[mirror_ubuntu-hirsute-kernel.git] / Documentation / networking / framerelay.rst

.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0

================
Frame Relay (FR)
================

Frame Relay (FR) support for linux is built into a two tiered system of device
drivers.  The upper layer implements RFC1490 FR specification, and uses the
Data Link Connection Identifier (DLCI) as its hardware address.  Usually these
are assigned by your network supplier, they give you the number/numbers of
the Virtual Connections (VC) assigned to you.

Each DLCI is a point-to-point link between your machine and a remote one.
As such, a separate device is needed to accommodate the routing.  Within the
net-tools archives is 'dlcicfg'.  This program will communicate with the
base "DLCI" device, and create new net devices named 'dlci00', 'dlci01'...
The configuration script will ask you how many DLCIs you need, as well as
how many DLCIs you want to assign to each Frame Relay Access Device (FRAD).

The DLCI uses a number of function calls to communicate with the FRAD, all
of which are stored in the FRAD's private data area.  assoc/deassoc,
activate/deactivate and dlci_config.  The DLCI supplies a receive function
to the FRAD to accept incoming packets.

With this initial offering, only 1 FRAD driver is available.  With many thanks
to Sangoma Technologies, David Mandelstam & Gene Kozin, the S502A, S502E &
S508 are supported.  This driver is currently set up for only FR, but as
Sangoma makes more firmware modules available, it can be updated to provide
them as well.

Configuration of the FRAD makes use of another net-tools program, 'fradcfg'.
This program makes use of a configuration file (which dlcicfg can also read)
to specify the types of boards to be configured as FRADs, as well as perform
any board specific configuration.  The Sangoma module of fradcfg loads the
FR firmware into the card, sets the irq/port/memory information, and provides
an initial configuration.

Additional FRAD device drivers can be added as hardware is available.

At this time, the dlcicfg and fradcfg programs have not been incorporated into
the net-tools distribution.  They can be found at ftp.invlogic.com, in
/pub/linux.  Note that with OS/2 FTPD, you end up in /pub by default, so just
use 'cd linux'.  v0.10 is for use on pre-2.0.3 and earlier, v0.15 is for
pre-2.0.4 and later.
Commit	Line	Data
5b0d74b5 MCC	1	.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
	2
	3	================
	4	Frame Relay (FR)
	5	================
	6
	7	Frame Relay (FR) support for linux is built into a two tiered system of device
1da177e4 LT	8	drivers. The upper layer implements RFC1490 FR specification, and uses the
	9	Data Link Connection Identifier (DLCI) as its hardware address. Usually these
	10	are assigned by your network supplier, they give you the number/numbers of
	11	the Virtual Connections (VC) assigned to you.
	12
	13	Each DLCI is a point-to-point link between your machine and a remote one.
	14	As such, a separate device is needed to accommodate the routing. Within the
	15	net-tools archives is 'dlcicfg'. This program will communicate with the
5b0d74b5	16	base "DLCI" device, and create new net devices named 'dlci00', 'dlci01'...
1da177e4 LT	17	The configuration script will ask you how many DLCIs you need, as well as
	18	how many DLCIs you want to assign to each Frame Relay Access Device (FRAD).
	19
	20	The DLCI uses a number of function calls to communicate with the FRAD, all
5b0d74b5	21	of which are stored in the FRAD's private data area. assoc/deassoc,
1da177e4 LT	22	activate/deactivate and dlci_config. The DLCI supplies a receive function
	23	to the FRAD to accept incoming packets.
	24
	25	With this initial offering, only 1 FRAD driver is available. With many thanks
5b0d74b5 MCC	26	to Sangoma Technologies, David Mandelstam & Gene Kozin, the S502A, S502E &
5b0d74b5 MCC	27	S508 are supported. This driver is currently set up for only FR, but as
1da177e4 LT	28	Sangoma makes more firmware modules available, it can be updated to provide
	29	them as well.
	30
	31	Configuration of the FRAD makes use of another net-tools program, 'fradcfg'.
	32	This program makes use of a configuration file (which dlcicfg can also read)
	33	to specify the types of boards to be configured as FRADs, as well as perform
	34	any board specific configuration. The Sangoma module of fradcfg loads the
	35	FR firmware into the card, sets the irq/port/memory information, and provides
	36	an initial configuration.
	37
	38	Additional FRAD device drivers can be added as hardware is available.
	39
	40	At this time, the dlcicfg and fradcfg programs have not been incorporated into
5b0d74b5	41	the net-tools distribution. They can be found at ftp.invlogic.com, in
1da177e4	42	/pub/linux. Note that with OS/2 FTPD, you end up in /pub by default, so just
5b0d74b5	43	use 'cd linux'. v0.10 is for use on pre-2.0.3 and earlier, v0.15 is for
1da177e4	44	pre-2.0.4 and later.