1 Data Link Control Data Communication & Computer Networking

1. Main Features of Data Link Control & Why flow control is required?
Answer:- The two main functions of the data link layer are Data link control and Media access Control. The first, data link control, deals with the design and procedures for communication between two adjacent nodes: node-tonode communication. The second function of the data link layer is media access control, or how to share the link.

Main Features of Data Link Control are:Frame synchronization:- Data are sent in blocks called frames. The beginning and end of each frame must be recognizable. Flow control:-The sending station must not send frames at a rate faster then the receiving station can absorb them. Error control:-Any bit errors introduced by the transmission system must be corrected. Addressing:-On a multipoint line, such as a local area network (LAN), the identity of the two stations involved in a transmission must be specified. Control and data on same link:- It is usually not desirable to have a physically separate communications path for control information. Accordingly, the receiver must be able to distinguish control information from the data being transmitted. Link management: - The initiation, maintenance, and termination of a sustained data exchange require a fair amount of coordination and cooperation among stations. Procedures for the management of this exchange are required.

Why flow control is required?

Flow control is a technique for assuring that a transmitting entity does not over- whelm a receiving entity with data. The receiving entity typically allocates a data buffer of some maximum length for a transfer. When data are received, the receiver must do a certain amount of processing before passing the data to the higher-level software. In the absence of flow control, the receiver's buffer may fill up and overflow while it is processing old data.

2. The Receiver must contain a sorting logic while a sender must contain a searching logic during ARQ. Which ARQ uses such mechanism for transmission, explain in all three cases.
Answer:- Selective Repeat Automatic Repeat Request Go-Back-N ARQ simplifies the process at the receiver site. The receiver keeps track of only one variable, and there is no need to buffer out-of-order frames; they are simply discarded. However, this protocol is very inefficient for a noisy link. In a noisy link a frame has a higher probability of damage, which means the resending of multiple frames. This resending uses up the bandwidth and slows down the transmission. For noisy links, there is another mechanism that does not resend N frames when just one frame is dam- aged; only the damaged frame is resent. This mechanism is called Selective Repeat ARQ. It is more efficient for noisy links, but the processing at the receiver is more complex. The Selective Repeat Protocol also uses two mechanisms: a sender mechanism searching and a receiver mechanism sorting. The sender always searchs for the ACK from receiver of individual and if any ACK does not come in its given time period the sender sends that particular frame again (Selective Repeat).

2 Data Link Control Data Communication & Computer Networking Similarly the receiver contains a sorting mechanism as it sorts the correct or errorless data frame from sender and after successful delivery it arrange or sorts those frames in right order to get correct information. At the receiver site we need to distinguish between the acceptance of a frame and its delivery to the network layer. At the second arrival, frame 2 arrives and is stored and marked (colored slot), but it cannot be delivered because frame 1 is missing. At the next arrival, frame 3 arrives and is marked and stored, but still none of the frames can be delivered. Only at the last arrival, when finally a copy of frame 1 arrives, can frames 1, 2, and 3 be delivered to the net- work layer. There are two conditions for the delivery of frames to the network layer: First, a set of consecutive frames must have arrived. Second, the set starts from the beginning of the window. After the first arrival, there was only one frame and it started from the beginning of the window. After the last arrival, there are three frames and the first one starts from the beginning of the window. 3. Describe the two approaches by which packet loss is detected in Go-Back-n ARQ

protocol & Selective repeat protocol. Answer:- Go-Back-N : Case when the forward channel is reliable, but the reverse is not. I.e. No data frames
are lost, but some ACKs are delayed and one is lost. The example also shows how cumulative acknowledgments can help if acknowledgments are delayed or lost. After initialization, there are seven sender events. Request events are triggered by data from the network layer; arrival events are triggered by acknowledgments from the physical layer. There is no time-out event here because all outstanding frames are acknowledged before the timer expires. Note that although ACK 2 is lost, ACK 3 serves as both ACK 2 and ACK 3. There are four receiver events, all triggered by the arrival of frames from the physical layer.

Selective Repeat Automatic Repeat Request :Go-Back-N ARQ simplifies the process at the receiver

3 Data Link Control Data Communication & Computer Networking site. The receiver keeps track of only one variable, and there is no need to buffer out-of-order frames; they are simply discarded. However, this protocol is very inefficient for a noisy link. In a noisy link a frame has a higher probability of damage, which means the resending of multiple frames. This resending uses up the bandwidth and slows down the transmission. For noisy links, there is another mechanism that does not resend N frames when just one frame is dam- aged; only the damaged frame is resent. This mechanism is called Selective Repeat ARQ. It is more efficient for noisy links, but the processing at the receiver is more complex.

4. What is Piggybacking? Answer:- Piggybacking The three protocols we discussed in this section are all unidirectional: data frames
flow in only one direction although control information such as ACK and NAK frames can travel in the other direction. In real life, data frames are normally flowing in both direc- tions: from node A to node B and from

4 Data Link Control Data Communication & Computer Networking node B to node A. This means that the control information also needs to flow in both directions. A technique called piggybacking is used to improve the efficiency of the bidirectional protocols. When a frame is carrying data from A to B, it can also carry control information about arrived (or lost) frames from B; when a frame is carrying data from B to A, it can also carry control information about the arrived (or lost) frames from A.

Piggybacking without Error:

Node A begins the exchange of information with an I-frame numbered 0 followed by another I-frame numbered 1. Node B piggybacks its acknowledgment of both frames onto an Iframe of its own. Node B's first I-frame is also numbered 0 [N(S) field] and contains a 2 in its N(R) field, acknowledging the receipt of A's frames 1 and 0 and indicating that it expects frame 2 to arrive next. Node B transmits its second and third I-frames (numbered 1 and 2) before accepting further frames from node A. Its N(R) information, therefore, has not changed: B frames 1 and 2 indicate that node B is still expecting A's frame 2 to arrive next. Node A has sent all its data. Therefore, it cannot piggyback an acknowledgment onto an I-frame and sends an S-frame instead. The RR code indicates that A is still ready to receive. The number 3 in the N(R) field tells B that frames 0, 1, and 2 have all been accepted and that A is now expecting frame Number 3.

Piggybacking with Error :

Node B sends three data frames (0, 1, and 2), but frame 1 is lost. When node A receives frame 2, it discards it and sends a REJ frame for frame 1. Note that the protocol being used is GoBack-N with the special use of an REJ frame as a NAK frame. The NAK frame does two things here: It confirms the receipt of frame 0 and declares that frame 1 and any following frames must be resent. Node B,

5 Data Link Control Data Communication & Computer Networking after receiving the REJ frame, resends frames 1 and 2. Node A acknowledges the receipt by sending an RR frame (ACK) with acknowledgment number 3.

5. What happened if FCS is damaged in HDLC frame?

Answer:- In case of FCS is damaged at receiver there will be no error check available so either frame will be rejected or will show as corrupted, so re-transmission of frame would happen.