Switched Communications Networks

• It is not possible to permanently connect all devices in the world using

famous topologies
• Long distance transmission between stations (called “end devices”) is
typically done over a network of switching nodes or switches.
• Switching nodes do not concern with content of data. Their purpose is to
provide a switching facility that will move the data from node to node until
they reach their destination (the end device).
• A collection of nodes and connections forms a communications network.
• In a switched communications network, data entering the network from a
station are routed to the destination by being switched from node to node.

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Switching
Switched Communications Networks

• Routers or switches (Networking devices) connect to other Routers or

stations.
• The links from node to node are point-to-point or point-to-multipoint
and these links work on multiplexing.
• For reliability we should have more paths in the network.
• An internet is a switched network in which a network connects at least
two networks together.

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Circuit Switching

• A dedicated connection is always available between the 2 end devices

• The circuit is already there and switch establishes the connection
between the nodes as and when required.
• Was common for telephone networks
• Switches only forward data, do not store because of the continuous
communication
• Partial usage of link capacity when not fully in use.
• 3 phases: circuit establishment, information transfer, circuit
disconnection.
• Major benefit of dedicated transparent connections, no logic is to be
applied at the attached stations.
Circuit Switching
Private PBX over Public Switched Network
Motivations for Packet Switching
• Much of the time, the line remains idle in a typical terminal-host
connection.
• The two devices in the circuit switching must support same data rate.
• Calls get blocked in case of occupied lines
Packet Switching
• Message is split into smaller packets
• Typical upper bound is 1000 bytes (octets), longer packets are split
• Each packet contains information about the source and destination
addresses (control information).
• No connection establishment prior to data transfer.
• Each node (router) receives and stores the packet for a while and
forwards.
• Packets are queued up and transmitted as rapidly as possible.
• Packets are transmitted over different routes
• Out of sequence delivery
• Efficient usage of links due to multiplexing
• Carries out data conversion and could work with prioritized data
Packet Switching
Packet Switching
 IP PBX System
• Example of VoIP or internet
telephony
• Session initiation protocol.
Internet access, as well as VoIP
communications and traditional
telephone communications, are
all possible using a single line to
each user.
• Features
• Ring Groups
• Queues
• Digital Receptionists
• Voicemail
• Reporting
Comparing Circuit & Packet Switching
Comparing Circuit & Packet Switching

• For voice data, circuit switching efficiently works as the dedicated

connections will be optimally used.
• Circuit switching is inefficient for data connections because of different
data rates.
• In Circuit switching, both transmitted and receiver should have same
data rate, which is not a possibility for the data transmissions.
• More delay in the packet switching technique because of queues.
• The users cannot interfere with each other in circuit switching.
Circuit Switching Packet Switching
Dedicated path (single flow) No dedicated path (multiple flows)
Path is established before transmission Path is established during transmission
for entire conversation and for each packet
Sends data after establishing the Sends data immediately
connection
Fixed Bandwidth available (Guaranteed Dynamic bandwidth available (no
capacity) guarantee, best effort)
Overload may block calls Overload may increase the wait
Call setup delay Packet transmission delay
Does not store and forward packets Store and forward
Transmission is received in sequence Packets may be received out of
sequence
Wasted capacity Efficient utilization of capacity
 The Internet
• The Internet has revolutionized many
aspects of our daily lives. It has affected the
way we do business as well as the way we
spend our leisure time. The Internet is a
communication system that has brought a
wealth of information to our fingertips and
organized it for our use.

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Protocols
• Protocol : rule
• A set of rules that govern data communication
• For communication to occur, entities must agree upon a protocol
• Key elements of a protocol
• Syntax: structure or format of data
• Semantics: meaning of each section in the structure
• Timing: when and how fast data should be sent

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 Early History of Internet

• Telegraphy & Telephony supported constant bit-rate applications

• Packet switching was developed in 1961.
• Super computers in Mid-60’s were stand-alone devices.
• 1967: ARPANET proposed by DoD’s ARPA (Advanced Research Project
Agency)
• Interface Message Processor-IMP (Specialized Computers)
• IMPs had to connect to their hosts as well as other IMPs.
• 1969: ARPANET in a reality: UCLA, UCSB, SRI, U. of Utah were connected
• Network Control Protocol (NCP)
• Could deal with networks with same packet sizes and data rate

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 Early History of Internet
• 1973: TCP Proposed
• Internetting project dealing with different packet sizes, interfaces,
transmission rates, reliability requirements
• Gateway
• TCP new version of NCP
• Concepts of encapsulation, datagram, gateway’s functions.
• Error correction was transferred from IMP to host.
• Defense Communication Agency (DCA) was authorized for ARPANET
• 1977: Communication between 3 different networks (ARPANET, packet
radio, satellite radio)

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 Early History of Internet

• 1977: To split TCP into two protocols TCP and IP

• IP: handles datagrams addressing
• TCP: does segmentation, reassembly and error detection.
• 1981: UNIX was modified to work with TCP/IP
• 1983: MILNET & ARPANET (military & non-military)
• 1983: ARPANET original protocols were replaced by TCP/IP.

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 Early History of Internet

• Mid 1980’s: Universities were connected using TCP/IP

• 1981: CSNET by NSF to let the universities at the US connect
• 1986: NSFNET- backbone connecting 5 super computer centers.
• Allowed community access.
• 1991: ANSNET supporting the increasing network traffic.
• Developed by IBM, Merit & Verizon.

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 Internet Today
• ISP (Internet
service providers)
• NISP (national
ISP)
• NAP (network
access point)

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Standards: agreed-upon rules
• Standards is essential in
• Creating/maintaining open and competitive markets
• Guaranteeing national/international interoperability
• Two categories
• De jure (“by law” or “by regulation’) standards
• De facto (“by fact” or ‘by convention’) standards
• Proprietary standards: closed standards
• Nonproprietary standards: open standards

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Standards Organizations

• Standards are developed by

• Standards creation committees
• Forums
• Regulatory agencies
• Standards committees & forums
• Standards committees are slow moving
• Forums are made up of interested corporations
• Forums are able to speed acceptance of a particular technology

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Internet Standards
• Tested specification to be used by internet users and developers.
• Strict procedure & testing before making any specification a standard.
• Internet Draft
• working document with no official status
• with a 6-month lifetime
• RFC (Request for Comment)
• Edited, assigned a number, and made available to all interested
parties
• 6 maturity levels
Maturity Levels of RFC
Maturity Levels of RFC
• Proposed Standard
• Specification that is stable
• Is of interest to the internet community
• Usually tested and implemented by several groups at this stage
• Draft Standard
• After at least 2 independent and successful implementation of proposed
standard
• Normally becomes internet standard if modification solve the identified
problems
Maturity Levels of RFC
• Internet Standard
• Draft standard reaches this level if implementation is successfully
demonstrated
• Historic
• Significant from historic perspective
• Either have been superseded by later specs or have never passed the
required maturity levels
• Experimental
• Describes works related to experimental situations which do not
affect the normal operation of internet
• Should not implemented on any operational internet service
Maturity Levels of RFC
• Informational
• Contains general, historic or tutorial information related to the
internet.
• Generally written by non-internet organization such as a vendor
Requirement Levels of RFC
• Required
• If it must be implemented by all internet systems to achieve
minimum conformance
• IP & ICMP
• Recommended
• Recommended because of its usefulness not for minimum
conformance.
• FTP & TELNET
Requirement Levels of RFC
• Elective
• System can use for its own benefit
• Limited Use
• Used only in limited situations, mostly experimental RFCs are in this category
• Not Recommended
• Inappropriate for general use