Multi-Link Frame Relay Emulation with Client-Server

Multi-link Frame Relay Emulation
with Client-Server

Overview

Multi-Link Frame Relay, or MFR, is similar to Multi-Link PPP, and both are a form of inverse multiplexing. Users rely on inverse multiplexing when access line capacity does not scale smoothly, i.e. notice the big jumps in bandwidth from 56kbps, 1.544 Mbps, and 45 Mbps. In such cases, intermediate bandwidth must be derived by aggregating a number of smaller access lines into larger ones. MFR is used to derive a larger frame relay pipe by aggregating smaller frame relay pipes. For example, 5 T1 frame relay pipes could be bundled to appear as a single 7.5 Mbps frame relay pipe. Some of the advantages of using MFR are: better bandwidth sizing according to customer traffic requirements and potentially better QOS by minimizing delay.

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MFR works by bundling multiple T1 circuits into a multilink bundle and fragmenting the individual frame relay frames into fragments. These fragments are then transported in parallel over the multiple T1 circuits. At the other end, the fragments are reassembled into the original frame relay frames. The protocol includes the use of sequence numbers to allow the fragments to be reassembled correctly and to ensure that the reconstructed frames are sent out in the original order in which they entered the network.

FR and MFR can be emulated and analyzed using GL’s client-server based MFR Emulation and FR Analysis software modules. MFR is an optional application for GL’s Card and USB based T1 E1 platforms.

Multi-Link Frame Relay Emulator may be accessed through a GUI or through command line scripts.

Screen Shot of MFR Simulation in GUI

Screen Shot of MFR Simulation in CLI

Main Features:

Performs MFR as well as FR simulation on up to 16 T1/E1 lines
Adheres to FRF.12 standards
Support two simulation modes - FR and MFR
FR links can be created on Full or Fractional Timeslots
Group FR links to create a MFR bundle
Dynamically add/remove (open/close) of Frame Relay links without loss in data
Multiple MFR Bundles/FR links can be created with each bundle/link configured with multiple virtual channels for traffic tx/rx
Generate and verify end to end traffic on each Virtual Channel
User configurable FR/MFR packet and fragment size, bandwidth using flags, and maximum link differential delay
Supports both Interface (UNI and NNI) and End-to-End fragmentation
Supports various traffic source/sink types namely, Sequence Number, Binary File, Hex String, and pre-captured HDL files
Supports various Byte level, Frame level , CRC error, and Frame error impairments at link level
Supports various Byte level and Frame level impairments at Fragment/Packet level for each Virtual Channel
Provides detailed statistics for each bundle and virtual channels associated with a bundle

Simulating Frame Relay links

Various links (of any bandwidth varying from 64Kbps to n*64Kpbs or sub channels) can be added in FR Simulation .Two or more than two timeslots can be grouped to constitute a Hyper-channel.

Each of the added links can be configured with Fragmentation size, Flags between HDLC Frames, and Impairments.

Screen Shot of Links in FR Simulation

Link Configuration

This feature provides Frame Fragmentation configuration adhering to FRF.12 standard for traffic generation on selected FR links. The application supports two types of fragmentation: UNI NNI Fragmentation and End-to-End Fragmentation on a FR link. If fragmentation configuration is not enabled then the generated FR traffic will have 2 byte frame relay header only. The application also allows to configure the bandwidth using flags.

Screen Shot of Link Config Layer

Simulating MFR Bundle

MFR bundles multiple link-layer channels into a single network-layer channel. The MFR Simulation allows to create a virtual interface referred as ‘bundle’ interface. An MFR bundle can consist of multiple physical links of the same type or physical links of different types. Data sent through this channel will be distributed among all the links. MFR bundles technique is used to derive larger bandwidth pipe by aggregating smaller bandwidth pipes e.g. from multiple T1s or E1s.

Screen Shot of MFR Bundles and Links

Bundle Configuration and Statistics

Similar to a link, Fragmentation Size and Maximum Differential Delay can be configured for a selected bundle in the Bundle Config screen. Bundle Statistics will show statistics of transmitted frames, received frames, transmitted octets, and received octets for a selected bundle.

Screen Shot of Bundle Config & Statistics

Impairments

Impairments enable the user to intentionally introduce errors in data transmission. Impairments can be applied at different levels, i.e.

Impair all packets sent over a Physical Link
Impair frames on a particular Virtual Channel [VC may be on a physical link or on the MFR bundle].
Impair frames on a particular Aggregated Virtual Channel
Impair all packets on the MFR bundle

Impairments can be applied to a link either before data transmission or during the process of data transmission. Different kinds of impairments are available to perform the task. Bytes can be modified through Delete bytes, Insert bytes, and AND/OR/XOR options. An entire FR frame can also be impaired through Delete, Insert, Duplicate, CRC errors, and Frame errors. Following impairment types are supported:

DELETE – Delete few bytes in a frame or the delete the full frame itself
INSERT- Insert few bytes in a frame or insert the full frame itself
DUPLICATE – Duplicate a frame given number of times
AND, OR, XOR – Logically And/Or/Xor an octet in the frame
CRC – Introduce CRC error.
FRAME ERROR – Introduce frame error.
DELAY – Delay transmission on a physical link by x msec.

For selected links, differential delay can be introduced between links. The delayed links in the links can also be brought back to sync with the Synchronize option.

Screen Shot of Impairment Types

Tx and Rx Action

A virtual channel is created for selected links or bundle to perform traffic actions. In FR simulation the VC will be created on the selected link from the ‘Links’ dropdown menu. In case of MFR simulation VC will be created on the selected bundle. Multiple Virtual Channels can be crated on the same physical link with same fragmentation format and fragment size.

Tx parameters will generate the FR traffic. Received data is verified with respect to the selected Rx parameters and results of verification are available in Tx/Rx verification tab. The parameters for each VC are independently set. The Tx/Rx parameter includes:

Data Type (Sequence No, Packets from HDL or BIN files, HEX string, or Network Traffic)
Data Type Parameters
Prefix Header
Duration Specification
Payload length
Impairments

Screen Shot of FR – Vcs on a Selected Link

Screen Shot of MFR – Vcs on a Selected Bundle

TxRx Verification

The results of the verification for each of the added VCs are available in Tx/Rx Verification. The statistics include:

The number of VCs created.
The number of frames transmitted successfully
The number of frames received successfully
If a received frame is verified successfully, then it will be included in Matched Frame Count
If a received frame does not match, it will be included in the Modified Frame Count
If the frame is lost then it will be included in Deleted Frame Count
If extra frames have been received which were not expected then they will be included in Inserted Frame Count

Screen Shot of Tx/Rx Verification for Each Vc

Link Statistics

Provides important statistics information for the selected link such as such as the Number of frames transmitted, Received frames, Octets Transmitted, and Octets Received.

Screen Shot of HDLC Statistics Layer

VC Statistics

The statistics for each of the added VCs are available and these include number of Transmitted and received frames, Fragments, Octets, and Lost fragments.

Screen Shot of Tx/Rx Statistics for Each Vc

HDLC Statistics

Errors that occur during transmission / reception like the Tx Under/Over Runs, Rx Under/Over Runs, number of FR packets with bad FCS, and number of packets with Frame Errors is recorded in the HDLC Statistics fields.

Screen Shot of Statistic Layer

MFR Emulation using CLI

Adding and Activating Frame Relay links (streams)

Syntax: inform task n "TS [HC|SC] 'Link Name'";
Syntax: inform task n "ACTIVATE TS [HC|SC] ‘Link Name’";

It is used to add new frame relay links (streams) to the task. In FR simulation the added links are independent of each other, and Virtual Channels will be created on each individual link. In MFR simulation all the added links will constitute one MFR bundle, and Virtual Channels will be created on the bundle but not the constituent bundle links.

The activate command is used to activate /deactivate the individual bundle links in the MFR bundle. Provides an option to dynamically activate/deactivate the links, deactivated links are not be used for Tx/Rx.

Creating/deleting Virtual Channels on the links

FR simulation:

Syntax: inform task n "CREATE VC HC #1:0..23 DLCI x FRAG FORMAT UNI NNI [END TO END] FRAGSIZE n";

MFR simulation:

Syntax: inform task n "CREATE VC DLCI x [y z …] FRAGSIZE n";

This is used to create or delete virtual channels on the FR links. In case of MFR simulation, virtual channels are created on the MFR bundle.

Traffic Generation and Verification

FR Simulation

Syntax: inform task n "Tx[Rx]: HC #1:0..23 DLCI x CONT [FRAMES n |EOF] FIXLEN 1500 SEQNUM MSB4 [MSB|LSB 8|2|1]";

MFR Simulation:

Syntax: inform task n "Rx:[Tx:] DLCI x CONT FIXLEN 1500 SEQNUM MSB4";

Aggregated Virtual Channel

Syntax: inform task n "Rx [t]: HC #1:0..23 AVC x CONT [FRAMES n|EOF] FIXLEN 1500 SEQNUM MSB4 [MSB|LSB 8|2|1]";

In MFR Simulation the traffic is generated and received on the entire MFR bundle. But in FR simulation, traffic can be generated and received on each individual FR link. Transmission parameters are used to generate traffic and receiving parameters are used as reference to verify the received frames.

Applying Impairments on Frame transmission

Syntax: inform task n "ERROR REP n [CONT] SKIP m #1:0..23 DLCI x OFFS x DEL x";

Click here to download the Multi-link Frame Relay Client-Server E1/T1 scripts.

Buyer's Guide:

Please Note: The XX in the Item No. refers to the hardware platform, listed at the bottom of the Buyer's Guide, which the software will be running on. Therefore, XX can either be ETA or EEA (Octal/Quad Boards), PTA or PEA (tProbe Units), UTA or UEA (USB Units), HUT or HUE (Universal Cards), and HDT or HDE (HD cards) depending upon the hardware.

Item No.	Item Description
XX655	MultiLink Frame Relay Emulation w/ Tx/Rx Test (requires XX600 & XX634)
	Related Software
XX600	Basic Windows Client/Server Scripted Control Software (Included with Basic Software)
XX634	Multi-Channel HDLC Emulation and Analysis & File based High Throughput HDLC Record/Playback
XX610	File based Record/Playback
XX620	Transmit/Detect digits
XX640	File based HDLC Record/Playback
XX641	File based HDLC Remote Record/Playback
XX130	T1 or E1 Real-Time Frame Relay Protocol Analyzer
OLV130	Offline/ Remote Frame Relay Analyzer
	Related Hardware
PTE001	tProbe™ Dual T1 E1 Laptop Analyzer with Basic Analyzer Software
HDT001/HDE001	Legacy HD T1 or E1 (PCI) Cards with Basic Analyzer Software
HTE001	Universal T1/E1 Card with Basic Analyzer Software
UTE001	Portable USB based Dual T1 or E1 Laptop Analyzer with Basic Analyzer Software

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