xref: /OK3568_Linux_fs/kernel/Documentation/networking/framerelay.rst (revision 4882a59341e53eb6f0b4789bf948001014eff981)
1*4882a593Smuzhiyun.. SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
2*4882a593Smuzhiyun
3*4882a593Smuzhiyun================
4*4882a593SmuzhiyunFrame Relay (FR)
5*4882a593Smuzhiyun================
6*4882a593Smuzhiyun
7*4882a593SmuzhiyunFrame Relay (FR) support for linux is built into a two tiered system of device
8*4882a593Smuzhiyundrivers.  The upper layer implements RFC1490 FR specification, and uses the
9*4882a593SmuzhiyunData Link Connection Identifier (DLCI) as its hardware address.  Usually these
10*4882a593Smuzhiyunare assigned by your network supplier, they give you the number/numbers of
11*4882a593Smuzhiyunthe Virtual Connections (VC) assigned to you.
12*4882a593Smuzhiyun
13*4882a593SmuzhiyunEach DLCI is a point-to-point link between your machine and a remote one.
14*4882a593SmuzhiyunAs such, a separate device is needed to accommodate the routing.  Within the
15*4882a593Smuzhiyunnet-tools archives is 'dlcicfg'.  This program will communicate with the
16*4882a593Smuzhiyunbase "DLCI" device, and create new net devices named 'dlci00', 'dlci01'...
17*4882a593SmuzhiyunThe configuration script will ask you how many DLCIs you need, as well as
18*4882a593Smuzhiyunhow many DLCIs you want to assign to each Frame Relay Access Device (FRAD).
19*4882a593Smuzhiyun
20*4882a593SmuzhiyunThe DLCI uses a number of function calls to communicate with the FRAD, all
21*4882a593Smuzhiyunof which are stored in the FRAD's private data area.  assoc/deassoc,
22*4882a593Smuzhiyunactivate/deactivate and dlci_config.  The DLCI supplies a receive function
23*4882a593Smuzhiyunto the FRAD to accept incoming packets.
24*4882a593Smuzhiyun
25*4882a593SmuzhiyunWith this initial offering, only 1 FRAD driver is available.  With many thanks
26*4882a593Smuzhiyunto Sangoma Technologies, David Mandelstam & Gene Kozin, the S502A, S502E &
27*4882a593SmuzhiyunS508 are supported.  This driver is currently set up for only FR, but as
28*4882a593SmuzhiyunSangoma makes more firmware modules available, it can be updated to provide
29*4882a593Smuzhiyunthem as well.
30*4882a593Smuzhiyun
31*4882a593SmuzhiyunConfiguration of the FRAD makes use of another net-tools program, 'fradcfg'.
32*4882a593SmuzhiyunThis program makes use of a configuration file (which dlcicfg can also read)
33*4882a593Smuzhiyunto specify the types of boards to be configured as FRADs, as well as perform
34*4882a593Smuzhiyunany board specific configuration.  The Sangoma module of fradcfg loads the
35*4882a593SmuzhiyunFR firmware into the card, sets the irq/port/memory information, and provides
36*4882a593Smuzhiyunan initial configuration.
37*4882a593Smuzhiyun
38*4882a593SmuzhiyunAdditional FRAD device drivers can be added as hardware is available.
39*4882a593Smuzhiyun
40*4882a593SmuzhiyunAt this time, the dlcicfg and fradcfg programs have not been incorporated into
41*4882a593Smuzhiyunthe net-tools distribution.  They can be found at ftp.invlogic.com, in
42*4882a593Smuzhiyun/pub/linux.  Note that with OS/2 FTPD, you end up in /pub by default, so just
43*4882a593Smuzhiyunuse 'cd linux'.  v0.10 is for use on pre-2.0.3 and earlier, v0.15 is for
44*4882a593Smuzhiyunpre-2.0.4 and later.
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