Local access rate: Clock speed (port speed) of the connection (local loop) to the Frame Relay cloud. It is the rate at which data travels into or out of the network, regardless of other settings.
VC: Logical circuit, uniquely identified by a data-link connection identifier (DLCI), that is created to ensure bidirectional communication from one DTE device to another. A number of VCs can be multiplexed into a single physical circuit for transmission across the network. This capability can often reduce the complexity of equipment and network that is required to connect multiple DTE devices. A VC can pass through any number of intermediate DCE devices (Frame Relay switches). A VC can be either a permanent virtual circuit (PVC) or a switched virtual circuit (SVC).
PVC: Provides permanently established connections that are used for frequent and consistent data transfers between DTE devices across the Frame Relay network. Communication across a PVC does not require the call setup and call teardown that is used with an SVC.
SVC: Provides temporary connections that are used in situations requiring only sporadic data transfer between DTE devices across the Frame Relay network. SVCs are dynamically established on demand and are torn down when transmission is complete.
DLCI: Contains a 10-bit number in the address field of the Frame Relay frame header that identifies the VC. DLCIs have local significance because the identifier references the point between the local router and the local Frame Relay switch that the DLCI is connected to. Therefore, devices at opposite ends of a connection can use different DLCI values to refer to the same virtual connection.