Understanding Frame Relay Subinterfaces

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Understanding Frame Relay Subinterfaces

Subinterfaces provide a flexible solution for routing various protocols over partially-meshed frame relay
networks (Figure 1b). A single, physical interface can be logically divided into multiple, virtual
subinterfaces. The subinterface may be defined as either a point-to-point connection or a multipoint
connection.

Point-To-Point Subinterfaces
The concept of subinterfaces was originally created in order to better handle issues caused by splithorizon over Non-Broadcast Multiple Access (NBMA) networks (e.g. frame relay, X.25) and distancevector based routing protocols (e.g. IPX RIP/SAP, AppleTalk). Split-horizon dictates that a routing
update received on an interface cannot be retransmitted out onto the same interface. This rule holds even
if the routing update was received on one frame relay PVC and destined to retransmit out onto another
frame relay PVC. Referring to figure 2, this would mean that sites B and C can exchange routing
information with site A, but would not be able to exchange routing information with each other. Splithorizon does not allow Site A to send routing updates received from Site B on to Site C and vice versa.
Note: For TCP/IP, Cisco routers can disable split-horizon limitations on all frame relay interfaces and
multipoint subinterfaces and do this by default. However, split-horizon cannot be disabled for other
protocols like IPX and AppleTalk. These other protocols must use subinterfaces if dynamic routing is
desired.

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Understanding Frame Relay Subinterfaces

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By dividing the partially-meshed frame relay network into a number of virtual, point-to-point networks
using subinterfaces, the split-horizon problem can be overcome. Each new point-to-point subnetwork is
assigned its own network number. To the routed protocol, each subnetwork now appears to be located
on separate interfaces (Figure 3). Routing updates received from Site B on one logical point-to-point
subinterface can be forwarded to site C on a separate logical interface without violating split horizon.

Multipoint Subinterfaces
Cisco serial interfaces are multipoint interfaces by default unless specified as a point-to-point
subinterface. Though less common than point-to-point subinterfaces, it is possible to divide the interface
into separate virtual multipoint subinterfaces.
Multipoint interfaces/subinterfaces are still subject to the split-horizon limitations as discussed above.
All nodes attached to a multipoint subinterface belong to the same network number. Typically,
multipoint subinterfaces are used in conjunction with point-to-point interfaces in cases where an existing
multipoint frame relay cloud is migrating to a subinterfaced point-to-point network design. A multipoint
subinterface is used to keep remote sites on a single network number while slowly migrating remote

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sites to their own point-to-point subinterface network.

Figure 4 shows serial 0.1 as a multipoint subinterface connecting to three different locations. All devices
on the multipoint subinterface belong to the same network number (100). Site E has migrated off of the
multipoint network to its own point-to-point subinterface network (200). Eventually, all remote sites can
be moved to their own point-to-point subinterface networks and the multipoint subinterface will not be
necessary.

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