Computer Network

Lecture 1
 Computer Network
Text Books :
• Computer Networks, by Andrew S. Tanenbaum.
• Data communications and networking, by Behrouz
A. Forouzan, Catherine Ann Coombs, Sophia Chung
Fegan
• Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, by Larry
L. Peterson, Bruce S. Davie
 Computer Network
Grading:

• First Exam 30 %
• Participation and Activities 20%
• Final Exam 50%
 Computer Network
Chapter 1: Overview
1.1. Introduction

The creation of the first network can be traced back to the

early 1960s, and later on developed to the concept of
internetworking. It is all started at the US Dept of Defense
Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA);
The need for researchers and scientists to share
information and have remote access to data in different
universities and research centers was the reason for
the internetworking concept to be the focus of research
at ARPA, and by the 1970s the early Internet had
emerged.

➔ Thus, networks came first, and internetworking

followed evolving today's Internet.
Fig.1: A Network Setup
 Computer network

Computer network was defined as a collection of

devices that can store and manipulate electronic
data, interconnected in such a way that networks’
users can store, retrieve and share information.
Computer Networking
 Benefits of Network
Powerful, flexible collaboration
Freedom to choose the right tools
Resource sharing
• Physical resources, such as printers, scanners & CD-ROM drives, and
• Logical resources (software), such as databases and applications.

Worldwide, instantaneous access to information.

Effective worldwide communications.
Easy, Immediate information dissemination.
 Types of Networks

Depending on the role they perform, computers on the

networks can be classified into the following types:
• Client Computers → use networks resources.
• Peer Computer→ use and provide networks resources
• Server Computers→ only provide networks resources.
 Types of Networks
According to the mentioned kinds of computer we can
classify networks into three categories:
• Peer-to-Peer Networks.
• Client-Server Networks.
• Hybrid Networks.
 Peer-to-Peer Networks

Group of computer
communicate directly with
each other rather than a
central server.
No role of servers.
Example:
• File Sharing Networks.
 Peer-to-Peer Advantages
Simple configuration.
Allow economical communication with other user when
there is a limited amount of data to exchange.
Inexpensive network (no server hardware and no
administrator)
 Peer-to-peer disadvantages

All users must be in the same area

May not be practical for intensive file transfer/ storage or
heavy printer sharing applications.
Network security is lax.
The problems will arise due increasing the numbers of
workstations
 Client-server network
A client-server network involves multiple clients connecting
to a single server
Describes the relationship between two computer
programs.
 Client-server advantages
Provides powerful and secure communication to
workgroups from 3 to hundreds of users
Network control and administrating is easier than a
peer to peer network
Workstations my be equipped with less memory
and smaller hard drives.
Revolves around powerful machines that take care
of the security and administration
A server have specific roles in the network,
therefore it split the support network’s objectives
 Network Vs Distributed Systems

Network Distributed Systems

1. Multiple autonomous computers Autonomous computers are
are visible not visible.
2. User oriented management. System oriented management.
A user logs into a particular A user logs in to a distributed
machine and explicitly submit system not being aware
jobs remotely, which processor, memory or
moves files around and generally storage being used.
handles all management Nothing has to be done
personally, explicitly, all
being aware of its location on the automatically done by the
network. system.
 The Basic Network Model
• Computer networks can be divided into two areas,
which are fundamental to the ability to transfer data
between computer systems:
– Network Hardware Systems
– Communication Protocols (Software)
➔ In this course we'll be discussing concepts in both
areas!
 Existing Types of Computer Network
•Personal Area Networks (PAN)
•Local Area Networks (LAN)
•Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• Wide Area Network (WAN)
• The INTERNET (Internetworking System)

➔ The most common type is LAN; extremely popular and it

can be setup using different Technologies.
 Personal Area Network

Connect devices over the range of a person

Example of a Bluetooth (wireless) PAN:

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Local Area Networks
Connect devices in a home or office building
Called enterprise network in a company

Wireless LAN Wired LAN with

with 802.11 switched Ethernet

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Metropolitan Area Networks

Connect devices over a metropolitan area

Example MAN based on cable TV:

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Wide Area Networks (1)
Connect devices over a country
Example WAN connecting three branch offices:

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Wide Area Networks (2)
An ISP (Internet Service Provider) network is also a WAN.
Customers buy connectivity from the ISP to use it.

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Network Software

• Protocol layers »
• Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model
• Connection-oriented vs. connectionless service »

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Protocol Layers (1)
Protocol layering is the main structuring method used to
divide up network functionality.

• Each protocol instance

talks virtually to its peer

• Each layer communicates

only by using the one below

• Lower layer services are

accessed by an interface

• At bottom, messages are

carried by the medium

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Protocol Layers (2)
Example: the philosopher-translator-secretary architecture
Each protocol at different layers serves a different purpose

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
 Protocol Layers (3)
Each lower layer adds its own header (with control inform-
ation) to the message to transmit and removes it on receive

Layers may also split and join messages, etc.

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model
•International standard organization (ISO) established a
committee in 1977 to develop an architecture for computer
communication.
•Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model is
the result of this effort.
•In 1984, the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)
reference model was approved as an international standard
for communications architecture.
•Term “open” denotes the ability to connect any two
systems which conform to the reference model and
associated standards.
 OSI Reference Model
•The OSI model is now considered the primary Architectural
model for inter-computer communications.

•The OSI reference model divides the problem of moving

information between computers over a network medium into
SEVEN smaller and more manageable problems .

•This separation into smaller more manageable functions is

known as layering.
 OSI Reference Model
A principled, international standard, seven layer model to
connect different systems

– Provides functions needed by users

– Converts different representations
– Manages task dialogs
– Provides end-to-end delivery
– Sends packets over multiple links
– Sends frames of information
– Sends bits as signals

CN5E by Tanenbaum & Wetherall, © Pearson Education-Prentice Hall and D. Wetherall, 2011
OSI Reference Model: 7 Layers
 OSI: A Layered Network Model
•The process of breaking up the functions or tasks of networking
into layers reduces complexity.
• Each layer communicates with the same layer’s software or
hardware on other computers.
•The lower 4 layers (transport, network, data link and physical —
Layers 4, 3, 2, and 1) are concerned with the flow of data from
end to end through the network.
•The upper four layers of the OSI model (application,
presentation and session—Layers 7, 6 and 5) are orientated
more toward services to the applications.
•Data is Encapsulated with the necessary protocol information as
it moves down the layers before network transit.
 OSI in Action
•A message begins at the top application layer and moves
down the OSI layers to the bottom physical layer.
•As the message descends, each successive OSI model
layer adds a header to it.
•A header is layer-specific information that basically
explains what functions the layer carried out.
•Conversely, at the receiving end, headers are striped from
the message as it travels up the corresponding layers.
OSI & TCP/IP Models
 Connection oriented Vs
connectionless
•Connection-oriented communication have higher overhead
and place greater demands on bandwidth. But in
connectionless communication requires far less overhead
than connection-oriented communication.
•Connection-oriented communication is more reliable then
connectionless communication.
Connection-oriented telephone call

39
Connectionless postal system

40