CPS 422

Computer Networks

Layered Approach To Network

Design

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‰ Networks are complex!
‰ Composed of many “pieces”:
o hosts
o routers
o links of various media
o applications
o protocols
o hardware, software

‰ To better understand the issue let us first

consider an analogy of “Air Travel Process”

‰ Can you break down the process of air travel into

“sub-processes”

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Organization of air travel

Service Counter Service Counter

(ticket purchase) (Future Travel)

Check-in Counter Check-in Counter

(baggage check) (baggage claim)

gates (Departure) gates (Arrival)

runway (takeoff) runway (landing)

airplane routing

‰a series of steps

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Organization of air travel: a different view

Service Counter Service Counter

(ticket purchase) (Future Travel)

Check-in Counter Check-in Counter

(baggage check) (baggage claim)

gates (Departure) gates (Arrival)

runway (takeoff) runway (landing)

airplane routing

Layers: each layer implements a service

o via its own internal-layer actions
o relying on services provided by layer below
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Layered air travel: services

Counter-to-counter Ticketing services

baggage-deposit-to-baggage-claim delivery

people transfer:Departure gate to Arrival gate

runway-to-runway delivery of plane

airplane routing from source to destination

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Distributed implementation of layer functionality

Service Counter Service Counter

Departing airport

arriving airport
(purchase) (future booking)

baggage (check) baggage (claim)

gates (Departure) gates (Arrival)

runway takeoff runway landing

airplane routing airplane routing

We can refer to this collection as a “stack”

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Similarly……
‰While developing a model for network
architecture, designers distilled the process of
transmitting data into its most fundamental
elements.
They identified which networking functions had
related uses and collected those functions into
discrete groups that became “Protocol Layers”
which collectively form a “Protocol Stack”.

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Why layering?
Dealing with complex systems:
‰ explicit structure allows identification, relationship
of complex system’s pieces
o layered reference model for discussion/design
‰ modularization eases maintenance, updating of
system
o change of implementation of layer’s service
transparent to rest of system
o e.g., change in gate procedure doesn’t affect rest
of system

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Protocols in Simplified Architecture

This is a “Protocol Stack”

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Layering: logical communication
Each layer: application
transport
ˆ distributed network
ˆ “entities” link
physical
implement network
layer functions application link
at each node transport physical
network
ˆ entities link
perform physical
application application
actions, transport transport
exchange network network
link link
messages with physical physical
peers

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Layering: logical communication
data
E.g.: transport application
transport
transport
ˆ take data from app
network
ˆ add addressing, link
reliability check physical
info to form ack network
“datagram” application link
ˆ send datagram to transport data physical
network
peer
link data
ˆ wait for peer to physical
ack receipt application application
transport transport
transport
ˆ analogy: post network network
office link link
physical physical

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Layering: physical communication
data
application
transport
network
link
physical
network
application link
transport physical
network
link
physical data
application application
transport transport
network network
link link
physical physical

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Protocol layering and data

Each layer takes data from above
ˆ adds header information to create new data unit
ˆ passes new data unit to layer below

source destination
M application application M message
Ht M transport transport Ht M segment
Hn Ht M network network Hn Ht M datagram
Hl Hn Ht M link link Hl Hn Ht M frame
physical physical

Notice these
Headers
 Protocol Revisited

How does a Protocol Work ……

A Protocol implements its Functionality through

its “HEADER”

A Header contains all the control

information to complete the
protocol’s tasks

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 An – Example Header
TCP – Protocol Data Unit (PDU)

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‰Key Elements of a Protocol
o Syntax - Format
o Semantics - Control Info for Coord and error handling
o Timings - Sequencing and Speed matching
‰Categories of Protocol Functions
o Segmentation and Re-assembly
o Encapsulation
o Connection Control
o Ordered Delivery
o Flow Control
o Error Control
o Addressing
o Multiplexing
o Transmission Services
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The OSI Reference Model
and
TCP/IP Protocol Suite

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The OSI
Reference
Model

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The OSI Environment

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TCP / IP Protocol Suite
‰ application: supporting network
applications application
o ftp, smtp, http
‰ transport: host-host data transfer transport
o tcp, udp
‰ network: routing of datagrams from network
source to destination
o ip, routing protocols link
‰ link: data transfer between
neighboring network elements physical
o ppp, ethernet
‰ physical: bits “on the wire”

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Some PDUs in TCP/IP

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TCP / IP Concepts

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Some Protocols of TCP/IP Suite

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OSI - TCP/IP Comparison

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