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Switching Mechanism for

Data Transfer Part I


Circuit Switching and Packet
Switching

Switched Network

Taxonomy of Switched Network

below.

Circuit Switching

Dedicated communication path between two


stations
Must have switching capacity and channel capacity
to establish connection
Must have intelligence to work out routing
Inefficient

Channel capacity dedicated for duration of connection


If no data, capacity wasted

Set up (connection) takes time


Developed for voice traffic (phone)
Examples

Telephone networks
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Networks)

Circuit-Switched Network

A
B

data transmitted along the dedicated path as


rapidly as possible

Circuit Switching

Timing in Circuit Switching: 3 phases

Node 1

Node 2

processing delay at Node 1


propagation delay
between A
and Node 1
propagation delay
between B

Set-up phase

and A

Data
Transfer phase

DATA
Teardown phase

Circuit Switching
Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages
Fixed delays
Guaranteed continuous delivery
Disadvantages
Channel capacity is engaged for the whole duration of
connection
When there is no data, circuits remain idle and hence,
capacity is wasted
Needs signal transducer (modem) as it is primarily
developed for voice traffic ( 64 Kbps)
Difficult to support variable data rates

Message Switching

No dedicated path needs to be established between end-nodes.


Source and destination node do not interact in real time. There is
no need to determine the status of the destination node before
sending the message.
Each message is an independent entity and carries address
information of the destination. There is no upper limit on the size
of the message.
Header

Data

The messages are stored at each node before being forwarded


to the next node in the route.

Message switching accept all traffic but offers longer delivery


time than circuit switching. Circuit switching blocks/rejects access
trafiic.

Message-Switched Network

At each node, the entire message is


received, stored briefly and transmitted to
next node.
A
R

Internet

R
R
B

Packet Switching

Messages are broken into small segments of bit-sequences and


they are called packets. As packets are restricted to a specific
size, they can be routed more rapidly.
Packets have the following structure:
Header

Data

Header carries control information (e.g., destination id, source id,


message id, packet id, control info)

Each packet is passed through the network from node to node


along some path (Routing)

At each node the entire packet is received, stored briefly, and


then forwarded to the next node (Store-and-Forward Networks)

Typically no storage is required at nodes/switches for packets.

Timing Diagram of Packet Switching

transmission
time of Packet 1
at Host A

Packet 1

propagation
delay from
Host A to
router 1

Packet 2
Packet 1

processing
and
queueing
delay of
Packet 1 at
router 2

Packet 3
Packet 2
Packet 3

Packet 1
Packet 2
Packet 3

Packet Switching
Advantages

Packetization allows short messages to get through


a transmission link without waiting behind long
messages.
Line efficiency

Packets are accepted even when network is busy

Single node to node link can be shared by many packets


over time
Packets queued and transmitted as fast as possible
Delivery may slow down

Priorities can be used

Circuit vs. Packet switching


Circuit switching

Packet switching

Fixed delay

Variable delay

Very inefficient use of

Much more efficient use of

connection capacity

connection capacity

When overloaded, unable to Can almost always connect,


make connection at all

but may be long delays

Both ends of connection

Data-rate conversion is easy

must use same data rate


Expensive for variable data
rate.

Economical.

Packet switching -Techniques

Datagram packet switching

Route chosen on packet-by-packet basis


Different packets may follow different routes
Packets may arrive out of order at the destination

E.g., IP (The Internet Protocol)

Virtual Circuit packet switching

All packets associated with a session follow the same path


Route is chosen at start of session
Packets are labeled with a VC# designating the route
The VC number must be unique on a given link but can
change from link to link

E.g., ATM (Asynchronous transfer mode)

Datagram packet switching

Each packet is
independently switched

each packet header contains


destination address

No resources are preallocated (reserved) in


advance

Routes may change during


session

Timing of
Datagram Packet Switching
A

transmission
time of Packet 1
at A

Node 1

Packet 1

Node 2

propagation
delay between
A and
Node 1

Packet 2
Packet 1
Packet 3

processing
delay of
Packet 1 at
Node 2

Packet 2
Packet 3

Packet 1
Packet 2
Packet 3

Virtual-Circuit
Packet Switching

Preplanned route established


before any packets sent

Call request and call accept


packets establish connection
(handshake)

Communication with virtual circuits


takes place in three phases

VC establishment
data transfer
VC disconnect

Note: packet headers dont need to


contain the full destination address
of the packet

Timing of
Virtual-Circuit Packet Switching
A

Node 1

Node 2

propagation delay
between A
and Node 1

VC
establishment
Packet 1
Packet 2
Packet 1

Data
transfer

Packet 3
Packet 2
Packet 3

Packet 1
Packet 2
Packet 3

VC
termination

Datagram vs. Virtual-Circuits


Packet Switching
Datagram
No call setup phase
Better if few packets

More flexible
Routing can be used to
avoid congested parts of the
network

Virtual circuits
Network can provide
sequencing and error control

Packets are forwarded more


quickly
No routing decisions to
make

Less reliable
Loss of a node looses all
circuits through that node

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