
Frame Relay Overview
117376-B Rev. 00 2-17
In the frame relay packet header, there are two bits that the network sets to alert
nodes of network congestion. These bits, as defined by the frame relay
specification, are the FECN (forward explicit congestion notation) bit and the
BECN (backward explicit congestion notation) bit.
If the network detects congestion, it alerts the router in the same direction as the
received frame by changing the frame’s FECN bit from 0 to 1. For nodes in the
opposite direction of the received frame, it changes the frame’s BECN bit from 0
to 1 (F
igure 2-8).
Figure 2-8. Detecting and Controlling Network Congestion
If you enable the congestion control feature, you can specify the number of
FECN/BECN bits the router receives in a given time period before it stops
transmitting frames. While frames are going across the network, the frame relay
interface checks received packets for FECN and BECN bits set to 1. If the
interface receives the specified number of bits during the designated time period,
frame relay drops all traffic destined for the PVC where there is congestion. When
the interface no longer receives these congestion notifications, the router resumes
transmission.
For example, suppose you set the congestion timer to 0.5 seconds and the
congestion count to 3. In this case, if an interface receives 3 FECNs or BECNs
within 0.5 seconds, the node stops sending frames (although it continues to
receive frames for this PVC). If the interface receives no FECNs or BECNs during
the next 0.5 seconds, the router resumes transmission. For instructions on
configuring the congestion parameters, see Cha
pter 3, “Customizing Frame
Relay,”
Congestion
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