Planning Your Frame Relay Network

To ensure that all aspects of your connections to the frame relay network are covered, complete the following steps:

1. For each location where a router attaches to the frame relay network, specify the following parameters:
   • Interface speed required (for example, 256 Kbps or 1.544 Mbps)

     The interface speed should support the type of applications that will be communicating using NetWare Link/Frame Relay software.

     For example, if you have an application that must communicate with three remote sites using a minimum of 32 Kbps sustained bandwidth, the physical interface must be able to support at least 3 x 32 Kbps, or 96 Kbps.

     You should also consider traffic pattern characteristics (bursty or sustained) when specifying interface speed.

   • Physical interface required (for example, V.35 or RS-232)
   • Number of partner routers that will be connected using frame relay

2. Contact your frame relay network service provider and request the specific parameter values you require.

   These values should correspond to those defined in Step 1.

   The frame relay network service provider will set up your service and assign DLCI numbers to each PVC.

3. Using the information from Step 1 and Step 2, fill in the NetWare Link/Frame Relay worksheet.

   Figure 7 shows a template of the NetWare Link/Frame Relay configuration worksheet.

   Figure 7
   NetWare Link/Frame Relay Worksheet
   

The following fields are included in the NetWare Link/Frame Relay configuration worksheet:

• NetWare Link/Frame Relay Local Router ID (at top of page)---Symbolic name assigned by the system administrator to identify a particular NetWare Link/Frame Relay router. The ID is arbitrary. It provides a way to track or reference a particular NetWare Link/Frame Relay router.
• Physical Type ---Physical connection type to the frame relay switch that the NetWare Link/Frame Relay router is to be connected to.
• Interface Speed ---External or internal. Internal speeds vary with the driver used.
• Encoding Option ---Corresponds to the encoding set on the physical line that the NetWare Link/Frame Relay router is attached to. It can be NRZI (nonreturn to zero inverted) or NRZ (nonreturn to zero).
• Destination (Partner) ---Destination name at the remote end of a PVC that connects communications partners.
• DLCI Number ---Data Link Connection Identifier number assigned by the frame relay network service provider for each PVC.