RFC 2590 (rfc2590) - Page 2 of 19

Transmission of IPv6 Packets over Frame Relay Networks Specification

RFC 2590             IPv6 over Frame Relay Networks             May 1999


1. Introduction

   This document specifies the frame format for transmission of IPv6
   packets over Frame Relay networks, the method of forming IPv6 link-
   local addresses on Frame Relay links, and the mapping of the IPv6
   addresses to Frame Relay addresses.  It also specifies the content of
   the Source/Target link-layer address option used in Neighbor
   Discovery [ND] and Inverse Neighbor Discovery [IND] messages when
   those messages are transmitted over a Frame Relay link.  It is part
   of a set of specifications that define such IPv6 mechanisms for Non
   Broadcast Multi Access (NBMA) media [IPv6-NBMA], [IPv6-ATM], and a
   larger set that defines such mechanisms for specific link layers
   [IPv6-ETH], [IPv6-FDDI], [IPv6-PPP], [IPv6-ATM], etc...

   The information in this document applies to Frame Relay devices which
   serve as end stations (DTEs) on a public or private Frame Relay
   network (for example, provided by a common carrier or PTT.) Frame
   Relay end stations can be IPv6 hosts or routers. In this document
   they are referred to as nodes.

   In a Frame Relay network, a number of virtual circuits form the
   connections between the attached stations (nodes). The resulting set
   of interconnected devices forms a private Frame Relay group which may
   be either fully interconnected with a complete "mesh" of virtual
   circuits, or only partially interconnected.  In either case, each
   virtual circuit is uniquely identified at each Frame Relay interface
   (card) by a Data Link Connection Identifier (DLCI).  In most
   circumstances, DLCIs have strictly local significance at each Frame
   Relay interface.

   A Frame Relay virtual circuit acts like a virtual-link (also referred
   to as logical-link), with its own link parameters, distinct from the
   parameters of other virtual circuits established on the same wire or
   fiber. Such parameters are the input/output maximum frame size,
   incoming/outgoing requested/agreed throughput, incoming/outgoing
   acceptable throughput, incoming/outgoing burst size,
   incoming/outgoing frame rate.

   By default a DLCI is 10 bits in length. Frame Relay specifications
   define also 16, 17, or 23 bit DLCIs. The former is not used, while
   the latter two are suggested for use with SVCs.

   Frame Relay virtual circuits can be created administratively as
   Permanent Virtual Circuits -- PVCs -- or dynamically as Switched
   Virtual Circuits -- SVCs.  The mechanisms defined in this document
   are intended to apply to both permanent and switched Frame Relay
   virtual circuits, whether they are point to point or point to multi-
   point.



Conta, et al.               Standards Track