Chapter 8

Switching (VC)

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Transmissions are broken up into smaller units

called packets. Extra information is required.

Divided data + H T = H T

packet

All the packets forming a message arrive at the

destination, they are recompiled into the original
message.

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 8-3 PACKET SWITCHING

In a packet-switched network, the message needs

to be divided into packets. The size of the packet
is determined by the protocol.

8.19

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 Virtual circuit Switching

8.3.2 Virtual-Circuit Networks

A virtual-circuit network is a cross between a circuit-

switched network and a datagram network.

Resources can be allocated during the setup phase, as

in a circuit-switched network, or on demand , as in a
datagram network.

餐廳 — 可預約及排隊
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Datagram network

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In a VC network, two types of addressing are

involved: global and local (virtual-circuit identifier,
VCI).

The global address is used only to create a VCI.

Setup Phase

Data Transfer Phase

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 Three phases of a VC network:
1-1

1
1-2

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Figure 8.11: Virtual-circuit identifier

A VCI, unlike a global address, is a small number that has only switch
scope; it is used by a frame between two switches.
When a frame arrives at a switch, it has a VCI; when it leaves, it has a
different VCI.

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Figure 8.12: Switch and table for a virtual-circuit network

come from different senders

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Figure 8.13: Source-to-destination data transfer in a virtual circuit-switch
network

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Figure 8.14: Setup request in a virtual-circuit network

The switch in this phase: as a router in Datagram

source/destination addresses (global)

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Figure 8.15: Setup acknowledgment in a virtual-circuit network

global addresses included

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