Protocol Layering

Outline
Part 1
Network problems, protocol and layering
concepts
Need for protocols and layering

Part 2
ISO/OSI and TCP/IP models
Comparison
Common points
Final remarks
3

Outline Part 1
Existing problems in communication
networks
Protocol -definition
The need for protocols
Set of protocols: Layering
What is Layering?
Why Layering?
3

Existing Problems in
Communication Networks
Hardware failure
Hosts, routers

Network congestion
Networks have finite capacity

Packet delay
Data corruption
Electric, magnetic interferences
HW failure

Data duplication

Complexity of networks
Networks are
complex !!!
Parts of a network:

Hosts
Routers
Media
Applications
Hardware
Software
Different OS
Different protocols

Is there a Solution?
Organize all the
elements under a
same agreement
Better yet, use a
divide and conquer
approach
Result: the concept of
a communications
protocol

Protocol
Agreement about communication
Specifies

Format of messages
Meaning of messages
Rules for exchange
Procedures for handling problems

Protocols allow to specify or understand

communication without knowing the details of a
particular hardware

Need for Protocols

Hardware is low level
Many problems can occur
Bits corrupted or destroyed
Entire packet lost
Packet duplicated
Packets delivered out of order

Need for Protocols

(continued)
Need mechanisms to distinguish
among
Multiple computers on a network
Multiple applications on a computer
Multiple copies of a single application on
a computer
Different Operating Systems (OS)

Set of Protocols
Work together
Each protocol solves part of a
communication problem
Known as
Protocol suite
Protocol family

Designed in layers
3

Plan for Protocol Design

Intended for protocol designers
Divides protocols into layers
Each layer is devoted to one subproblem

What is layering?
A technique to organize a network
system into a succession of logically
distinct entities, such that the service
provided by one entity is solely
based on the service provided by the
previous entity.

Conceptual Layers of Protocol

Software
Sender
Layer n

Layer 2
Layer 1

The modules of
Protocol SW are
on each machine
stacked vertically
into layers

Network
3

Receiver
Layer n

Layer 2
Layer 1

Conceptual/Realistic view
Conceptual Layers
High Level
Protocol Layer

Software Organization
Protocol 1

Internet
Protocol Layer
Network
Interface Layer

Protocol 2

Protocol 3

IP Module
Interface 1

Interface 2

Interface3

Example: Internet Protocol

Layers
Five layers
Application: supporting
network applications
ftp, smtp, http

Transport: host-host data

transfer

Application
Transport

tcp, udp

Network: routing of a
datagram from source to
destination

Network

ip,routing protocols

Link

Link: data transfer between

neighboring network
elements
ppp, ethernet

Physical: bits on the wire

3

Physical

Protocol Layering and Data

Application

Message

Segment

H H

Datagram

H H H

Frame

Transport
Network
Link
Physical
3

Layers and packet headers

Each layer
Appends header to outgoing packet
Removes header from incoming packet
H Hheader
M
Receiver Huses
as
demultiplexing key

Sender Multiplexes among several

layers
3

Why layering?
Dealing with complex systems:
Explicit structure allows identification of
complex systems pieces
Modularization eases developing,
maintenance, updating of system
Change of implementation of layers service
transparent to rest of system

Example: No layering

Application

Transmission
Media

FTP
Telnet

HTTP

Coaxial cable

Packet radio
Fiber optic

No layering: each new application hast to be

re-implemented for every network technology!
3

Example: now with Layers

Application

Telnet

FTP

HTTP

Transport
& Network

Transmission
Media

Coaxial cable

Fiber optic

Packet radio

Solution: introduce an intermediate layer that provides a

common abstraction for various network technologies
3

ISO Graphical View

Layer 7

Application

Message Passing

Layer 6

Presentation

Encoding

Layer 5

Session

Authentication &
Encryption

Layer 4

Transport

Streams &
Segments

Layer 3

Network

Datagrams

Layer 2

Data Link

Frames & Packets

Layer 1

Physical
Hardware

Signaling & Wiring

The TCP/IP 5-Layer Reference Model

Conceptual Layer
Application
Transport
Internet
Network Interface

Physical
3

Objects Passed
Between Layers
Messages or Streams
Transport Protocol Packets
IP Datagrams
Network-Specific Frames

TCP/IP Layer Description

Layer 5: Application
Used for communicating among applications

Layer 4: Transport
Provides reliable delivery of data

Layer 3: Internet
Defines uniform format of packets forwarded across
networks of different technologies and rules for
forwarding packets in routers

Layer 2: Network
Defines formats for carrying packets in hardware frames

Layer 1: Physical

TCP/IP practical overview

Application

Telnet, FTP,
e-mail, etc.

Transport

TCP, UDP

Internet
Network Interface

Physical
3

IP, ICMP, IGMP

device driver and
interface card

Two hosts running FTP

Two networks connected with a router

Protocol layering principle

Layered protocols are designed so
that layer N at the destination
receives exactly the same object
sent by layer N at the source

Protocol layering
Host A

Host B

Application

Application

Transport
Internet
Network Interface

Identical
message
Identical
packet
Identical
datagram
Identical
Frame

Physical net
3

Transport
Internet
Network Interface

Protocol Layering with a

router

Layering in the presence of Network substructure

Conceptual Layers
Transport

Software Organization
Protocol 1

Internet
Network
Interface
Intranet
3

Protocol 2

Protocol 3

IP Module
Interface 1

Interface 2

Point-To-Point
(Intranet)

Interface3

Multiplexing and
Demultiplexing
ARP Module
IP Module

RARP Module
Demultiplexing
Based on Frame type

Frame arrives
3

More Demultiplexing
UDP Protocol
ICMP Protocol

TCP Protocol

IP Module

Datagram arrives
3