Chapter

Packet and Circuit Switching

Chapter Objectives
Explain the concept of packet switching Give sample application areas of packet switching Describe circuit switching Compare and contrast packet switching with circuit switching

Chapter Modules
Packet switching Packet switching applications Circuit switching applications

Module

Packet Switching

Packet Switching Preview

Explain the concept of a path or a route taken by a packet Study the difference between static and dynamic paths? Relate appropriately the terms packet switching and circuit switching to the terms dynamic and static paths Explore the path taken by a packets in dynamic routing when a packet travels from its origin to its destination

The Concept of Path in Communication

A path is a route for data to travel between two nodes in a network Dynamic path
In this case, the path often changes from packet to packet Example: Packet Switching

Static path
Path is initially established and it remains unchanged for the duration of the communication session Example: Circuit Switching

Packet Switching Network

Packet 2
New York

Los Angeles

Packet 1

Miami

Salient Points of Packet Switching

Path
Each packet may take a different path to its destination Best path is heuristically determined at each node

Packet switching
Path may be switched among packets Hence, the term packet switching

Key Words
Packet and circuit switching Dynamic and static paths

End of Module

Module
Advantages and Disadvantages of Packet Switching

Questions
What are the major advantages and disadvantages of packet switching? Could the Internet be called a packet switching network? How does packet switching help in supporting multiple communication sessions? How does a web server support multiple access to its contents? Explain in terms of packets that travel from the web server to their various destinations.

Questions (continued)
What are the implications of packet switching to the transmission of audio and video in real time? How are the above problems addressed in streaming?

Major Advantages
Better utilization of the network segments in terms of the usage of the network paths Ability to engage in multiple communication sessions

Dynamic Assignment of Paths

New York

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

Miami

Support for Multiple Communication Sessions

Session 1
Session 2 New York

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

Miami

Disadvantage or a Concern
Packets may not arrive at their destination in the order in which they were originally transmitted The above possibility exists because of the different paths that are taken by the different packets

Order of Arrival of Packets

Packet 2
New York

Packet 1

Los Angeles Packet 2 may arrive earlier than Packet 1.

Miami

Packet Assembly
Packets are assembled to preserve the order of transmission Packets arriving earlier are held in a buffer The order of arrival is critical and in certain cases the order is time sensitive as well

Transmission of Audio and Video in Packet Switching

Transmission of audio and video are time sensitive
Timely arrival of packet is important

The process that would ensure the orderly and timely arrival of data packets is known as streaming Streaming also compresses the data to minimize bandwidth requirements thus ensuring that the packets have adequate bandwidth to travel to the destination in the order in which they are supposed to arrive at the destination

Buffering in Streaming
Streamed audio or video is often buffered to ensure that the audio or video is played continuously

Advantages And Disadvantages

Advantages
Efficient use of the network paths Engage in multiple sessions

Disadvantages
Additional hardware and software resources are required to assemble and route the packets If real-time continuity is stipulated then the data must be subjected to a process known as streaming

Special Concerns
Audio and video transmission
Streaming is used

Voice Over IP (VoIP) is designed deploy telephony over the Internet

Newer Advancements for Real Time Transmission of Information

Faster Internet speed Better technology
IPv6 Better streaming technologies

Questions
What are the major advantages and disadvantages of packet switching? Could the Internet be called as a packet switching network? How does packet switching help in supporting multiple communication sessions? How does a web server support multiple access to its contents? Explain in terms of packets that travel from the web server to their various destinations on the Internet.

Questions (continued)
What are the implications of packet switching to the transmission of audio and video in real time?
Relate the above to Voice over IP transmission.

How are the above problems addressed in streaming?

End of Module

MODULE
Packet Switching Applications

Questions
Give a simple example of packet switching application Relate packet switching to multiple session applications on the Internet and give examples of multiple session applications Describe audio transmission challenges on packet-switched networks

Questions (Continued)
List the packet switching technologies used in WANs Explain the emergence of the concept of fixed length packets or cells in packet switching networks
Name a cell based transmission technology and state its applications

Internet: An Application of Packet Switching

Internet Server Ramp Los Angeles Packet M1

Packet N1
New York

Miami

Server in Los Angeles supports multiple access to the web over a packet switched connection.

Support for Multiple Sessions

Packet 2
Session LA Session HU New York

Los Angeles

Packet 1 Houston

Miami

Packets are displayed on different sessions on the screen.

Applications Using MultipleSessions

Sharing Collaboration Multiple access to an Internet server etc.

Packet Delivery
SCREEN
Packets from origin 1: N1, N2

Sharing of Word document on Internet under Microsoft NetMeeting

Packets from Origin 2: M1, M2

Audio Transmission Over Packet Switching Network

Relatively high speeds are required on the network Data compression and other techniques are used to ensure continuity know as streaming Sample applications:
Audio streaming on the Internet

RealAudio is an example of a streaming software

Usage of Packet Switching

Large computer networks with multiple routers WAN in general Internet in particular

Packet Switching WAN Technologies

Past and Present
X.25 Packet Switching

Present and Near Future

Frame Relay

Present and Future

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) ATM is also known as Cell Relay

ATM
Asynchronous Transmission Method (ATM) Based on fixed length packets Switches instead of routers are used to route the information on a network This is the emerging technology in WAN transmission (Include more information on ATM)

Recollecting the Concept of Cell

Data Packet varies in size

Data Cell is of fixed length

Questions
Give a simple example of packet switching application Relate packet switching to multiple session applications on the Internet and give examples of multiple session applications Describe audio transmission challenges on packet-switched networks

Questions (Continued)
List the packet switching technologies used in WANs Explain the emergence of the concept of fixed length packets or cells in packet switching networks
Name a cell based transmission technology and state its applications

End of Module

MODULE 5

Circuit Switching

Questions
Explain the concepts of circuit switching. How does it function? What are the advantages and disadvantages of circuit switching? Name some applications of circuit switching Compare circuit switching with packet switching

Circuit Switching Network

Switch
Established Circuit New York

Los Angeles

Circuit established and maintained for entire duration of communication.

Defining Characteristics of Circuit Switching

Establish (switch) a path (circuit) between two nodes of communication Maintain the circuit for the full duration of communication session

Advantages of Circuit Switching

Continuity assured in the order of transmission Audio can be transmitted without streaming provided adequate bandwidth is available
Otherwise streaming is necessary

The overhead is low in switching a circuit

Disadvantages of Circuit Switching

Inefficient use of the paths that are available within a network
This may lead to circuit saturation

Users can be locked out of the network Multiple sessions cannot easily be implemented although it is possible to have multiple sessions

Circuit Saturation
Established Circuit
New York

Los Angeles

Miami
Saturation point.

Areas of Applications
Voice/Video communications
Telephone network

Both analog and digital telecommunication lines can be circuit switched ISDN

More on ISDN
ISDN has two B channels and one D channel
B channel is used for data and D channel is used for monitoring and control of the data transmission

B channels are circuit switched and the D channels are packet switched

Comparison
Packet Switching Circuit Switching _______________________________________________ Efficient use of network High overhead Computer data Audio and video transmissions are, however, possible Multiple sessions possible are easily implemented Inefficient use Low overhead Audio and video

Multiple sessions are possible, however it requires additional hardware and software

Questions
Explain the concepts of circuit switching. How does it function? What are the advantages and disadvantages of circuit switching? Name some applications of circuit switching Compare circuit switching with packet switching

END OF MODULE

END OF MODULE 5 END OF CHAPTER