Scribd
Upload
71 views

Amitava Nag: Assistant Professor Dept. of IT Academy of Technology

The document discusses circuit switching and packet switching approaches for data communication. Circuit switching requires establishing a dedicated communication path between stations before data transmission can begin. Packet switching breaks data into smaller packets that are transmitted independently and can share network links, making it more efficient for bursty computer traffic. Packets can be transmitted either through virtual circuits, which establish a fixed route before transmission, or through datagrams where each packet is routed independently.

Uploaded by

Paromita Biswas
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
71 views

Amitava Nag: Assistant Professor Dept. of IT Academy of Technology

The document discusses circuit switching and packet switching approaches for data communication. Circuit switching requires establishing a dedicated communication path between stations before data transmission can begin. Packet switching breaks data into smaller packets that are transmitted independently and can share network links, making it more efficient for bursty computer traffic. Packets can be transmitted either through virtual circuits, which establish a fixed route before transmission, or through datagrams where each packet is routed independently.

Uploaded by

Paromita Biswas
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

Amitava Nag

Assistant Professor Dept. of IT Academy of Technology [email protected]


9/26/2012 Lecture 3 1

CIRCUIT SWITCHING
A dedicated communication path is required between two stations.
The path follows a fixed sequence of intermediate links.
A logical channel gets defined on each physical link. Dedicated to the connection.

CIRCUIT SWITCHING (CONT.)


In circuit switching, three steps are required for communication:
Connection establishment
Required before data transmission.

Data transfer
Can proceed at maximum speed.

Connection termination
Required after data transmission is over. For deallocation of network resources.

Figure 1: CIRCUIT SWITCHING

CIRCUIT SWITCHING (CONT.)


Drawbacks:
Channel capacity gets dedicated during the entire duration of communication.
Acceptable for voice communication. Very inefficient for bursty traffic.

There is an initial delay.


For connection establishment.

PACKET SWITCHING
Modern form of long-distance data communication.
Network resources are not dedicated. A link can be shared.

The basic technology has evolved over time.


Basic concept has remained the same. Widely used for long-distance data communication.

PACKET SWITCHING (CONT.)


Data are transmitted in short packets (~ Kbytes).
A longer message is broken up into smaller chunks. The chunks are called packets. Every packet contains a header. Relevant information for routing, etc.

Packet switching is based on store-and-forward concept.


Each intermediate network node receives a whole packet. Decides the route. Forwards the packet along the selected route.

Figure 2: Packet Switching

PACKET SWITCHING (CONT.)


Advantages:
Links can be shared; so link utilization is better. Suitable for computer-generated traffic.
Typically bursty in nature.

Buffering and data rate conversion can be performed easily. Some packets may be given priority over others, if desired.

How are the packets transmitted? Two alternative approaches:


Virtual Circuits Datagram

VIRTUAL CIRCUIT APPROACH


Similar in concept to circuit switching. A route is established before packet transmission starts. All packets follow the same path. The links comprising the path are not dedicated.
Different from circuit switching in this respect.

Analogy: Telephone system.

DATAGRAM APPROACH
Basic concept: No route is established beforehand. Each packet is transmitted as an independent entity. Does not maintain any history. Analogy: Postal system. Every intermediate node has to take routing decisions dynamically. Makes use of a routing table. Every packet must contain source and destination addresses.

You might also like