What is Message Switching?

In message switching, the sending device joins the destination location to the communication and develops it to the network. The message is then generated by the web from one node to the other node, because it arrives at the predetermined destination.

Each switching hub gets a message, stores it momentarily and afterward, sends it to the following hub, as shown in the diagram below.

An example of message switching is emails, PC documents, telegrams and transaction queries and responses. A full exchange can include various messages.

If a message is transmitted from station A to station B, it can take either path 1-2-3-4 or 1-5-4 depending on the free output path's availability at that particular moment.

Advantages

The advantages of message switching are as follows −

• There is no physical link between the source and the destination hub.

• This method facilitates communication medium very efficiently, because the channels are used when messages are sent.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of message switching are as follows −

• As the message length is unlimited, and each node must have sufficient storage to store the messages.

• This method is very low for interactive real-time applications.

• Processing and control procedures are more complex.

• Transmission overhead is increased, because each message requires an address and control header.

• A message is delayed at each node.