Chapter 5

Link Layer

Link Layer 5-1

Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.5 link virtualization:
5.2 error detection, MPLS
correction 5.6 data center
5.3 multiple access networking
protocols 5.7 a day in the life of a
5.4 LANs web request
 addressing, ARP
 Ethernet
 switches
 VLANS

Link Layer 5-2

Ethernet switch
 link-layer device: takes an active role
 store, forward Ethernet frames
 examine incoming frame’s MAC address,
selectively forward frame to one-or-more
outgoing links when frame is to be forwarded on
segment, uses CSMA/CD to access segment
 transparent
 hosts are unaware of presence of switches
 plug-and-play, self-learning
 switches do not need to be configured

Link Layer 5-3

Switch: multiple simultaneous transmissions
 hosts have dedicated, direct A
connection to switch
B
 switches buffer packets C’

 Ethernet protocol used on each 6 1 2

incoming link, but no collisions;
full duplex 5 4 3
 each link is its own collision
C
domain B’

 switching: A-to-A’ and B-to-B’

can transmit simultaneously, A’
without collisions switch with six interfaces
(1,2,3,4,5,6)

Link Layer 5-4

Switch forwarding table

Q: how does switch know A’ A

reachable via interface 4, B’ B
reachable via interface 5? C’

 A: each switch has a switch 6 1 2

table, each entry:
5 4 3
 (MAC address of host, interface to
reach host, time stamp) B’ C

 looks like a routing table!

A’
Q: how are entries created, switch with six interfaces
maintained in switch table? (1,2,3,4,5,6)
 something like a routing protocol?

Link Layer 5-5

Switch: self-learning Source: A
Dest: A’

A A A’
 switch learns which hosts
can be reached through B
which interfaces C’

 when frame received, 6 1 2

switch “learns”
location of sender: 5 4 3
incoming LAN segment
 records sender/location B’ C
pair in switch table
A’

MAC addr interface TTL

A 1 60 Switch table
(initially empty)

Link Layer 5-6

Switch: frame filtering/forwarding
when frame received at switch:

1. record incoming link, MAC address of sending host

2. index switch table using MAC destination address
3. if entry found for destination
then {
if destination on segment from which frame arrived
then drop frame
else forward frame on interface indicated by entry
}
else flood /* forward on all interfaces except arriving
interface */

Link Layer 5-7

Self-learning, forwarding: example Source: A
Dest: A’

A A A’
 frame destination, A’,
locaton unknown: flood C’ B

 destination A location 6 1 2

known: selectively send A A’

5 4 3
on just one link B’ C
A’ A

A’

MAC addr interface TTL

A 1 60 switch table
A’ 4 60 (initially empty)

Link Layer 5-8

Interconnecting switches
 switches can be connected together
S4

S1
S3
A S2
F
D I
B C
G H
E

Q: sending from A to G - how does S1 know to

forward frame destined to F via S4 and S3?
 A: self learning! (works exactly the same as in
single-switch case!)
Link Layer 5-9
Self-learning multi-switch example
Suppose C sends frame to I, I responds to C

S4

S1
S3
A S2
F
D I
B C
G H
E

 Q: show switch tables and packet forwarding in S1, S2, S3, S4

Link Layer 5-10

Institutional network
mail server
to external
network
router web server

IP subnet

Link Layer 5-11

Switches vs. routers
application
transport
both are store-and-forward:
datagram network
 routers: network-layer frame link
devices (examine network- physical link frame
layer headers) physical
 switches: link-layer devices
(examine link-layer switch
headers)
network datagram
both have forwarding tables: link frame
physical
 routers: compute tables
using routing algorithms, IP application
addresses transport
 switches: learn forwarding network
table using flooding, link
learning, MAC addresses physical

Link Layer 5-12

Link layer, LANs: outline
5.1 introduction, services 5.5 link virtualization:
5.2 error detection, MPLS
correction 5.6 data center
5.3 multiple access networking
protocols 5.7 a day in the life of a
5.4 LANs web request
 addressing, ARP
 Ethernet
 switches
 VLANS

Link Layer 5-13

VLANs: motivation
consider:
 CS professor moves office
to EE, but wants connect
to CS switch?
 single broadcast domain:
 all layer-2 broadcast
traffic (ARP, DHCP,
Computer
unknown location of
Science Electrical
Computer
Engineering
destination MAC
Engineering address) must cross
entire LAN
 security/privacy,
efficiency issues

Link Layer 5-14

 port-based VLAN: switch ports
VLANs grouped (by switch management
software) so that single physical
switch ……
Virtual Local
1 7 9 15
Area Network 2 8 10 16

switch(es) supporting
VLAN capabilities can … …
be configured to Electrical Engineering Computer Science
(VLAN ports 9-15)
define multiple virtual (VLAN ports 1-8)

LANS over single … operates as multiple virtual switches

physical LAN
infrastructure. 1 7 9 15
2 8 10 16

… …

Electrical Engineering Computer Science

(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-16)

Link Layer 5-15

 Port-based VLAN
router
 traffic isolation: frames to/from
ports 1-8 can only reach ports
1-8
 can also define VLAN based on
MAC addresses of endpoints,
rather than switch port 1 7 9 15

2 8 10 16

 dynamic membership: ports

can be dynamically assigned … …
among VLANs Electrical Engineering Computer Science
(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-15)

 forwarding between VLANS: done via

routing (just as with separate
switches)
 in practice vendors sell combined
switches plus routers

Link Layer 5-16

VLANS spanning multiple switches
1 7 9 15 1 3 5 7
2 8 10 16 2 4 6 8

… …

Electrical Engineering Computer Science Ports 2,3,5 belong to EE VLAN

(VLAN ports 1-8) (VLAN ports 9-15) Ports 4,6,7,8 belong to CS VLAN

 trunk port: carries frames between VLANS defined over

multiple physical switches
 frames forwarded within VLAN between switches can’t be vanilla
802.1 frames (must carry VLAN ID info)
 802.1q protocol adds/removed additional header fields for frames
forwarded between trunk ports

Link Layer 5-17