LAN Protocol Architecture
LAN Protocol Architecture
Physical layer. Logical link control (LLC) sub-layer, Media access control (MAC) sub-layer.
LLC is concerned with transmission of linklevel PDUs between two stations LLC has two special characteristics:
Must support multiaccess, shared medium (no primary node as in multidrop line) Relieved of some link access details by MAC layer
LLC Services
The operation and format of this standard is based on HDLC (High Level Data Link Control). Provide three different services for attached devices:
LLC Protocol
Is modeled after HDLC, and has similar functions and formats. LLC protocol operation:
LLC use asynchronous balanced mode of operation of HDLC to support connection mode LLC service (type 2 operation) LLC supports an unacknowledged connectionless service using unnumbered information PDUs (type 1 operation) LLC supports acknowledged connectionless service using unnumbered information PDUs (type 3 operation) LLC permits multiplexing using LLC service access points (LSAPs)
Central
Adv.: Greater control and simple access logic at station (no coordination complexities) Disadv.: Single point of failure and potential bottleneck
How
Synchronous: specific capacity dedicated to connection Asynchronous: in response to demand; can be subdivided into three categories (round robin, reservation, contention)
Round robin:
Each station is given the opportunity to transmit. The right to transmit passes in a logical sequence.
Reservation: a node will reserves future slots from the medium time to transmit, this is good for stream traffic. Contention
Good for bursty traffic All stations contend for time Distributed control Simple to implement Efficient under moderate load Tend to collapse under heavy load
MAC layer receives data from LLC layer The fields of MAC frame:
MAC control: protocol control like priority. Destination MAC address Source MAC address LLC: data from next higher layer. CRC: FCS for error detection.
MAC layer detects errors and discards frames LLC optionally retransmits unsuccessful frames
To enhance reliability a four frame exchange may be used, RTS from source to destination, destination sends CTS and after receiving CTS, source sends data frame and destination responds with an ACK.
SIFS: Short IFS(short) PIFS: Point Coordination IFS(medium) DIFS: Distributed Coordination IFS(longer)
ACK: Each frame is acknowledged after SIFS by the recipient. When source receives ACK it immediately sends next frame in sequence. CTS: Poll response