Controlling Speed and Discards

In a Frame Relay network, speed and discards can be controlled using the following mechanisms:

Committed Information Rate (CIR): CIR is the guaranteed rate at which the Frame Relay service provider will transmit data. The CIR is defined in terms of bits per second (bps) and is agreed upon between the customer and the service provider.

Excess Information Rate (EIR): EIR is the rate at which additional traffic can be transmitted if the network is not congested. The EIR is also defined in terms of bps and is agreed upon between the customer and the service provider.

Traffic Shaping: Traffic shaping is a mechanism used to control the flow of traffic to conform to a specified rate. It allows for the smoothing of bursts of traffic by buffering packets and releasing them at a controlled rate. This helps to prevent congestion in the network.

Fragmentation: Fragmentation is the process of breaking up large packets into smaller ones. This helps to reduce the number of packets that need to be retransmitted in case of errors and can improve overall network performance.

Discard Eligibility (DE): The DE bit is used to mark packets that can be discarded by the network in case of congestion. The DE bit is set by the customer and can be used to indicate the relative importance of different packets. By using these mechanisms, the network can be optimized to provide the required level of service while minimizing congestion and discards.