Lecture 2

 The OSI model

 Chapter 2, specifically pages 42-58

Dave Novak
School of Business Administration, University of Vermont

Sources: 1) Network+ Guide to Networks, Dean 2013

2) Comer, Computer Networks and Internets, 2004
 Lecture Outline

 Examine the seven layers of the OSI

model in detail
 What the OSI model is and how it is used in
networking
 Understand how protocols at different layers
interact
 OSI’s relationship to networking protocols
 Difference between MAC and IP address
 Define encapsulation
 OSI model and networking

 OSI model provides a universal

framework for network communication
 Predates popularity of TCP/IP
 Defines relationships between various
protocols, the specific services provided by
protocols, and the layers of the model where
the protocols operate
 The OSI model and networking

 Networked computers use many different

protocols simultaneously
 Protocols are responsible for providing
different types of network services and
functions
 The OSI model and networking

 Different layers of OSI are responsible

for doing different things by providing
different types of services and functions
 The idea behind “layering” is to separate
functionality and services by individual
layer where there is no redundancy in
the services / functions between layers
 Each layer of the OSI has a specific set of
functions and services that are handled at
that layer
 The OSI model and networking

 The OSI model is a standardized

framework for sub-dividing
communications system
functionality and services into
separate layers
 OSI model
 The collection of networking protocols that
operate at the various OSI layers are referred
to as a protocol stack
 Protocols running on a networked computer work
together to provide all services required by a
particular application
 Services provided by the protocols are not
redundant – if a protocol at one layer provides a
particular service, the protocols at the other layers
do not provide the same service
 Protocols at different layers provide services to each
other – allowing interaction between adjoining
layers
 OSI model

 Promotes open system communication

 OSI is a theoretical representation or

framework for network services
 Does NOT prescribe hardware or software
 Does NOT describe how software programs on
different computers interact, or how they interact
with humans
A Protocol Stack

The collection of protocols that operate at the

various layers of the OSI model are referred to
as a protocol stack

The protocols in the protocol stack work

together to provide all services required by an
application

Protocols at the different layers perform specific

functions that are NOT duplicated by other
protocols at other layers
Protocol Interaction

Services performed at a particular

layer of the OSI model at the sending
computer are also performed (or undone)
at the corresponding layer of the
receiving computer

The Session Layer (5) at the sending

computer does not communicate
directly with the Session Layer at the
Receiving computer  messages are
passed down from the Session Layer (5)
to the Transport Layer (4) and so on at
the sending computer

Messages are passed up from the

Transport Layer (4) to the Session Layer (5)
at the receiving computer
The OSI Reference Model

7
The Application Layer (7) is the
top most layer – it is NOT the same
6 thing as an application

5 MS Word is an example of an application

MS Word is NOT a protocol that operates

4 at the Application Layer (7) of the OSI

3 FTP is an example of an Application Layer

(7) protocol
2 The Physical Layer (1) is the bottom
most layer of the OSI model – it
1 addresses the transmission of bits over
a particular medium
Interaction Between OSI Layers
OSI model
 OSI model

 Refer to the additional reading –

Webopedia definition of OSI
 http://webopedia.internet.com/quick_ref/OS
I_Layers.asp

 The OSI model defines a framework for

implementing networking services via
specific PROTOCOLS (depending on the
protocol stack being used) in seven layers
 Physical Layer (1)

 Concerned with transmitting signals

(representing raw bits) over a
communication channel

 Transmitting signals via energy of some

form or another
 Data are not organized into frames or
packets at Layer 1
 Physical Layer (1)

 Addresses the nature of the medium and

types of signals used
 Cable type: coaxial, twisted pair, fiber
 Signal type: Light pulses, electrical voltage,
radio waves
 Why would one be concerned about the medium
that is used? What difference does it make?
 Physical Layer (1)

 Hardware dealing with transmission of

signals is defined at layer 1 of the OSI
 Cables, hubs, repeaters
 Do not “understand” packets or frames only
signals
 The NIC provides a physical connection to
the network and bridges layers 1 and 2
 Physical Layer (1)
 Networking technologies may use a variety of
physical layer options
 Ethernet (the most popular wired networking
technology) supports a number of different physical
layer options
Designation Cable Type Topology Speed Max Segment
Length
10Base5 RG-8 coaxial Bus 10 Mbps 500 meters

10Base2 RG-58 coaxial Bus 10 Mbps 185 meters

10BaseT CAT 3 UTP Star 10 Mbps 100 meters

100BaseFX 62.5 / 125 Star 100 Mbps 412 meters

multimode fiber
100BaseTX CAT 5 UTP Star 100 Mbps 100 meters
 Physical Layer (1)

 Different types of media may be used to

implement a given LAN technology
 For example, depending on the standard being
followed, an Ethernet LAN may require coaxial,
fiber, or twisted pair wiring

 Each standard has different topology and

medium requirements
 Physical Layer (1)

 Max length of cable

 What happens if you exceed max cable length
standards?

 Type of connectors
 Bit rate (data transmission rate)
 Monitor data error rates
 Data Link Layer (2)

 Converts signals and streams of bits into

frames and vice versa
 Creates and recognizes frame boundaries
 What is a frame and why is it
important?
 Data Link Layer (2)

 The frame format is different for various

networking technologies
 Ethernet
 Token Ring
 ATM
 Different Frame Formats

 Ethernet frame (IEEE 802.3) v2 length >= 1536 B

Dest. Source
Preamble SFD Length DATA FCS
MAC MAC

8 bytes 1 6 6 2 46 – 1500 bytes 4

 Token Ring frame (IEEE 802.5) length > 4500 B

Start Access Frame Dest. Source End Frame

DATA FCS
Del. Control Control MAC MAC Del. Status

1 1 1 6 6 4500 >= 0 4 1 1
 Data Link Layer (2)

 Access control technique of various

technologies defined at Layer 2
 The way in which networked devices “gain
access to the medium”, communicate with
other devices, and transfer data differs
based on the technology being used
 For example, the process two devices use to
communicate over wireless is different from
Ethernet
 Data Link Layer (2)

 Error detection in the bit to frame

conversion process
 Identifies and corrects frame errors
 Errors related to LAN communication
 Between 2 hosts
 The physical address or MAC address
is contained in the frame header
 Data Link Layer (2)

 Provides conduit or link between the

hardware and software on the computer
and the physical network medium
 This is done via the NIC
 Data Link Layer (2) Sublayers

LLC – Interface to layer 3. Controls frame synchronization, flow control,

and error checking

MAC – Interface to layer 1. Controls how PC accesses and transmits data

specifies the Media Access Technique used
 Data Link Layer (2)

 In terms of network design – Data Link

Layer (2) is single most important
layer in determining what hardware
is used
 LAN technology and topology requires
certain physical layer options and vice versa
 Implies access technique used
 Data Link Layer (2)

 Data link layer protocols designed to

work locally (LAN or subnet centric)
 Other higher-layer protocols (at layers 3 and
4) are required for error detection and flow
control in communicating remotely and over
larger distances
 Hardware that recognizes frames
operates at layer 2 of the OSI
 Switch, bridge
 Network Layer (3)

 Packages data/frames into IP datagrams

 Higher level, routable network addresses (like

the IP address) are recognized and managed
 Hardware that recognizes network addresses
(like IP addresses) works at Layer 3
 Routers
 Network Layer (3)

 Responsible for end-to-end

communication
 Network Layer (3)

 Responsible for end-to-end

communication

 How is end-to-end functionality different

from functionality provided by Data Link
Layer (2) protocols?
 Network Layer (3)

 Example protocol: IP
 Example services: network addressing,
fragmentation/reassembly, routing
 What does routing mean?
Frames, Packets, and IP Datagrams
 MAC and IP Address Comparison

 MAC address (physical address)

 IP address (network address)

 Transport Layer (4)

 Network layer (3) and Transport layer (4)

protocols designed to work together as a
pair
 TCP/IP – Internet protocol stack
 SPX/IPX
 Layer 4 protocols provide services to
complement Layer (3)
 TCP provides very specific services that IP
does not – designed to work together with
each protocol providing unique services
 Transport Layer (4)

 Provides messaging service for Session

layer (5) and hides the underlying
network from the upper layers
 Example protocols: TCP, UDP
 Example of Transport Layer services: flow
control, multiplexing, retransmission,
message sequencing
 Transport Layer (4)

 Provides end-to-end error control on the

network
 How is this different from Layer 2 error
control?

 How is this different from end-to-end

communications provided at Layer 3?
 Encapsulation

 Each protocol adds headers to information it

receives from the layer above it

 When a datagram is encapsulated, the entire

datagram is placed into the payload area of a
specific frame format
 Transport Layer (4) adds its header to message and passes
down to Network Layer (3)  Network Layer adds its
header in front of Transport Layer header and so on
 Encapsulation

Upper Layers

2
 Lower Layers (1 – 4)

 Layers 1 – 4 are called the LOWER

layers

 Lower layers are concerned with proper

transmission of data across the
network
 Upper Layers (5 – 7)
 Layers 5 – 7 called the UPPER layers
 Upper layers are concerned with how
different application communicate
between different hosts
 Difficult to identify and separate upper layer
protocols in some cases – many applications bundle
services provided at layers 5, 6, and 7
 Example: WS FTP not only uses Layer 7 protocol FTP, but
manages syntax and compression issues at Layer 6, and
session management issues at Layer 5
 Upper layer protocols/services know nothing about,
or understand networking or addressing
 Session Layer (5)

 Responsible for establishing, maintaining,

and ending communication
 There are no separate Session Layer
protocols
 Session Layer functions are integrated into
other protocols that also include
Presentation and Application Layer functions
 Set up, manage, and tear down “sessions” or
“connections” between Presentation Layer (6)
entities
 Session Layer (5)

 Coordinates communication and

organizes into one of three categories:
 1) Simplex – only one node can transmit

 2) Half duplex – both nodes can transmit, but

only one at a time. Once one node is finished
transmitting data, the other node can transmit

 3) Full duplex – both nodes can transmit

simultaneously without disrupting the other node
 Session Layer (5)
 Traffic cop for communications between two
nodes on a network
 For Internet applications – mapping between
logical ports and sessions
 Presentation Layer (6)
 Primary role is to preserve meaning of
information transmitted between systems
 Computers communicating on a network often use
different syntax

 Ensures communication between entities is of a

form both can understand
 Computers must negotiate a common syntax so
they can choose a transfer syntax that they both
have in common and both understand
 Semantics?
 Presentation Layer (6)

 Different applications and programming

languages use different data types and
different syntax
 Text-based languages based on sequence while
visual languages are based on spatial layout and
relationships between symbols
 Which statements in a program are acceptable to
the compiler?
 Presentation Layer (6)

 Network perspective: applications send

messages to each other
 Application perspective: messages contain
specific types of data
 Many types of data use very standard (universal)
formats
 MPEG for video
 JPEG for still images
 ASCII for text
 Not all data types have universal formats
 Not all computers format data types the same way
 Presentation Layer (6)

 If needed, systems can select transfer

syntax that provides additional services
such as:
 Data compression and decompression
 Encryption and decryption
 Application Layer (7)

 Entrance point for applications to access

the OSI model (structured networking
framework) and use network resources
 NOT an application, but access to protocols
that provide network services
 Coordinates network services
 Identify parties and make sure each can be
reached
 Ensures communication resources exist (For
example, is there are modem at the sender’s computer?)
 Application Layer (7)

 Most Application Layer protocols provide

services (such as mail, print, network
management services) that applications (such
as WS FTP, Internet Explorer, Outlook) use to
access the network
 Application Layer protocols often include Session
and Presentation Layer functions
 Typical protocol stack consists of 4 separate
protocols that run at the application, transport,
network, and data-link layers
 FTP, TCP, IP, specific Ethernet protocols
 Application Layer (7)
 FTP, TCP, IP, specific Ethernet protocols
 Example: WS_FTP (application software)uses FTP (a layer 7
protocol that ALSO performs layer 6 and 5 functions) running over
TCP/IP (the layer 4 and 3 protocols – Internet communication) and
Ethernet LAN technology (layer 2 protocols specifying frame
formats, error detection, addressing on the LAN)
 The upper layers using FTP are unaware of what
type of transport protocol (4), what type of network
protocol (3), and what type of LAN technology or
data-link protocol (2) is being used
 Different lower layer protocols CAN be used – the
application is not aware of this, and doesn’t need to
deal with any lower layer functionality
 Lecture Summary

 Details of the OSI model

 KNOW the layers (A, P, S, T, N, D, P) and be
able to describe basic services provided at
each layer
 Using TCP/IP stack as example, on what
layer does IP operate? What about TCP?