PNNI: How it Works

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Topics
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Introduction Background Concepts Key Phase 1 Requirements PNNI Routing PNNI Signalling Configuring the PNNI Hierarchy Future Capabilities Summary

What Is a PNNI ?
UNI PNNI UNI

- OR ATM Network ATM Network

UNI

PNNI

UNI

PNNI: Private Network-Network or Network-Node Interface UNI: User Network Interface

PNNI and Other ATM Interfaces

Public NNI Metropolis Data Services Inc. Private Private UNI Public UNI A T M D X I B-ICI NNI

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UNI NNI B-ICI DXI

User Network Interface Network Node Interface BISDN Inter-Carrier Interface Data eXchange Interface

Country W ide Carrier Services

ATM Layer Specification NNI Cell Format

7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Virtual Path Identifier Virtual Channel Identifier Virtual Path

Legend CLP GFC VPI Cell Loss Priority Generic Flow Control V irtual Path Identifier

Identifier

Virtual Channel Identifier

5 Bytes
CLP

Virtual Channel Identifier

Payload Type Identifier

Header Error Check

Payload (48 bytes)

48 Bytes

UNI and NNI cell header difference: -NNI: 12-bit VPI field, no GFC -UNI: 8-bit VPI field, 4-bit GFC

Simple PNNI Solution: Interim Inter-switch Signalling Protocol (IISP)

IISP IISP IISP
V E N D O R D

VENDOR A

V E N D O R B

VENDOR E

V E N D O R C

Purpose: Enables Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC) interoperability in small, static environments.
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Uses UNI 3.0/3.1 Signalling between switches Requires manual configuration of static topology and resource tables Specification released: 3/95
A

Advanced Solution:
PNNI 1.0
X.1.1

X.1

X.2

User A
(A d d r: X . 1 . 1 . A )

X.1.2

X.2.1

X.2.2

User B
(A d d r: X . 2 . 2 . B )

Purpose : Enables extremely scalable, full function, dynamic, multi-vendor ATM networks.
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Designed to support a multi-vendor, global ATM internet. Two key protocols:

PNNI Routing: PNNI Signalling:

Hierarchical, state-of-the-art routing protocol Based on Q.2931, extended as necessary.

Specification released: 3/96

Concept of Topology State Routing

S 3 S 2 S 4 S 5

S3 S1 S2 S4
S 4 S 2 S 3 S 5

S5
S 5 B S 4 S 3

User A

S 1 A S 2

S 2 S 1 S 3 S 4

User B

Each node periodically:

(1) Exchanges Hello packets with directly neighboring nodes. (2) Constructs PNNI Topology State Elements (PTSEs), describing the node and listing links to direct neighbors, as shown above. (3) Floods PTSEs to all other nodes.

Each node uses own view of global topology to compute routes. A hierarchical topology state algorithm is the key to PNNI Routing.

Concept of Source Routes

S3
B

S1
B S 1 S 2 S 4 S 5

S2 S4

S5

User A
Adds Source Route

User B

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Ingress nodes choose a complete path to the destination Ingress node then adds full path to the message itself Transit nodes simply follow the given path

PNNI Signalling uses a hierarchical version of this concept.

Key Phase 1 Requirements

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Support UNI 3.1 capabilities

Point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections QOS classes ABR Individual QoS parameters

Support some UNI 4.0 (TM and Signalling) capabilities

Support massive scalability Support intra- and inter-domain functionality in a single, integrated protocol. Leverage existing work

PNNI Signalling: PNNI Routing:

Use Q.2931 as base B o r r o w / extend concepts from OSPF, IS-IS, IDRP

PNNI Routing Key Concepts

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Addressing

ATM End System Address (AESA) format ATM Address Prefixes Reachability Information

Hierarchical Aggregation of Information

PNNI Routing Hierarchy Aggregating Information Up the Hierarchy Passing Summarized Information Back Down Result: How a Switch Views the Global Topology

Enabling QOS-sensitive routing

Advertising Topology State Parameters Call Admission Control (CAC)

Address Format Used in PNNI

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ATM End System Addresses (AESAs)

Based on ISO NSAP Come in multiple varieties, most notably

-

DCC (Data Country Code) ICD (International Code Designator) E.164 (E.164 address contained in AESA)

Other AESA formats may be supported

No direct support of native E.164 numbers

May translate to E.164 AESA in PNNI network

AESA Format
20 octets 7 octets
AFI IDI HO - DSP

ESI DSP
Domain Specific Part Structured by the authority identified by IDI

SEL

Authority and Format Identifier Identifies what s c h e m e is to follow

Initial Domain Identifier Identifies the authority responsible for allocating structure of DSP

HO-DSP = Higher Order DSP ESI = End System Identifier (MAC address) SEL = Selector (for end system use only)

ATM Address Prefixes

AFI IDI HO - DSP

ESI

SEL

p
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Address prefix of length p is first p bits of address Prefixes with length 0 <= p <= 152 used to summarize portions of addressing domain

Represents reachability to all addresses that begin with stated prefix Selector (20th) octet has only local significance to end system, ignored by PNNI routing

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Strictly hierarchical (left-to-right) interpretation Boundaries can be put at any bit position p

Allows variable levels of hierarchy

Reachability Information
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In addition to topology information, each node advertises list of reachable address prefixes
(LECS)

47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F01.0001.00000C.5BD9A5.00 C5.0079.0000.0000.0000.0000.0000.00A03E.000001.00 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F01.0001.001011.BAD524.00

47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F01.0001.00603E.7B190A.00 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F01.0001.001011.BAE247.00 matches summary address Engineering 1

Advertised reachable address prefixes: 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F01.0001 summary C5.0079.0000.0000.0000.0000.0000.00A03E.000001

PNNI routes to nodes advertising the longest matching prefix for the destination address

PNNI Routing Hierarchy

B A
A.1
A.1.3 A.2.2 A.1.1 A.1.2 B.1.3 B.2.2 B.3.1

A.2
A.2.1 B.1.1

B.1
B.1.2

B.2
B.2.1

B.3
B.3.2 C .1

C
C .2

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Each switch is (manually) initialized with a full 20-byte address Routing hierarchy is then defined recursively:

Neighboring nodes form Peer Groups based on their longest prefix in common Each peer group then behaves as a Logical Group Node (LGN) , to form (next level) peer group, etc.

Aggregation of Topology Information

A A B C

= Peer Group Leader

A.1

A.2

B.1

B.2

B.3

Within each peer group, nodes (or LGNs) exchange PNNI Topology State Packets (PTSPs) A Peer Group Leader (PGL) is elected to represent its peer group as a single LGN at next level SVCs are set up as routing control channels between LGNs at the same level

Passing Information Down the Hierarchy

A A B C

A.1

A.2

B.1

B.2

B.3

Problem:
With PTSPs sent among peer group members alone, a switch would not know how to route to remote peer groups.

Solution:
Peer group leaders feed higher-level topology down into peer group.

Single Nodes Topology View

A
A.1
A.1.3 B.1.3 B.2.2

B
B.1
B.1.1 B.1.2

A.2
A.2.1

B.2
B.2.1

B.3
B.3.2 C.1

C
C.2

A.2.2 A.1.1 A.1.2

B.3.1

A.1.3

A.1 A.2

A B C

A.1.1

A.1.2

Global topology as seen by node A.1.1

Advertising QOS-related Topology State Parameters

Setup (New Call) Available Bandwidth?
S3 S1 S2 S4 S5

User A

Which Path?

User B

Available Bandwidth?

Resource information (e.g. available bandwidth) also needs to be advertised in PTSPs.

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Purpose:

Allows better paths to be chosen Makes call admission more efficient

QOS-Related Information:
How Much / How Often to Advertise?
N o Q O S -related state exposed No advertisements sent All Q O S -related state exposed Frequent advertisements sent

Pro: simple no overhead Con: high call blocking rate blind retries waste bandwidth low network utilization

Pro: near zero call blocking highest network utilization optimal routes possible Con: most complex high overhead

Topology State Parameters Advertised in PNNI 1.0

Parameters advertised on per service category basis
( m a y b e d i f f e r e n t f o r C B R , rt- V B R , nrt- V B R , A B R , U B R )
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Administrative Weight (AW) Maximum Cell Transfer Delay (maxCTD) Peak-to-Peak Cell Delay Variation (CDV) Cell Loss Ratio for CLP=0 traffic (CLR0) Cell Loss Ratio for CLP=0+1 traffic (CLR 0+1) Available Cell Rate (AvCR) Cell Rate Margin (CRM) Variance Factor (VF)

O ptional G C A C p a r a m e t e r s :
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Call Admission Control

Setup
S3 S1 S2
Runs ACAC

S5 S4
Runs ACAC Runs ACAC

User A

Runs ACAC Runs GCAC Chooses Path

User B

Generic Call Admission Control (GCAC)

Run by a switch choosing a source route Determines if a path can (probably) support the call Run by each switch in the chosen path Determines whether or not the switch can support the call

Actual Call Admission Control (ACAC)

PNNI Signalling Key Concepts

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Complete Source Routing across each level of hierarchy Use of Designated Transit Lists Crankback and Alternate Path routing

Complete Source Routing Across Each Peer Group

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Question: How is a call setup progressed across the network?

A
A.2 A.1
A.1.1 A.1.2 A.2.2 A.2.1 A.2.3 B.1

User X

B
B.2 B.3

User Y

+ Answer: ! A t the ingress entry switch of each peer group, a complete

source route across the peer group is specified.

! Switch specifying the source route may or may not be the peer
group leader.

Designated Transit Lists (DTLs) New Information Element (IE) appended to

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SETUP and ADD PARTY messages (to carry Source Route)

DTL

SETUP
S1

S 1

S 2

S 4

S 5

S E T U P

S3 S5 S4

S2

User A

User B

Actually implemented as a push-down / pop-off stack

Designated Transit Lists (Example)

A.1
A.1.1 A.2.1 A.2.3 B.1 B.2 B.3

User X

A.1.2 A.2.2

User Y

A.1.1 A.1.2 A.1 A.2 A B

A.1.1 A.1.2 A.1 A.2 A B

A.2.1 A.2.3 A.1 A.2 A B

A.2.1 A.2.3 A.1 A.2 A B

B.1 B.2 B.3 A B

B.1 B.2 B.3 A B

Crankback and Alternate Path Routing

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Question: What happens when a call fails along a specified source route (e.g. due to insufficient bandwidth)? Answer : Call is cranked back to originator of the top Source Route DTL

Originator then generates a new Source Route, or Originator cranks back call to generator of higher-level source route.

A User X
A.1
A.1.1 A.1.2 1 A.2.2

A.2
A.2.1 2 A.2.3

B
B.2 B.1 B.3

User Y

Configuring the PNNI Hierarchy

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Hierarchical address assignment is the key

Minimize configuration
-

Use first level bits of switch address to generate peer group ID Use prefix of switch address to generate default summary address prefix

Minimize number of routes Can run with fewer levels in the beginning Can add levels of hierarchy without renumbering

Planning ahead is important to avoid renumbering

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PGL/LGN configuration also required Lots of other things may be configured

Hierarchical Address Assignment Example

level 56

Corporate Address Prefix 47.0091.8000.1122

London Main 47.0091.8000.1122.0001 level 72

London South 47.0091.8000.1122.0002 level 72

Berlin 47.0091.8000.1122.0101 level 72

Building A 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.01

. . .

Building O 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F level 80

level 80

Building O, 1st Floor level 88 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F.01

Building O, 2nd Floor 47.0091.8000.1122.0001.0F.02 level 88

PNNI 1.0 Addenda - Work In Progress

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Leaf Initiated Join Multipoint-to-Point Connections Closed User Groups Network Call Correlation Identifier Rerouting Path and Connection Trace PNNI Routing Authentication Transported Address Stack Vendor-Specific Signalling Information Soft PVC Interworking with Frame Relay Mobility Extension

Mobile ATM network linked to fixed ATM infrastructure e.g., an airplane

B

PNNI Augmented Routing (PAR)

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Allows distribution of information about non-ATM services via PNNI Examples

Automatic establishment of router overlay, e.g.

-

Discover routers running OSPF in same subnet Establish full mesh of SVCs (in small networks)

Server detection (Classical IP, NHRP, MARS, DNS)

Edge devices not running PNNI can use Proxy PAR protocol to interact with PAR capable switches.

Summary
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Interim Inter-switch Signalling Protocol (IISP)

Minimal functionality; Small, static environments only Full functionality; Any-size, static / dynamic environments Addressing Routing Hierarchy Topology advertisement and aggregation Resource advertisement and QOS-sensitive routing Full source routing across peer groups (via DTLs) Crankback and Alternate Path routing

PNNI 1.0

Key PNNI Routing Concepts

Key PNNI Signalling Concepts

This concludes the presentation provided by The ATM Forum