Architectures and Standards
Bongsik Shin · Auerbach Publications eBooks · 2017
This chapter explains network architecture, layers, standard and protocol, and their relationships. The layered framework of a standard architecture offers distinct benefits; especially, changes of a particular software or hardware standard within a layer can be made independently of standards in other layers. The standard architecture in computer networking is a multilayered framework that broadly defines primary networking-related functions to be performed in each layer. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP) and Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) are two dominant standard architectures. The popular standards of the application, transport, and Internet layers are from TCP/IP, and OSI standards dominate the data link and physical layers. The chapter also explains key layer functions and also explains the data link concept in both local area network and wide area network contexts. It describes software and/or hardware elements responsible for conducting the layer functions.