Internet Protocols and Packet Delivery Algorithms
John W. Leis · 2018
This chapter examines the defined standards and methods for Internet data communications, the protocols. This encompasses the data formats employed as well as the algorithms that operate on that data in order to facilitate data communication between physically separate devices. The chapter discusses the role and functions of protocol layers: Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol. It explores key elements of each protocol, such as IP addresses and TCP sockets. The IP datagram will usually traverse several different networks, and each of these may have different link layer protocols and configurations. IP addresses are used to determine the position of the subnet division line using binary operators, and in fact this is how it is done in the software protocol stack. The chapter explains potential pitfalls in networking, such as congestion collapse, and the approaches used to mitigate these problems. It also examines the principles of routing.