Basics Of Networking

The OSI Layer

The Open Systems Interconnect Model (OSI)

Introduction To The Open Systems

Interconnect Model (OSI)
Introduction
OSI is a standard description or "reference
model" for how messages should be
transmitted between any two points in a
telecommunication network. Its purpose is
to guide product implementers so that their
products will consistently work with other
products.
The Model The OSI model was created by
the IEEE committee so different vendors
products would work with each other. You
see the problem was that when HPdecided
to create a network

The Open Systems Interconnect Model (OSI)

Contd..
product, it would be incompatible with similar products of a different vendor e.g IBM. So
when you bought 40 network cards for your company, you would make sure that the rest of
the equipment would be from the same vendor, to ensure compatibility. As you would
understand things were quite messy, until the OSI model came into the picture.

As most would know, the OSI model consists of 7 layers.

Each layer has been designed to do a specific task. Starting from the top layer (7) we will
see how the data which you type gets converted into segments, the segments into
datagrams and the datagrams into packets, the packets into frames and then the frames
are sent down the wire, usually twisted pair, to the receiving computer.

The Seven OSI Layers

The OSI Layer (Quick Summary)

OSI Layer 1 - Physical Layer

The first four layers define how data is

transmitted end-to-end.
There are no protocols which work at the
Physical layer. As mentioned, Ethernet, Token
Ring and other topologies are specified here.

OSI Layer 1 - Physical Layer Contd

The Physical layer has two responsibilities:

It sends bits and receives bits. Bits come only in values of 1 or 0.

This layer helps us in identifying whether we have a link up situation with end systems.

The Physical layer's connectors (RJ-45, BNC etc.) and different physical topologies (Bus,
Star, Hybrid networks) are defined by the OSI as standards, allowing different systems to
communicate.

OSI Layer 2 Data-link Layer

The Data-link ensures that messages are delivered to the proper device and
translates messages from the Network layer into bits for the Physical layer to
transmit.
It formats the message into data frames and adds a customized header
containing the hardware destination and source address.
The Datalink layer is subdivided into two other sub layers, the Media Access
Control (MAC) and the Logical Link Control (LLC).

OSI Layer 2 Data-link Layer Contd..

Media Access Control (MAC) 802.3

This defines how packets are placed on the media (cable). Contention media (Ethernet)
access is first come first served access where everyone shares the same bandwidth. Physical
addressing is defined here. What's Physical addressing? It's simple.

You will come across 2 addressing terms, Logical addressing & Physical addressing.

Logical addressing is basically the address which is given by software e.g IP address.

Physical addressing is an address which is given not by the software, but the hardware.
Every network card has a "MAC" address which is burnt into the card's EPROM and this
special address is used to uniquely identify your computer's network card from all the others
on the network.

OSI Layer 2 Data-link Layer Contd..

Logical Link Control (LLC) 802.2

This sub layer is responsible for identifying Network layer protocols and then encapsulating
them when they are about to be transmitted onto the network or decapsulate them when it
receives a packet from the network and pass it onto the layer above it, which is the Network
layer.
Some common protocols which work at the Datalink layer are: ARP, RARP, DCAP.

OSI Layer 3 - Network Layer

The Network layer is responsible for routing through an internetwork

The Network layer is responsible for transporting traffic between devices that are not
locally attached. Routers, or other layer-3 devices, are specified at the Network layer and
provide routing services in an internetwork.

Some common protocols which work at the Network layer are: IP, DHCP, ICMP, IGRP,
EIGRP, RIP, RIP2.

OSI Layer 4 - Transport Layer

The Transport layer is responsible for

providing mechanisms for multiplexing
upper-layer application, session
establishment, data transfer and tear down of
virtual circuits. It also hides details of any
network-dependent information from the
higher layers by providing transparent data
transfer.
Services located in the Transport layer both
segment and reassemble data from upperlayer applications and unite it onto the same
data stream. TCP and UDP: TCP is a
reliable service and UDP is not.

OSI Layer 5 - Session Layer

The last 3 layers of the OSI model are referred

to the "Upper" layers. These layers are
responsible for applications communicating
between hosts. None of the upper layers know
anything about networking or network
addresses.
The Session layer is responsible for setting up,
managing and then tearing down sessions
between Presentation layer entities. The
Session layer also provides dialog control
between devices, or nodes. It coordinates
communication between systems and serves to
organize their communication by offering
three different modes: simplex, half-duplex
and full-duplex. The session layer basically
keeps one application's data separate from
other application's data.

OSI Layer 5 - Session Layer Contd

Some examples of Session-layer protocols are:

Network File System (NFS)
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Some common protocols which work at the Session layer are: DNS, LDAP, NetBIOS.

OSI Layer 6 - Presentation Layer

The Presentation Layer gets its name from its purpose: It presents data to the Application
layer. It's basically a translator and provides coding and conversion functions. A successful
data transfer technique is to adapt the data into a standard format before transmission.
Computers are configured to receive this generically formatted data and then convert the
data back into its native format for reading. By providing translation services, the
Presentation layer ensures that data transferred from the Application layer of one system
can be read by the Application layer of another host.

The OSI has protocol standards that define how standard data should be formatted. Tasks
like data compression, decompression, encryption and decryption are associated with this
layer. Some Presentation layer standards are involved in multimedia operations. The
following serve to direct graphic and visual image presentation :

JPEG
MIDI
MPEG

OSI Layer 6 - Presentation Layer Contd

There are no protocols which work specifically at the Presentation layer, but the protocols
which work at the Application layer are said to work on all 3 upper layers.

OSI Layer 7 - Application Layer

The Application layer of the OSI model is where users communicate with the computer. The
Application layer is responsible for identifying and establishing the availability of the intended
communication partner and determining if sufficient resources for the intended communication
exist. The user interfaces with the computer at the application layer.

There are various protocols which are used at this layer. FTP, TFTP, Telnet, SMTP and other
protocols work on the first three layers of the OSI model, which obviously includes the
Application layer.