Q) Switching and its types

Switching refers to the process of moving information from one computer network to another.

Types of Switching Techniques

1) Circuit Switching

o Circuit switching is a switching technique that establishes a dedicated path between sender and receiver.
o In the Circuit Switching Technique, once the connection is established then the dedicated path will
remain to exist until the connection is terminated.
o In case of circuit switching technique, when any user wants to send the data, voice, video, sender send a
signal to the receiver then the receiver sends back the acknowledgment to ensure the availability of the
dedicated path. After receiving the acknowledgment, it transfers the data.

2) Message Switching
Message switching is also known as store and forward. In this mechanism, a node receives a message,
stores it until the appropriate route is free, then sends it along.

Store and forward is considered as switching technique because there is no direct link between the sender
and receiver of a transmission

3) Packet Switching Network

In a packet-switched network, data are transmitted in separate units called packets.

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There are two popular approaches to packet switching: datagram and virtual circuit.
a) Datagram Approach

In the datagram approach each packet is treated independently from all others. Packets in this technology
are referred to as datagrams.
The datagram approach can be used to deliver four packets from station A to station X. In this example, all
four packets (or datagrams) belong to the same message but may go by different paths to reach their
destinations.

b) Virtual Circuit Approach

In the virtual circuit approach, the relationship between all packets belonging to a message is preserved. A
single route is chosen between sender and receiver at the beginning of the session. To transfer data
from USER A to the USER D, a predefined route is established, that passes from USER A to S1 to S2
to S3 and then finally to USER D.

USER B USER D

Q) What is Asynchronous Transfer Mode(ATM)

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is a high-speed, broadband data communication technology .The
ATM technology is developed for meeting the demands of Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network
and integrating telecommunication networks in 1970s and 1980s, .

ATM is designed to combine the benefits of packet switching with connection-oriented

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bytes header and 48 bytes payload.ATM provides error control and flow control than packet switching
network.

Benefits of ATM:

1. It offers high-speed, integrated data, voice, and video communication.

Concept or working of ATM:

ATM has two types of connections.

A virtual circuit or connection must be established before the two endpoints that can actually exchange
data. After the connection is set up, all cells reach their destination by following the same path. Each cell
contains a 5 bytes header and a 48 bytes payload, for a total of 53 bytes.

Traffic rate can be constant or variable. ATM creates fixed routes between two points before data transfer
begins. This makes it easier to bill data usage. An ATM network is less adaptable to a sudden network
traffic flow.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN

Before Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the telephone system was seen as a way to transmit
voice, with some special services available for data. The main feature of ISDN is that it can integrate
speech and data on the same lines, which were not available in the classic telephone system.

ISDN is a circuit-switched telephone network system, but it also provides access to packet-switched
networks that allows digital transmission of voice and data. This results in potentially better voice or data
quality than an analog phone can provide.

ISDN Services:
ISDN provides a fully integrated digital service to users. These services fall into 3 categories- bearer
services, teleservices, and supplementary services.

a) Bearer Services –
Transfer of information (voice, data, and video) between users without the network manipulating
the content of that information is provided by the bearer network.
b) Teleservices –
In this, the network may change or process the contents of the data.
c) Supplementary Service –
Additional functionality to the bearer services and teleservices are provided by supplementary
services

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ATM Adaptation Layer : AAL (ATM Adaptation Layer) is an example of message level protocol. A
software layer that accepts user data, such as digitized voice, video or computer data, and converts to and
from cells for transmission over an ASYNCHRONOUS TRANSFER MODE network. AAL software
mostly runs at the end-points of a connection

AAL Protocols

There are five AAL protocols to provide the range of services.

● AAL Type 1

● AAL Type 2
AAL Type 3/4

● AAL Type 5