Network Software/ Protocol Hierarchies

Protocol Hierarchies
Networks are organized as a stack of layers or levels. Purpose of each layer is to offer services to higher layers.
Information hiding, abstraction, abstract data type, encapsulation

Layer n on one machine carries on a conversation with layer n on another machine.

Layer n protocol architecture

Protocol Hierarchies
Protocol is an agreement between the communicating parties on how communication is to proceed.

Layers, Protocol and Interfaces

Layers, Protocol and Interfaces

Q: data are directly transferred from layer n on one machine to layer n on another machine? Ans: No

Layers, Protocol and Interfaces

Interface
between each pair of adjacent layer Defines which primitive operations and services the lower layer makes available to the upper one. Important issue in network design is developing clean interface.

Set of layers and protocols is called network architecture. List of protocols, one protocol per layer, is called a protocol stack.

Fig: Philosopher-translator secretary architecture

 Fig 1.15 (page 30)

Design Issues for the Layers

Addressing Error control Flow control Segmentation and reassembling Multiplexing and Demultiplexing Routing

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Layers offer two types of services
Connection-oriented service:
Telephone system

Connectionless service
Postal system

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Connection-oriented network service
Establish a connection Use the connection Release the connection

Basic idea was to preserve the order Parameter negotiation: for established a connection
Maximum message size, bit rate, quality..

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Connectionless service
Each message carries full destination address Each message routed independently Idea was to improve performance & fault tolerance

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Each service characterized by a Quality of Service
Reliable services
Usually reliability ensure through acknowledgement Acknowledgement introduce overhead & delays

Unreliable services

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Reliable connection oriented service
Ex: file transfer
Owner of the file wants to be sure that all the bits arrive correctly and in the same order they were sent.

Two variations:
Message sequence
Message boundaries are preserved

Byte sequence
No message boundaries

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Unreliable connection oriented service
For some applications, delay introduced by ACK are unacceptable Ex: Digitized voice

Connection oriented vs. Connectionless services

Connectionless service
Always connection is not required High probability of arrival, but no guarantee
Ex: electronic mail

Divided into two categories

Unreliable connectionless service or datagram service
No acknowledgement Ex: Telegram, Electronic junk mail

Acknowledged datagram service

Acknowledgement ensure reliability Ex: registered mail

In a connection-oriented situation, the network layer protocol first makes a connection.

In a connectionless situation, the network layer protocol treats each packet independently, with each packet having no relationship to any other packet.

Services And Protocols

Service is a set of operations that a layer provides to a layer above it. Says nothing about how operations are implemented. Service relates to the an interface between two layer Protocol is a set of rules governing the format and meaning of the packets, or message that are exchanged by the peer entities.

Relationship between a service and a protocol

Questions?