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At the basic level, to do statistical multiplexing, NetWare Link/Frame Relay uses intelligent end points over high-quality, highly reliable transmission facilities to connect switches in a shared frame relay network. This network eliminates as much protocol overhead as possible and also eliminates the error control usually needed in data transfers, such as in X.25.
NetWare Link/Frame Relay provides unreliable connectivity with throughput rates of up to T1/E1 access (1.544 Mbps/2.048 Mbps).
NetWare Link/Frame Relay is essentially a service access interface that connects to a transport network to transfer data from one end node (router) to one or more remote end nodes, as shown in Figure 1. The service access interface determines what happens between bridges or routers and the edge nodes of the frame relay transport network. The transport network can use any internal frame formats, protocol procedures, and routing algorithms.
Figure 1
Frame Relay Components
NetWare Link/Frame Relay is an interface protocol between a router and the actual frame relay network. Frame relay network standards do not stipulate how transport networks should be implemented internally (except for congestion behavior). Thus, these networks are usually represented graphically as clouds.
End-to-end performance of data transfer is determined by the implementation and operation of the end nodes, for both service access interfaces, and by the intervening transport network.
The following major components are required for frame relay access:
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