Application Layer Functionality and Protocols

Most of us experience the Internet through the World Wide Web, e-mail services, and file-sharing programs. These applications, and many others, provide the human interface to the underlying network, enabling us to send and receive information with relative ease. Typically the applications that we use are intuitive, meaning we can access and use them without knowing how they work. However, for network professionals, it is important to know how an application is able to format, transmit and interpret messages that are sent and received across the network.















The Open Systems Interconnection reference model is a layered, abstract representation created as a guideline for network protocol design. The OSI model divides the networking process into seven logical layers, each of which has unique functionality and to which are assigned specific services and protocols.
In this model, information is passed from one layer to the next, starting at the Application layer on the transmitting host, proceeding down the hierarchy to the Physical layer, then passing over the communications channel to the destination host, where the information proceeds back up the hierarchy, ending at the Application layer. The figure depicts the steps in this process.
The Application layer, Layer seven, is the top layer of both the OSI and TCP/IP models. It is the layer that provides the interface between the applications we use to communicate and the underlying network over which our messages are transmitted. Application layer protocols are used to exchange data between programs running on the source and destination hosts. There are many Application layer protocols and new protocols are always being developed.
Although the TCP/IP protocol suite was developed prior to the definition of the OSI model, the functionality of the TCP/IP Application layer protocols fit roughly into the framework of the top three layers of the OSI model: Application, Presentation and Session layers.
Most TCP/IP Application layer protocols were developed before the emergence of personal computers, graphical user interfaces and multimedia objects. As a result, these protocols implement very little of the functionality that is specified in the OSI model Presentation and Session layers.



The Presentation Layer
The Presentation layer has three primary functions:
• Coding and conversion of Application layer data to ensure that data from the source device can be interpreted by the appropriate application on the destination device.
• Compression of the data in a manner that can be decompressed by the destination device.
• Encryption of the data for transmission and the decryption of data upon receipt by the destination.
Presentation layer implementations are not typically associated with a particular protocol stack. The standards for video and graphics are examples. Some well-known standards for video include QuickTime and Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). QuickTime is an Apple Computer specification for video and audio, and MPEG is a standard for video compression and coding.
Among the well-known graphic image formats are Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), and Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). GIF and JPEG are compression and coding standards for graphic images, and TIFF is a standard coding format for graphic images.
The Session Layer
As the name of the Session layer implies, functions at this layer create and maintain dialogs between source and destination applications. The Session layer handles the exchange of information to initiate dialogs, keep them active, and to restart sessions that are disrupted or idle for a long period of time.
Most applications, like web browsers or e-mail clients, incorporate functionality of the OSI layers 5, 6 and 7.















The most widely-known TCP/IP Application layer protocols are those that provide for the exchange of user information. These protocols specify the format and control information necessary for many of the common Internet communication functions. Among these TCP/IP protocols are:
• Domain Name Service Protocol (DNS) is used to resolve Internet names to IP addresses.
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used to transfer files that make up the Web pages of the World Wide Web.
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for the transfer of mail messages and attachments.
• Telnet, a terminal emulation protocol, is used to provide remote access to servers and networking devices.
• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used for interactive file transfer between systems.
The protocols in the TCP/IP suite are generally defined by Requests for Comments (RFCs). The Internet Engineering Task Force maintains the RFCs as the standards for the TCP/IP suite.







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Hexadecimal Numbering and Addressing

Hexadecimal Numbering
Hexadecimal ("Hex") is a convenient way to represent binary values. Just as decimal is a base ten numbering system and binary is base two, hexadecimal is a base sixteen system.
The base 16 numbering system uses the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters A to F. The figure shows the equivalent decimal, binary, and hexadecimal values for binary 0000 to 1111. It is easier for us to express a value as a single hexadecimal digit than as four bits.

Understanding Bytes
Given that 8 bits (a byte) is a common binary grouping, binary 00000000 to 11111111 can be represented in hexadecimal as the range 00 to FF. Leading zeroes are always displayed to complete the 8-bit representation. For example, the binary value 0000 1010 is shown in hexadecimal as 0A.

Representing Hexadecimal Values
Note: It is important to distinguish hexadecimal values from decimal values regarding the characters 0 to 9, as shown in the figure.
Hexadecimal is usually represented in text by the value preceded by 0x (for example 0x73) or a subscript 16. Less commonly, it may be followed by an H, for example 73H. However, because subscript text is not recognized in command line or programming environments, the technical representation of hexadecimal is preceded with "0x" (zero X). Therefore, the examples above would be shown as 0x0A and 0x73 respectively.
Hexadecimal is used to represent Ethernet MAC addresses and IP Version 6 addresses. You have seen hexadecimal used in the Packets Byte pane of Wireshark where it is used to represent the binary values within frames and packets.

Hexadecimal Conversions
Number conversions between decimal and hexadecimal values are straightforward, but quickly dividing or multiplying by 16 is not always convenient. If such conversions are required, it is usually easier to convert the decimal or hexadecimal value to binary, and then to convert the binary value to either decimal or hexadecimal as appropriate.
With practice, it is possible to recognize the binary bit patterns that match the decimal and hexadecimal values. The figure shows these patterns for selected 8-bit values.



















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The Ethernet Mac Address

The Ethernet MAC Address
Initially, Ethernet was implemented as part of a bus topology. Every network device was connected to the same, shared media. In low traffic or small networks, this was an acceptable deployment. The main problem to solve was how to identify each device. The signal could be sent to every device, but how would each device identify if it were the intended receiver of the message?
A unique identifier called a Media Access Control (MAC) address was created to assist in determining the source and destination address within an Ethernet network. Regardless of which variety of Ethernet was used, the naming convention provided a method for device identification at a lower level of the OSI model.
As you will recall, MAC addressing is added as part of a Layer 2 PDU. An Ethernet MAC address is a 48-bit binary value expressed as 12 hexadecimal digits.
















MAC Address Structure
The MAC address value is a direct result of IEEE-enforced rules for vendors to ensure globally unique addresses for each Ethernet device. The rules established by IEEE require any vendor that sells Ethernet devices to register with IEEE. The IEEE assigns the vendor a 3-byte code, called the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI).

IEEE requires a vendor to follow two simple rules:
• All MAC addresses assigned to a NIC or other Ethernet device must use that vendor's assigned OUI as the first 3 bytes.
• All MAC addresses with the same OUI must be assigned a unique value (vendor code or serial number) in the last 3 bytes.

The MAC address is often referred to as a burned-in address (BIA) because it is burned into ROM (Read-Only Memory) on the NIC. This means that the address is encoded into the ROM chip permanently - it cannot be changed by software.
However, when the computer starts up, the NIC copies the address into RAM. When examining frames, it is the address in RAM that is used as the source address to compare with the destination address. The MAC address is used by the NIC to determine if a message should be passed to the upper layers for processing.

Network Devices
When the source device is forwarding the message to an Ethernet network, the header information within the destination MAC address is attached. The source device sends the data through the network. Each NIC in the network views the information to see if the MAC address matches its physical address. If there is no match, the device discards the frame. When the frame reaches the destination where the MAC of the NIC matches the destination MAC of the frame, the NIC passes the frame up the OSI layers, where the decapsulation process take place.
All devices connected to an Ethernet LAN have MAC-addressed interfaces. Different hardware and software manufacturers might represent the MAC address in different hexadecimal formats. The address formats might be similar to 00-05-9A-3C-78-00, 00:05:9A:3C:78:00, or 0005.9A3C.7800. MAC addresses are assigned to workstations, servers, printers, switches, and routers - any device that must originate and/or receive data on the network.



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Ethernet Future Options

Ethernet Future Options

The IEEE 802.3ae standard was adapted to include 10 Gbps, full-duplex transmission over fiber-optic cable. The 802.3ae standard and the 802.3 standards for the original Ethernet are very similar. 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) is evolving for use not only in LANs, but also for use in WANs and MANs.
Because the frame format and other Ethernet Layer 2 specifications are compatible with previous standards, 10GbE can provide increased bandwidth to individual networks that is interoperable with the existing network infrastructure.


10Gbps can be compared to other varieties of Ethernet in these ways:
• Frame format is the same, allowing interoperability between all varieties of legacy, fast, gigabit, and 10 gigabit Ethernet, with no reframing or protocol conversions necessary.
• Bit time is now 0.1 ns. All other time variables scale accordingly.
• Because only full-duplex fiber connections are used, there is no media contention and CSMA/CD is not necessary.
• The IEEE 802.3 sublayers within OSI Layers 1 and 2 are mostly preserved, with a few additions to accommodate 40 km fiber links and interoperability with other fiber technologies.
With 10Gbps Ethernet, flexible, efficient, reliable, relatively low cost end-to-end Ethernet networks become possible.

Future Ethernet Speeds
Although 1-Gigabit Ethernet is now widely available and 10-Gigabit products are becoming more available, the IEEE and the 10-Gigabit Ethernet Alliance are working on 40-, 100-, or even 160-Gbps standards. The technologies that are adopted will depend on a number of factors, including the rate of maturation of the technologies and standards, the rate of adoption in the market, and the cost of emerging products.



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Ethernet

Historic Ethernet

The foundation for Ethernet technology was first established in 1970 with a program called Alohanet. Alohanet was a digital radio network designed to transmit information over a shared radio frequency between the Hawaiian Islands.
Alohanet required all stations to follow a protocol in which an unacknowledged transmission required re-transmitting after a short period of waiting. The techniques for using a shared medium in this way were later applied to wired technology in the form of Ethernet.
Ethernet was designed to accommodate multiple computers that were Interconnected on a shared bus topology.
The first version of Ethernet incorporated a media access method known as Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD). CSMA/CD managed the problems that result when multiple devices attempt to communicate over a shared physical medium.


















Early Ethernet Media
The first versions of Ethernet used coaxial cable to connect computers in a bus topology. Each computer was directly connected to the backbone. These early versions of Ethernet were known as Thicknet, (10BASE5) and Thinnet (10BASE2).
10BASE5, or Thicknet, used a thick coaxial that allowed for cabling distances of up to 500 meters before the signal required a repeater. 10BASE2, or Thinnet, used a thin coaxial cable that was smaller in diameter and more flexible than Thicknet and allowed for cabling distances of 185 meters.
The ability to migrate the original implementation of Ethernet to current and future Ethernet implementations is based on the practically unchanged structure of the Layer 2 frame. Physical media, media access, and media control have all evolved and continue to do so. But the Ethernet frame header and trailer have essentially remained constant.
The early implementations of Ethernet were deployed in a low-bandwidth LAN environment where access to the shared media was managed by CSMA, and later CSMA/CD. In additional to being a logical bus topology at the Data Link layer, Ethernet also used a physical bus topology. This topology became more problematic as LANs grew larger and LAN services made increasing demands on the infrastructure.
The original thick coaxial and thin coaxial physical media were replaced by early categories of UTP cables. Compared to the coaxial cables, the UTP cables were easier to work with, lightweight, and less expensive.
The physical topology was also changed to a star topology using hubs. Hubs concentrate connections. In other words, they take a group of nodes and allow the network to see them as a single unit. When a frame arrives at one port, it is copied to the other ports so that all the segments on the LAN receive the frame. Using the hub in this bus topology increased network reliability by allowing any single cable to fail without disrupting the entire network. However, repeating the frame to all other ports did not solve the issue of collisions. Later in this chapter, you will see how issues with collisions in Ethernet networks are managed with the introduction of switches into the network.

















Ethernet Collision Management

Legacy Ethernet
In 10BASE-T networks, typically the central point of the network segment was a hub. This created a shared media. Because the media is shared, only one station could successfully transmit at a time. This type of connection is described as a half-duplex communication.
As more devices were added to an Ethernet network, the amount of frame collisions increased significantly. During periods of low communications activity, the few collisions that occur are managed by CSMA/CD, with little or no impact on performance. As the number of devices and subsequent data traffic increase, however, the rise in collisions can have a significant impact on the user's experience.
A good analogy is when we leave for work or school early in the morning, the roads are relatively clear and not congested. Later when more cars are on the roads, there can be collisions and traffic slows down.

Current Ethernet
A significant development that enhanced LAN performance was the introduction of switches to replace hubs in Ethernet-based networks. This development closely corresponded with the development of 100BASE-TX Ethernet. Switches can control the flow of data by isolating each port and sending a frame only to its proper destination (if the destination is known), rather than send every frame to every device.
The switch reduces the number of devices receiving each frame, which in turn reduces or minimizes the possibility of collisions. This, and the later introduction of full-duplex communications (having a connection that can carry both transmitted and received signals at the same time), has enabled the development of 1Gbps Ethernet and beyond.




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Introduction To A Network

Introduction To A Network
The globalization of the Internet has succeeded faster than anyone could have imagined. The manner in which social, commercial, political and personal interactions occur is rapidly changing to keep up with the evolution of this global network. In the next stage of development, innovators will use the Internet as a starting point for their efforts - creating new products and services specifically designed to take advantage of the network capabilities.


Networks Supporting the Way We Live
Among all of the essentials for human existence, the need to interact with others ranks just below our need to sustain life. Communication is almost as important to us as our reliance on air, water, food, and shelter.
The methods that we use to share ideas and information are constantly changing and evolving. Whereas the human network was once limited to face-to-face conversations, media breakthroughs continue to extend the reach of our communications. From the printing press to television, each new development has improved and enhanced our communication.
As with every advance in communication technology, the creation and interconnection of robust data networks is having a profound effect.
Early data networks were limited to exchanging character-based information between connected computer systems. Current networks have evolved to carry voice, video streams, text, and graphics between many different types of devices. Previously separate and distinct communication forms have converged onto a common platform. This platform provides access to a wide range of alternative and new communication methods that enable people to interact directly with each other almost instantaneously.
It is incredible how quickly the Internet became an integral part of our daily routines. The complex interconnection of electronics devices and media that comprise the network is transparent to the millions of users who make it a valued and personal part of their lives.

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