dynamic address mapping and others for static address mapping.

Accept Inverse ARP for Dynamic Address Mapping on Multipoint Subinterfaces

Dynamic address mapping uses Frame Relay Inverse ARP to request the next hop protocol address for a specific connection, given a DLCI. Responses to Inverse ARP requests are entered in an address-to-DLCI mapping table on the router or access server; the table is then used to supply the next hop protocol address or the DLCI for outgoing traffic.
Since the physical interface is now configured as multiple subinterfaces, you must provide information that distinguishes a subinterface from the physical interface and associates a specific subinterface with a specific DLCI.
To associate a specific multipoint subinterface with a specific DLCI, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Associate a specified multipoint subinterface with a DLCI.
frame-relay interface-dlci dlci

Inverse ARP is enabled by default for all protocols it supports, but can be disabled for specific protocol-DLCI pairs. As a result, you can use dynamic mapping for some protocols and static mapping for other protocols on the same DLCI. You can explicitly disable Inverse ARP for a protocol-DLCI pair if you know the protocol is not supported on the other end of the connection. See the "Disable or Reenable Frame Relay Inverse ARP" section later in this chapter for more information.
Because Inverse ARP is enabled by default for all protocols that it supports, no additional command is required to configure dynamic address mapping on a subinterface.
For an example of configuring Frame Relay multipoint subinterfaces with dynamic address mapping, see the "Frame Relay Multipoint Subinterface with Dynamic Addressing Example" section.

Configure Static Address Mapping on Multipoint Subinterfaces

A static map links a specified next hop protocol address to a specified DLCI. Static mapping removes the need for Inverse ARP requests; when you supply a static map, Inverse ARP is automatically disabled for the specified protocol on the specified DLCI.
You must use static mapping if the router at the other end either does not support Inverse ARP at all or does not support Inverse ARP for a specific protocol that you want to use over Frame Relay.
To establish static mapping according to your network needs, perform one of the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Define the mapping between a next hop protocol address and the DLCI used to connect to the address.
frame-relay map protocol protocol-address dlci [broadcast] [ietf] [cisco]
Define a DLCI used to send ISO CLNS frames.
frame-relay map clns dlci [broadcast]
Define a DLCI used to connect to a bridge.
frame-relay map bridge dlci [ietf] broadcast

The supported protocols and the corresponding keywords to enable them are as follows:
IP—ip
DECnet—decnet
AppleTalk—appletalk
XNS—xns
Novell IPX—ipx
VINES—vines
ISO CLNS—clns
The broadcast keyword is required for routing protocols such as OSI protocols and the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol. See the frame-relay map command description in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference and the examples at the end of this chapter for more information about using the broadcast keyword.
For an example of how to establish static address mapping, see the sections "Two Routers in Static Mode Example," "DECnet Routing Example," and "IPX Routing Example" later in this chapter.

Configure Transparent Bridging for Frame Relay

Transparent bridging for Frame Relay encapsulated serial and HSSI interfaces is supported on our routers. Transparent bridging for Frame Relay encapsulated serial interfaces is supported on our access servers.
You can configure transparent bridging for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint subinterfaces.

Note   All PVCs configured on a subinterface belong to the same bridge group.

Point-to-Point Subinterfaces

To configure transparent bridging for point-to-point subinterfaces, complete the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Step 1 Specify a serial interface.
interface serial number1
Step 2 Configure Frame Relay encapsulation on the serial interface.
encapsulation frame-relay
Step 3 Specify a subinterface.
interface serial number.subinterface-number point-to-point1
Step 4 Associate a DLCI with the subinterface.
frame-relay interface-dlci dlci [option]
Step 5 Associate the subinterface with a bridge group.
bridge-group bridge-group2

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference.
2 This command is documented in the Bridging and IBM Networking Command Reference.

Point-to-Multipoint Interfaces

To configure transparent bridging for point-to-multipoint subinterfaces, complete the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Step 1 Specify a serial interface.
interface serial number1
Step 2 Configure Frame Relay encapsulation on the serial interface.
encapsulation frame-relay
Step 3 Specify a subinterface.
interface serial number.subinterface-number multipoint 1
Step 4 Define the mapping between a next hop protocol address and the DLCI used to connect to the address.
frame-relay map bridge dlci [broadcast] [ietf]
Step 5 Associate the subinterface with a bridge group.
bridge-group bridge-group2

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference.
2 This command is documented in the Bridging and IBM Networking Command Reference.

Configure a Backup Interface for a Subinterface

Both point-to-point and multipoint Frame Relay subinterfaces can be configured with a backup interface. This approach allows individual PVCs to be backed up in case of failure rather than depending on the entire Frame Relay connection to fail before the backup takes over. You can configure a subinterface for backup on failure only, not for backup based on loading of the line.
If the serial interface has a backup interface, it will have precedence over the subinterface's backup interface in the case of complete loss of connectivity with the Frame Relay network. As a result, a subinterface backup is activated only if the serial interface is up, or if the serial interface is down and does not have a backup interface defined. If a subinterface has failed while its backup is in use, and then the serial interface goes down, the subinterface backup stays connected.
To configure a backup interface for a Frame Relay subinterface, perform the following tasks, beginning in global configuration mode:
Task
Command
Step 1 Specify the interface.
interface serial number1
Step 2 Configure Frame Relay encapsulation.
encapsulation frame-relay
Step 3 Configure the subinterface.
interface serial number.subinterface-number point-to-point1
Step 4 Specify a DLCI for the subinterface.
frame-relay interface-dlci dlci
Step 5 Specify a backup interface for the subinterface.
backup interface serial number1
Step 6 Specify backup enable and disable delay.
backup delay enable-delay disable-delay1

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference.

Configure Frame Relay Switching

Frame Relay switching is a means of switching packets based upon the DLCI, which can be looked upon as the Frame Relay equivalent of a MAC address. You perform the switching by configuring your router or access server as a Frame Relay network. There are two parts to a Frame Relay network: a Frame Relay DTE (the router or access server) and a Frame Relay DCE switch. illustrates this concept.
Figure 27 Frame Relay Switched Network
In , Routers A, B, and C are Frame Relay DTEs connected to each other via a Frame Relay network. Our implementation of Frame Relay switching allows our devices to be used as depicted in this Frame Relay network.
Perform the tasks in the following sections, as necessary, to configure Frame Relay switching:
These tasks are described in the following sections.

Enable Frame Relay Switching

You must enable packet switching before you can configure it on a Frame Relay DTE or DCE, or with Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) support. Do so by performing the following task in global configuration mode before configuring the switch type:
Task
Command
Enable Frame Relay switching.
frame-relay switching

For an example of how to enable Frame Relay switching, see the switching examples later in this chapter.

Configure a Frame Relay DTE Device, DCE Switch, or NNI Support

You can configure an interface as a DTE device or a DCE switch, or as a switch connected to a switch to support NNI connections. (DCE is the default.) To do so, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Configure a Frame Relay DTE device or DCE switch.
frame-relay intf-type [dce | dte | nni]

For an example of how to configure a DTE device or DCE switch, see the section "Hybrid DTE/DCE PVC Switching Example" later in this chapter.
For an example of how to configure NNI support, see the section "Pure Frame Relay DCE Example" later in this chapter.

Specify the Static Route

You must specify a static route for PVC switching. To do so, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Specify a static route for PVC switching.
frame-relay route in-dlci out-interface out-dlci

For an example of how to specify a static route, see the section "Pure Frame Relay DCE Example" later in this chapter.

Disable or Reenable Frame Relay Inverse ARP

Frame Relay Inverse ARP is a method of building dynamic address mappings in Frame Relay networks running AppleTalk, Banyan VINES, DECnet, IP, Novell IPX, and XNS. Inverse ARP allows the router or access server to discover the protocol address of a device associated with the virtual circuit.
Inverse ARP creates dynamic address mappings, as contrasted with the frame-relay map command, which defines static mappings between a specific protocol address and a specific DLCI (see the section "Configure Dynamic or Static Address Mapping" earlier in this chapter for more information).
Inverse ARP is enabled by default but can be disabled explicitly for a given protocol and DLCI pair. Disable or reenable Inverse ARP under the following conditions:
Disable Inverse ARP for a selected protocol and DLCI pair when you know that the protocol is not supported on the other end of the connection.
Reenable Inverse ARP for a protocol and DLCI pair if conditions or equipment change and the protocol is then supported on the other end of the connection.

Note   If you change from a point-to-point subinterface to a multipoint subinterface, then change the subinterface number. Frame Relay Inverse ARP will be on by default, and no further action is required.

You do not need to enable or disable Inverse ARP if you have a point-to-point interface, because there is only a single destination and discovery is not required.
To select Inverse ARP or disable it, perform one of the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Enable Frame Relay Inverse ARP for a specific protocol and DLCI pair, only if it was previously disabled.
frame-relay inverse-arp protocol dlci
Disable Frame Relay Inverse ARP for a specific protocol and DLCI pair.
no frame relay inverse-arp protocol dlci

Create a Broadcast Queue for an Interface

Very large Frame Relay networks might have performance problems when many DLCIs terminate in a single router or access server that must replicate routing updates and service advertising updates on each DLCI. The updates can consume access-link bandwidth and cause significant latency variations in user traffic; the updates can also consume interface buffers and lead to higher packet rate loss for both user data and routing updates.
To avoid such problems, you can create a special broadcast queue for an interface. The broadcast queue is managed independently of the normal interface queue, has its own buffers, and has a configurable size and service rate.
A broadcast queue is given a maximum transmission rate (throughput) limit measured in both bytes per second and packets per second. The queue is serviced to ensure that no more than this maximum is provided. The broadcast queue has priority when transmitting at a rate below the configured maximum, and hence has a guaranteed minimum bandwidth allocation. The two transmission rate limits are intended to avoid flooding the interface with broadcasts. The actual transmission rate limit in any second is the first of the two rate limits that is reached.
To create a broadcast queue, complete the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Create a broadcast queue for an interface.
frame-relay broadcast-queue size byte-rate packet-rate

Configure Payload Compression

You can configure payload compression on point-to-point or multipoint interfaces or subinterfaces. Payload compression uses the stac method to predict what the next character in the frame will be. Because the prediction is done packet-by-packet, the dictionary is not conserved across packet boundaries.
Payload compression on each virtual circuit consumes approximately 40 kilobytes for dictionary memory.
To configure payload compression on a specified multipoint interface or subinterface, complete the following task:
Task
Command
Enable payload compression on a multipoint interface.
frame-relay map protocol protocol-address dlci payload-compress packet-by-packet

To configure payload compression on a specified point-to-point interface or subinterface, complete the following task:
Task
Command
Enable payload compression on a point-to-point interface.
frame-relay payload-compress packet-by-packet

Configure TCP/IP Header Compression

TCP/IP header compression, as described by RFC 1144, is designed to improve the efficiency of bandwidth utilization over low-speed serial links. A typical TCP/IP packet includes a 40-byte datagram header. Once a connection is established, the header information is redundant and need not be repeated in every packet that is sent. Reconstructing a smaller header that identifies the connection and indicates the fields that changed and the amount of change reduces the number of bytes transmitted. The average compressed header is 10 bytes long.
For this algorithm to function, packets must arrive in order. If packets arrive out of order, the reconstruction will appear to create regular TCP/IP packets but the packets will not match the original. Because priority queuing changes the order in which packets are transmitted, enabling priority queueing on the interface is not recommended.
You can configure TCP/IP header compression in either of two ways, as described in the following sections:
The "Disable TCP/IP Header Compression" section describes how to disable this feature.

Note   If you configure an interface with Cisco encapsulation and TCP/IP header compression, Frame Relay IP maps inherit the compression characteristics of the interface. However, if you configure the interface with IETF encapsulation, the interface cannot be configured for compression. Frame Relay maps will have to be configured individually to support TCP/IP header compression.

Configure an Individual IP Map for TCP/IP Header Compression

TCP/IP header compression requires Cisco encapsulation. If you need to have IETF encapsulation on an interface as a whole, you can still configure a specific IP map to use Cisco encapsulation and TCP header compression.
In addition, even if you configure the interface to perform TCP/IP header compression, you can still configure a specific IP map not to compress TCP/IP headers.
You can specify whether TCP/IP header compression is active or passive. Active compression subjects every outgoing packet to TCP/IP header compression. Passive compression subjects an outgoing TCP/IP packet to header compression only if the packet had a compressed TCP/IP header when it was received.
To configure an IP map to use Cisco encapsulation and TCP/IP header compression, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Configure an IP map to use Cisco encapsulation and TCP/IP header compression.
frame-relay map ip ip-address dlci [broadcast] cisco tcp header-compression {active | passive}

The default encapsulation is cisco.

Note   An interface that is configured to support TCP/IP header compression cannot also support priority queuing or custom queuing.

For an example of how to configure TCP header compression on an IP map, see the "TCP/IP Header Compression Examples" section later in this chapter.

Configure an Interface for TCP/IP Header Compression

You can configure the interface with active or passive TCP/IP header compression. Active compression, the default, subjects all outgoing TCP/IP packets to header compression. Passive compression subjects an outgoing packet to header compression only if the packet had a compressed TCP/IP header when it was received on that interface.
To apply TCP/IP header compression to an interface, you must perform the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Configure Cisco encapsulation on the interface.
encapsulation frame-relay
Enable TCP/IP header compression on the interface.
frame-relay ip tcp header-compression [passive]


Note   If an interface configured with Cisco encapsulation is later configured with IETF encapsulation, all TCP/IP header compression characteristics are lost. To apply TCP/IP header compression over an interface configured with IETF encapsulation, you must configure individual IP maps, as described in the section "Configure an Individual IP Map for TCP/IP Header Compression."

For an example of how to configure TCP header compression on an interface, see the "TCP/IP Header Compression Examples" section later in this chapter.

Disable TCP/IP Header Compression

You can disable TCP/IP header compression by using either of two commands that have different effects, depending on whether Frame Relay IP maps have been explicitly configured for TCP/IP header compression or have inherited their compression characteristics from the interface.
Frame Relay IP maps that have explicitly configured TCP/IP header compression must also have TCP/IP header compression explicitly disabled.
To disable TCP/IP header compression, perform one of the following tasks in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Disable TCP/IP header compression on all Frame Relay IP maps that are not explicitly configured for TCP header compression.
or
Disable TCP/IP header compression on a specified Frame Relay IP map.
no frame-relay ip tcp header-compression

frame-relay map ip ip-address dlci nocompress
tcp header-compression

For examples of how to turn off TCP/IP header compression, see the section "Disabling Inherited TCP/IP Header Compression Example" and the section "Disabling Explicit TCP/IP Header Compression Example."

Configure Discard Eligibility

You can specify which Frame Relay packets have low priority or low time sensitivity and will be the first to be dropped when a Frame Relay switch is congested. The mechanism that allows a Frame Relay switch to identify such packets is the discard eligibility (DE) bit.
This feature requires that the Frame Relay network be able to interpret the DE bit. Some networks take no action when the DE bit is set. Other networks use the DE bit to determine which packets to discard. The most desirable interpretation is to use the DE bit to determine which packets should be dropped first and also which packets have lower time sensitivity.
You can define DE lists that identify the characteristics of packets to be eligible for discarding, and you can also specify DE groups to identify the DLCI that is affected.
To define a DE list specifying the packets that can be dropped when the Frame Relay switch is congested, perform the following task in global configuration mode:
Task
Command
Define a DE list.
frame-relay de-list list-number {protocol protocol | interface type number} characteristic

You can specify DE lists based on the protocol or the interface, and on characteristics such as fragmentation of the packet, a specific TCP or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port, an access list number, or a packet size. See the frame-relay de-list command in the Wide-Area Networking Command Reference for arguments and other information.
To define a DE group specifying the DE list and DLCI affected, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Define a DE group.
frame-relay de-group group-number dlci

Configure DLCI Priority Levels

DLCI priority levels allow you to separate different types of traffic and can provide a traffic management tool for congestion problems caused by following situations:
Mixing batch and interactive traffic over the same DLCI
Traffic from sites with high-speed access being queued at destination sites with lower speed access.
Before you configure the DLCI priority levels, complete the following tasks:
Define a global priority list.
Enable Frame Relay encapsulation, as described earlier in this chapter.
Define static or dynamic address mapping, as described earlier in this chapter.
Make sure that you define each of the DLCIs to which you intend to apply levels. You can associate priority-level DLCIs with subinterfaces.
Configure the LMI, as described earlier in this chapter.

Note   DLCI priority levels provide a way to define multiple parallel DLCIs for different types of traffic. DLCI priority levels do not assign priority queues within the router or access server; in fact, they are independent of the device's priority queues. However, if you enable queuing and use the same DLCIs for queuing, then high-priority DLCIs can be put into high-priority queues.

To configure DLCI priority levels, perform the following task in interface configuration mode:
Task
Command
Enable multiple parallel DLCIs for different types of Frame Relay traffic, associate specified DLCIs with the same group, and define their levels.
frame-relay priority-dlci-group group-number high-dlci medium-dlci normal-dlci low-dlci 


Note   If you do not explicitly specify a DLCI for each of the priority levels, the last DLCI specified in the command line is used as the value of the remaining arguments. However, you must provide at least the high-priority and the medium-priority DLCIs.

Monitor the Frame Relay Connections

To monitor Frame Relay connections, perform any of the following tasks in EXEC mode:
Task
Command
Clear dynamically created Frame Relay maps, which are created by the use of Inverse ARP.
clear frame-relay-inarp
Display information about Frame Relay DLCIs and the LMI.
show interfaces serial number
Display LMI statistics.
show frame-relay lmi [type number]
Display the current Frame Relay map entries.
show frame-relay map
Display PVC statistics.
show frame-relay pvc [type number [dlci]]
Display configured static routes.
show frame-relay route
Display Frame Relay traffic statistics.
show frame-relay traffic

Frame Relay Configuration Examples

This section provides examples of Frame Relay configurations. It includes the following sections:

IETF Encapsulation Examples

The first example that follows sets IETF encapsulation at the interface level. The second example sets IETF encapsulation on a per-DLCI basis. In the first example, the keyword ietf sets the default encapsulation method for all maps to IETF.
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.2 48 broadcast
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.3 49 broadcast
 
In the following example, IETF encapsulation is configured on a per-DLCI basis. This configuration has the same result as the configuration in the first example.
encapsulation frame-relay 
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.2 48 broadcast ietf
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.3 49 broadcast ietf

Static Address Mapping Examples

The following sections provide examples of static address mapping for the IP, AppleTalk, DECnet, and IPX protocols.

Two Routers in Static Mode Example

The following example illustrates how to configure two routers for static mode.

Configuration for Router 1

interface serial 0
!
ip address 131.108.64.2 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
keepalive 10
frame-relay map ip 131.108.64.1 43

Configuration for Router 2

interface serial 0
!
ip address 131.108.64.1 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
keepalive 10
frame-relay map ip 131.108.64.2 43

AppleTalk Routing Example

The following example illustrates how to configure two routers to communicate with each other using AppleTalk over a Frame Relay network. Each router has a Frame Relay static address map for the other router. The use of the appletalk cable-range command indicates that this is extended AppleTalk (Phase II).

Configuration for Router 1

!
interface Serial0
ip address 172.21.59.24 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
appletalk cable-range 10-20 18.47
appletalk zone eng
frame-relay map appletalk 18.225 100 broadcast

Configuration for Router 2

interface Serial2/3
ip address 172.21.177.18 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
appletalk cable-range 10-20 18.225
appletalk zone eng
clockrate 2000000
frame-relay map appletalk 18.47 100 broadcast

DECnet Routing Example

The following example sends all DECnet packets destined for address 56.4 out on DLCI 101. In addition, any DECnet broadcasts for interface serial 1 will be sent on that DLCI.
decnet routing 32.6
!
interface serial 1
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay map decnet 56.4 101 broadcast

IPX Routing Example

The following example illustrates how to send packets destined for IPX address 200.0000.0c00.7b21 out on DLCI 102:
ipx routing 000.0c00.7b3b
!
interface ethernet 0
ipx network 2abc
!
interface serial 0
ipx network 200
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay map ipx 200.0000.0c00.7b21 102 broadcast

Subinterface Examples

The following sections provide basic Frame Relay subinterface examples and variations appropriate for different routed protocols and for bridging.

Basic Subinterface Examples

In the following example, subinterface 1 models a point-to-point subnet and subinterface 2 models a broadcast subnet. For emphasis, the multipoint keyword is used for serial subinterface 2, even though a subinterface is multipoint by default.
interface serial 0
encapsulation frame-relay
interface serial 0.1 point-to-point
ip address 10.0.1.1 255.255.255.0
frame-relay interface-dlci 42
 
interface serial 0.2 multipoint
ip address 10.0.2.1 255.255.255.0
frame-relay map 10.0.2.2 18

Frame Relay Multipoint Subinterface with Dynamic Addressing Example

The following example configures two multipoint subinterfaces for dynamic address resolution. Each subinterface is provided with an individual protocol address and subnet mask, and the interface-dlci command associates the subinterface with a specified DLCI. Addresses of remote destinations for each multipoint subinterface will be resolved dynamically.
interface Serial0
 no ip address
 encapsulation frame-relay
 frame-relay lmi-type ansi
!
interface Serial0.103 multipoint
 ip address 172.21.177.18 255.255.255.0
 frame-relay interface-dlci 300
!
interface Serial0.104 multipoint
 ip address 172.21.178.18 255.255.255.0
 frame-relay interface-dlci 400

IPX Routes over Frame Relay Subinterfaces Example

The following example configures a serial interface for Frame Relay encapsulation and sets up multiple IPX virtual networks corresponding to Frame Relay subinterfaces:
ipx routing 0000.0c02.5f4f
!
interface serial 0
encapsulation frame-relay
interface serial 0.1 multipoint
ipx network 1
frame-relay map ipx 1.000.0c07.d530 200 broadcast
interface serial 0.2 multipoint
ipx network 2
frame-relay map ipx 2.000.0c07.d530 300 broadcast
 
For subinterface serial 0.1, the router at the other end might be configured as follows:
ipx routing 
interface serial 2 multipoint
ipx network 1
frame-relay map ipx 1.000.0c02.5f4f 200 broadcast

Unnumbered IP over a Point-to-Point Subinterface Example

The following example sets up unnumbered IP over subinterfaces at both ends of a point-to-point connection. In this example, Router A functions as the DTE, and Router B functions as the DCE. Routers A and B are both attached to Token Ring networks. 

Configuration for Router A

frame-relay switching
!
interface token-ring 0
ip address 131.108.177.1 255.255.255.0
!
interface serial 0
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
!
interface Serial0.2 point-to-point
ip unnumbered TokenRing0
ip pim sparse-mode
frame-relay interface-dlci 20

Configuration for Router B:

frame-relay switching
!
interface token-ring 0
ip address 131.108.178.1 255.255.255.0
!
interface serial 0
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay IETF
bandwidth 384
clockrate 4000000
frame-relay intf-type dce
!
interface serial 0.2 point-to-point
ip unnumbered TokenRing1
ip pim sparse-mode
 
bandwidth 384
frame-relay interface-dlci 20

Transparent Bridging Using Subinterfaces Example

In the following example, Frame Relay DLCIs 42, 64, and 73 are to be used as separate point-to-point links with transparent bridging running over them. The bridging spanning tree algorithm views each PVC as a separate bridge port, and a frame arriving on the PVC can be relayed back out a separate PVC. Be sure that routing is not enabled when configuring transparent bridging using subinterfaces.
interface serial 0
encapsulation frame-relay
interface serial 0.1 point-to-point
bridge-group 1
frame-relay interface-dlci 42
interface serial 0.2 point-to-point
bridge-group 1
frame-relay interface-dlci 64
interface serial 0.3 point-to-point
bridge-group 1
frame-relay interface-dlci 73

Configuration Providing Backward Compatibility Example

The following configuration provides backward compatibility and interoperability with earlier versions that are not compliant with RFC 1490. The ietf keyword is used to generate RFC 1490 traffic. This configuration is possible because of the flexibility provided by separately defining each map entry.
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.2 48 broadcast ietf
! interoperability is provided by IETF encapsulation
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.3 49 broadcast ietf
frame-relay map ip 131.108.123.7 58 broadcast 
! this line allows the router to connect with a  
! device running an older version of software
frame-relay map decnet 21.7 49 broadcast
 
Configure IETF based on map entries and protocol for more flexibility. Use this method of configuration for backward compatibility and interoperability.

Booting from a Network Server over Frame Relay Example 

When booting from a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server over Frame Relay, you cannot boot from a network server via a broadcast. You must boot from a specific TFTP host. Also, a frame-relay map command must exist for the host that you will boot from.
For example, if file gs3-bfx is to be booted from a host with IP address 131.108.126.2, the following commands would need to be in the configuration:
boot system gs3-bfx 131.108.126.2
 
interface Serial 0
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay map IP 131.108.126.2 100 broadcast
 
The frame-relay map command is used to map an IP address into a DLCI address. To boot over Frame Relay, you must explicitly give the address of the network server to boot from, and a frame-relay map entry must exist for that site. For example, if file gs3-bfx.83-2.0 is to be booted from a host with IP address 131.108.126.111, the following commands must be in the configuration:
boot system gs3-bfx.83-2.0 131.108.13.111
!
interface Serial 1
ip address 131.108.126.200 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay map ip 131.108.126.111 100 broadcast
 
In this case, 100 is the DLCI that can get to host 131.108.126.111.
The remote router must have the following frame-relay map entry:
frame-relay map ip 131.108.126.200 101 broadcast
 
This entry allows the remote router to return a boot image (from the network server) to the router booting over Frame Relay. Here, 101 is a DLCI of the router being booted.

Frame Relay Switching Examples

The following sections provide several examples of configuring one or more routers as Frame Relay switches:
PVC Switching Configuration Example—In this example, one router has two interfaces configured as DCEs; the router switches frames from the incoming interface to the outgoing interface on the basis of the DLCI alone.
Pure Frame Relay DCE Example—In this example, a Frame Relay network is set up with two routers functioning as switches; standard NNI signaling is used between them.
Hybrid DTE/DCE PVC Switching Example—In this example, one router is configured with both DCE and DTE interfaces (a hybrid DTE/DCE Frame Relay switch). It can switch frames between two DCE ports and between a DCE port and a DTE port.
Switching over an IP Tunnel Example—In this example, two routers are configured to switch Frame Relay PVCs over a point-to-point IP tunnel.

PVC Switching Configuration Example

You can configure your router as a dedicated, DCE-only Frame Relay switch. Switching is based on DLCIs. The incoming DLCI is examined, and the outgoing interface and DLCI are determined. Switching takes place when the incoming DLCI in the packet is replaced by the outgoing DLCI, and the packet is sent out the outgoing interface.
In the following example, the router switches two PVCs between interface serial 1 and 2. Frames with DLCI 100 received on serial 1 will be transmitted with DLCI 200 on serial 2 (see ).
Figure 28 PVC Switching Configuration

Configuration for Router A

frame-relay switching
!
interface Ethernet0
ip address 131.108.160.58 255.255.255.0
!
interface Serial1
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
keepalive 15
frame-relay lmi-type ansi
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay route 100 interface Serial2 200
frame-relay route 101 interface Serial2 201
clockrate 2000000
!
interface Serial2
encapsulation frame-relay
keepalive 15
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay route 200 interface Serial1 100
frame-relay route 201 interface Serial1 101
clockrate 64000

Pure Frame Relay DCE Example

Using the PVC switching feature, it is possible to build an entire Frame Relay network using our routers. In the following example, Router A and Router C act as Frame Relay switches implementing a two-node network. The standard Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) signaling protocol is used between Router A and Router C (see ).
Figure 29 Frame Relay DCE Configuration

Configuration for Router A

frame-relay switching
!
interface ethernet 0
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface ethernet 1
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface ethernet 2
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface ethernet 3
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface serial 0
ip address 131.108.178.48 255.255.255.0
shutdown
!
interface serial 1
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay lmi-type ansi
frame-relay route 100 interface serial 2 200
!
interface serial 2
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type nni
frame-relay lmi-type q933a
frame-relay route 200 interface serial 1 100
clockrate 2048000
!
interface serial 3
no ip address
shutdown

Configuration for Router C

frame-relay switching
!
interface ethernet 0
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface ethernet1
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface ethernet 2
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface ethernet 3
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface serial 0
ip address 131.108.187.84 255.255.255.0
shutdown
!
interface serial 1
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay route 300 interface serial 2 200
!
interface serial 2
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type nni
frame-relay lmi-type q933a
frame-relay route 200 interface serial 1 300
!
interface serial 3
no ip address
shutdown

Hybrid DTE/DCE PVC Switching Example

Routers can also be configured as hybrid DTE/DCE Frame Relay switches (see ).
Figure 30 Hybrid DTE/DCE PVC Switching
In the following example, Router B acts as a hybrid DTE/DCE Frame Relay switch. It can switch frames between the two DCE ports and between a DCE port and a DTE port. Traffic from the Frame Relay network can also be terminated locally. In the example, three PVCs are defined, as follows:
Serial 1, DLCI 102 to serial 2, DLCI 201—DCE switching
Serial 1, DLCI 103 to serial 3, DLCI 301—DCE/DTE switching
Serial 2, DLCI 203 to serial 3, DLCI 302—DCE/DTE switching
DLCI 400 is also defined for locally terminated traffic.

Configuration for Router B

frame-relay switching
!
interface ethernet 0
ip address 131.108.123.231 255.255.255.0
!
interface ethernet 1
ip address 131.108.5.231 255.255.255.0
!
interface serial 0
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface serial 1
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay route 102 interface serial 2 201
frame-relay route 103 interface serial 3 301
!
interface serial 2
no ip address
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay route 201 interface serial 1 102
frame-relay route 203 interface serial 3 302
!
interface serial 3
ip address 131.108.111.231
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay lmi-type ansi
frame-relay route 301 interface serial 1 103
frame-relay route 302 interface serial 1 203
frame-relay map ip 131.108.111.4 400 broadcast

Switching over an IP Tunnel Example

You can achieve switching over an IP tunnel by creating a point-to-point tunnel across the internetwork over which PVC switching can take place (see ).
Figure 31 Frame Relay Switch over IP Tunnel
The following configurations illustrate how to create the IP network depicted in .

Configuration for Router A

frame-relay switching
!
interface Ethernet0
ip address 108.131.123.231 255.255.255.0
!
interface Ethernet1
ip address 131.108.5.231 255.255.255.0
!
interface Serial0
no ip address
shutdown
!
interface Serial1
ip address 131.108.222.231 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay map ip 131.108.222.4 400 broadcast
frame-relay route 100 interface Tunnel1 200
!
interface Tunnel1
tunnel source Ethernet0
tunnel destination 150.150.150.123

Configuration for Router D

frame-relay switching
!
interface Ethernet0
ip address 131.108.231.123 255.255.255.0
!
interface Ethernet1
ip address 131.108.6.123 255.255.255.0
!
interface Serial0
ip address 150.150.150.123 255.255.255.0
encapsulation ppp
!
interface Tunnel1
tunnel source Serial0
tunnel destination 108.131.123.231
!
interface Serial1
ip address 131.108.7.123 255.255.255.0
encapsulation frame-relay
frame-relay intf-type dce
frame-relay route 300 interface Tunnel1 200

TCP/IP Header Compression Examples

The following examples show various combinations of TCP/IP header compression and encapsulation characteristics on the interface and the effect on the inheritance of those characteristics on a Frame Relay IP map.

IP Map with Inherited TCP/IP Header Compression Example

The following example shows an interface configured for TCP/IP header compression and an IP map that inherits the compression characteristics. Note that the Frame Relay IP map is not explicitly configured for header compression.
interface serial 1
encapsulation frame-relay
ip address 131.108.177.178 255.255.255.0
frame-relay map ip 131.108.177.177 177 broadcast
frame-relay ip tcp header-compression passive
 
Use of the show frame-relay map command will display the resulting compression and encapsulation characteristics; the IP map has inherited passive TCP/IP header compression:
Router> show frame-relay map
Serial 1   (administratively down): ip 131.108.177.177
           dlci 177 (0xB1,0x2C10), static,
           broadcast, 
           CISCO
           TCP/IP Header Compression (inherited), passive (inherited)
 
This example also applies to dynamic mappings achieved with the use of inverse-arp on point-to-point subinterfaces where no Frame Relay maps are configured.

Using an IP Map to Override TCP/IP Header Compression Example

The following example shows the use of a Frame Relay IP map to override the compression set on the interface:
interface serial 1
encapsulation frame-relay
ip address 131.108.177.178 255.255.255.0
frame-relay map ip 131.108.177.177 177 broadcast nocompress
frame-relay ip tcp header-compression passive
 
Use of the show frame-relay map command will display the resulting compression and encapsulation characteristics; the IP map has not inherited TCP header compression:
Serial 1   (administratively down): ip 131.108.177.177
           dlci 177 (0xB1,0x2C10), static,
           broadcast, 
           CISCO

Disabling TCP/IP Header Compression Examples

The following examples show the use of two different commands to disable TCP/IP header compression.

Disabling Inherited TCP/IP Header Compression Example

In this first example, the initial configuration is the following:
interface serial 1
encapsulation frame-relay
ip address 131.108.177.179 255.255.255.0
frame-relay ip tcp header-compression passive
frame-relay map ip 131.108.177.177 177 broadcast
frame-relay map ip 131.108.177.178 178 broadcast tcp header-compression
 
You enter the following commands:
serial interface 1
no frame-relay ip tcp header-compression
 
Use of the show frame-relay map command will display the resulting compression and encapsulation characteristics:
Router> show frame-relay map
Serial 1   (administratively down): ip 131.108.177.177 177 
           dlci 177(0xB1, 0x2C10), static,
           broadcast
           CISCO
Serial 1   (administratively down): ip 131.108.177.178 178 
           dlci 178(0xB2,0x2C20), static
           broadcast
           CISCO 
           TCP/IP Header Compression (enabled)
 
As a result, header compression is disabled for the first map (with DLCI 177), which inherited its header compression characteristics from the interface. However, header compression is not disabled for the second map (DLCI 178), which is explicitly configured for header compression.

Disabling Explicit TCP/IP Header Compression Example

In this second example, the initial configuration is the same as the previous example, but you enter the following commands:
serial interface 1
no frame-relay ip tcp header-compression
frame-relay map ip 131.108.177.178 178 nocompress
 
Use of the show frame-relay map command will display the resulting compression and encapsulation characteristics:
Router> show frame-relay map
Serial 1   (administratively down): ip 131.108.177.177 177 
           dlci 177(0xB1,0x2C10), static,
           broadcast
           CISCO
Serial 1   (administratively down): ip 131.108.177.178 178 
           dlci 178(0xB2,0x2C20), static
           broadcast
           CISCO 
 
The result of the commands is to disable header compression for the first map (with DLCI 177), which inherited its header compression characteristics from the interface, and also explicitly to disable header compression for the second map (with DLCI 178), which was explicitly configured for header compression.

No comments: