Ethernet Standards 课程笔记

1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction

Ethernet is a family of frame-based multipoint data communication computer networking technologies for local area networks(LANs) wht collision detection. From the earlyand comparatively simple concept, Ethernet evolved into the complex nextworking techology that today underlies most LANs. The coaxial cable was replacd with point to point links connected by Ethernet hubs and / or switches. Star LAN was the first step in the evolution of Ethernet from a coaxial cable bus to a hub-managed, twisted-pair network. The advent of twisted-pair wiring dramatically lowerd installation costs relative to competing technologies, including the older ethernet technologies. Currently Ethernet has many varieties that vary both in speed and physical medium used. Perhaps the most common forms usded are 10 BASE-T, 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T. Fiber versions of a new higher speed almost invariably come out before copper. 10 gigabit Ethernet is becoming more popular in both enterprise and carrier networks, with development starting on 40Gbit/s Ethernet. Ethernet was initially standardized in IEEE 802.3 but now Metro Ethernet Forum(MEF) makes recommendations to exisiting standards bodies and creates specifications that are not being developed by (or fall within the scope of ) other standards bodies.

There are serveral types of Ethernet frames:

> The Ethernet Version 2 or Ethernet II frame, the so-called DIX frame; this is the most common today, as it is oftern used directly by the Internet Protocol.

> IEEE 802.3 LLC frame

> IEEE 802.3 LLC/SNAP frame

In addition, all Ethernet frames types may optionally contain a IEEE 802.1Q tag to identify what VLAN it belongs to and its IEEE 802.1p priority. This encapsulation is defined in the IEEE 802.3ac specification and increases the maximum frame by 4 bytes to 1522 bytes.

1.2 IEEE 802.3 frame with LLC (standard frame)

IEEE standard frame contains as LLC header between the source address and the data field. The LLC header contains the following fields:

> The destination Service Access Point (DSAP) is a 1 byte field that simply acts as a pointer to a memory buffer in the receiving station. It tells the receiving network interface cards (NIC) in which buffer to put this information. This functionality is useful in situations where users are running multiple protocol stacks.

> The Source Service Access Point (SSAP) is analogous to teh DSAP, and specifies the Source of the sending process. Following the ASPs is a one-byte control field that specifies the type of LLC frame taht this is.

1.3 IEEE 802.3 Frame - SNAP

While the original 802.3 specification worked well, the IEEE realized that some upper layer protocols required an Ethertype (type code) to work properly. For example , TCP/IP uses the Ethertype to differentiate betweeen ARP packets and normal IP data frames. In order to provide this backwards compatibility with the version 2 frame type, the 802.3 SubNetwork Access Protocol (SNAP) format was created.

The SNAP Frame Format consists of a normal 802.3 frame with LLC Header, and then a 5 byte SNAP field, followed by the normal user data and FCS. In order to specify that this is a SNAP frame, both the SSAP and the DSAP in the LLC header are set to hexadecimal value of AA.

1.4 Media Access Control address (MAC address)

Media Access Control addree or Ethernet Hardware Address, hardware address, adapter address or physical address is a quasi-unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or NICs by teh mamufacturer for identification. If assigned by the manufacturer, a MAC address ususlly encodes the manufacturer's registered ID.

The origial IEEE 802 MAC address comes from the original Xerox Ethernet addressing scheme. This 48-bit address space contains potentially 2^48 possible MAC address.

Three numbering spaces, managed by the IEEE, are in common use for formulating a MAC address: MAC-48, EUI-48, and EUI-64.

All three numbering systems use the same format and differ only in the length of the identifier. Addresses can either be " universally administered addresses" or "locally administered addresses."

A universally adminstered address is uniquely assigned to a device by its manufacturer; these are sometimes called "burned-in addresses" (BIA). The first three octets (in transmission order) identify the organization that issued the identifer and are known as the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI). The following three (MAC-48 and EUI-48) or five (EUI-64) octets are assigned by that origanization in nearly any manner they please, subject to the constraint of uniqueness. The IEEE expects the MAC-48 space to be exhausted no sooner than the year 2100; EUI-64s are not expected to run out in the foreseeable future.