Computer Networks

overview

 Network Components
 Overview of Network Management
Communication Architecture
 A communication architecture integrates
many protocols and the software that
implements them.
 These parts can be developed
independently of one another as long as the
developers adhere to the standard
interfaces between them.
OSI Reference Model
OSI Reference Model
 The model does not specify how to implement
the function in each layer.
 The functions in each layer are defined by
protocol, which are implemented in software.
 The software in each layer provides services
to the layer above it.
 Layering concept simplifies the development
process and allows improvements of software
in one layer without affecting other layers.
Physical Layer
 This layer defines the electrical, mechanical,
functional specifications for hardware that
connects a device to the network.
 Physical layer standards would specify
 Connector’s size and shape

 Exact number of pins

 The signals that can be used to those

pins
Data Link Layer
 This layer specifies the procedures in order
to achieve reliable point-to-point transfer of
information between two devices.
 Data link layer can be divided into two
sublayers.
 Logical Link Control

 Medium Access Control

Data Link Layer (cont’d)
 CSMA/CD is implemented in Ethernet.
 CSMA means that a computer waits until
there is no signal from any other computer
on LAN before transmitting a message.
 CD reduces the probability that a collision
will occur by backoff its transmission.
 Bridge is a typical device working on data
link layer.
Network Layer
 This layer provides the mechanisms for
transporting a packet from the source
networks to the destination network.
 Packets are messages constructed by the
network layer and higher layers.
 A router is called a network layer device
because it is controlled by protocols up to
and including the network layer.
Transport Layer
 Transport layer provides reliable and
unreliable transport protocols.
 The reliable protocol, which is called the
Transport Control Protocol (TCP), provides
the mechanisms that enable end-to-end
reliability.
 TCP accomplishes this by the use of
automated acknowledgement and
automated retransmissions.
Transport Layer (cont’d)
 The unreliable transport protocol, which is
called the User Datagram Protocol (UDP),
places no constrains on the network.
 Best-effort delivery from the source device
to the destination device is all that is
required.
 UDP is used when speed is of the essence
and the effort spent on ensuring reliability is
not cost-effective.
Session Layer
 The Session layer provides the mechanisms
necessary to open and close multiple logical
connections between processes on different
PCs.
 These logical connections are called
session.
 Many logical connections can use the same
physical connection.
Presentation Layer
 This layer provides a common
representation of data transferred between
peer application layer entities on different
stations.
 Abstract syntax notation.one (ASN.1) format
is useful for application layer.
 However, the layers below the presentation
layer use a formant call transfer syntax.
 The presentation layer translates between
ASN.1 and transfer syntax.
Application Layer
 Common Application Service Elements
provide service generally useful to a variety
of application programs provided by
vendors.
 Specific Application Service Elements
service the additional needs of particular
application programs.
Frames
 Frame construction
 Application program makes a request.

 The request is passed to the appropriate

application-layer-entity.
 The application-layer-entity constructs an
Application layer protocol data unit (PDU).
 The Application layer PDU is then passed
to the appropriate presentation-layer-
entity. This entity constructs a
Presentation layer PDU.
Network Device
 Workstations
 Servers
 Repeaters
 Hubs
 Bridges
 Switches
 Routers
 Probes
Workstations
 Workstations typical make use of the
services of all layers of a protocol stack
because they process the requests of
application programs for information on
servers.
 Server is like workstation making use of all
layers of the protocol stack.
Repeater
 Repeater amplifies the signal between
segments and extends the length of a LAN.
 Repeaters are used on 10BASE2 and
10BASE5 LANs.
Hubs
 A hub is a repeater with many input and
output ports.
 Every transmission received by the hub on
one port is amplified and retransmitted out
of all other ports.
 Hub do not examine information in any field
of the frame.
 Repeaters and hubs are consider a Physical
layer device.
Bridges
 Transparent bridge
 divides a LAN into segments that use the
same media access control specification
and it controls what traffic is passed
between segments.
 uses bridge table to learn which devices
are on which segments.
 Translating bridges connects networks using
different MAC layer specifications.
Bridges (cont’d)
 Errors and collisions that take place on one
segment are not propagated to devices on
the other segment.
 The use of switches rather than bridges is
commonplace today.
Switches
 A switch is a multiport bridge.
 Switches are typically configured to forward
incoming frames to outgoing ports based on
destination MAC addresses associated with
those ports in the switch table.
 Switches also can be configured to drop
frames based on MAC destination or to
redirect frames to other MAC address.
Switches (cont’d)
 Higher layers of the protocol stack are now
being implemented in switches.
 Layer 3 switch also can function like router.
Routers
 Router reads the Network layer header in
packet to find the destination network
address and then looks up the address in
routing table.
 The routing table is a list of mappings of
network addresses to ports that will get the
packet to the destination networks by the
best means.
Routers (cont’d)
 Routing table
Probes
 Probes are tools for learning about the
details of the communication between
devices.
 Probes can be placed on a network and the
information they gather transferred to the
Management Station fro analysis of the
traffic.
Outline
 Network Components
 Overview of Network Management
Network Management
 Jobs of network management in early day
 Attaching PCs and server to a LAN using

Network Interface Cards (NICs)

 Installing protocol stacks

 Configuring NIC I/O addresses and interrupts

so as not to conflict with other NIC selections.

 Using Ping application to ensure that all

devices on the network could communicate

with one another
Network Management (cont’d)
 Access control
 The manager might write a script for the

server to control access to information on

it.
 The script would provide access to drives,

folders or files that use or group of users

needed.
 Install a print server to manage the print

jobs from each of the PCs.

Network Management (cont’d)
 Network configuration
 If the networks were to be divided into subnets,

then a bridge would be used to connect them.

 The manager would configure a routing table

to enable connectivity according to network

address, subnet address and subnet mask.
 Finally, installing user applications on PCs is

necessary for interfacing correctly with OS.

Maintenance
 After configuring primary network
ingredients, here comes the maintenance.
 Network performance is not optimized, there
will be software and hardware failures and
network resources will change.
 The manager is required to make estimates
of the network capacity.
 There was a need for minimal security.
Maintenance (cont’d)
 New work management has divided into
specialties nowadays.
 Administration
 Backing up servers

 Maintaining security

 Installing OS and applications

 Network engineer
 Be responsible for the health of the
network and its availability to user.
 Network-Based Management
 As network has grown larger and more
complicated, network manager needed to find
more efficient way to determine and control the
state of network.
 Some protocols could be used by network
manager to remotely control devices.
 Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP)
 Management Information Base (MIBs)

 Network Management Systems (NMS)

Network Management Protocol
Stack

 Management Station and Management

Agent.
Network Management
Example
 Step 1
 NMS calls for the service of the management process

 Step 2
 the management process call the program the
implements network management protocol.
 Step 3
 NMP constructs a request packet to the program on
the management agent.
 Step 4
 NMP on the management agent cause the request
packet to be passed to the agent process.
Network Management Example
(cont’d)
 Step 5
 The agent process accesses the value of the
requested variable and passes it to NMP.
 Step 6
 NMP constructs the response packet which is sent
back to the management station.
 Step 7
 At the management station the program that
implements the NMP receives the response packet.
 Step 8
 The management process passes the requested
value to the application program.