ISO Layers and Protocols

The ISO-OSI 7 layer Reference Model (officially known as ISO Standard 7498, 1984, 7498-
1:1994. and CCITT standard X.200) was developed by the Internet Architecture Board and drafted
by the IETF.
“It provides a common basis for the coordination of standards development for the purpose of
systems interconnection, while allowing existing standards to be placed into perspective within the
overall Reference Model. The model identifies areas for developing or improving standards. It does
not intend to serve as an implementation specification.”

Layer Function Protocols Network

Components
Application • used for applications specifically DNS; FTP; TFTP; Gateway
written to run over the network BOOTP;
• allows access to network services that
User Interface SNMP;RLOGIN;
support applications;
• directly represents the services that SMTP; MIME;
directly support user applications NFS; FINGER;
• handles network access, flow control TELNET; NCP;
and error recovery APPC; AFP; SMB
• Example apps are file transfer, e-mail,
NetBIOS-based applications

Presentation • Translates from application to network Gateway

format and vice-versa
• all different formats from all sources
Translation Redirector
are made into a common uniform
format that the rest of the OSI model
can understand
• responsible for protocol conversion,
character conversion, data encryption /
decryption, expanding graphics
commands, data compression
• sets standards for different systems to
provide seamless communication from
multiple protocol stacks
• not always implemented in a network
protocol

Session • establishes, maintains and ends NetBIOS Gateway

sessions across the network
• responsible for name recognition
"syncs and sessions" Names Pipes
(identification) so only the designated
parties can participate in the session
• provides synchronization services by Mail Slots
planning check points in the data
stream => if session fails, only data RPC
after the most recent checkpoint need
be transmitted
• manages who can transmit data at a
certain time and for how long
• Examples are interactive login and file
transfer connections, the session would
connect and re-connect if there was an
interruption; recognize names in
 sessions and register names in history

Transport • additional connection below the session TCP, ARP, RARP; Gateway
layer
• manages the flow control of data
packets; flow control SPX Advanced Cable
between parties across the network
& error-handling Tester
• divides streams of data into chunks or
packets; the transport layer of the NWLink
receiving computer reassembles the
message from packets NetBIOS /
• "train" is a good analogy => the data is NetBEUI
divided into identical units
• provides error-checking to guarantee
error-free data delivery, with on losses ATP
or duplications
• provides acknowledgment of successful
transmissions; requests retransmission
if some packets don’t arrive error-free
• provides flow control and error-
handling

Network • translates logical network address and IP; ARP; RARP,

names to their physical address (e.g. ICMP; RIP; OSFP;
computer name ==> MAC address)
addressing; routing Router
• responsible for
o addressing IGMP;
o determining routes for sending Frame Relay
o managing network problems IPX Device
such as packet switching, data
congestion and routing
NWLink ATM Switch
• if router can’t send data frame as large
as the source computer sends, the
network layer compensates by breaking NetBEUI Advanced Cable
the data into smaller units. At the Tester
receiving end, the network layer OSI
reassembles the data
• think of this layer stamping the
addresses on each train car DDP

DECnet
Data Link • turns packets into raw bits 100101 and Logical Link Bridge
at the receiving end turns bits into Control
packets.
data frames to bits Switch
• handles data frames between the
• error
Network and Physical layers
correction and ISDN Router
• the receiving end packages raw data
flow control
from the Physical layer into data frames
• manages link
for delivery to the Network layer
control and Intelligent Hub
• responsible for error-free transfer of
defines SAPs
frames to other computer via the
Physical Layer NIC
• this layer defines the methods used to 802.1 OSI Model
transmit and receive data on the Advanced Cable
network. It consists of the wiring, the 802.2 Logical Link Tester
devices use to connect the NIC to the Control
wiring, the signaling involved to Media Access
transmit / receive data and the ability to Control
detect signaling errors on the network
 media
• communicates
with the
adapter card
• controls the
type of media
being used:

802.3 CSMA/CD
(Ethernet)

802.4 Token Bus

(ARCnet)

802.5 Token Ring

802.12 Demand
Priority
Physical • transmits raw bit stream over physical IEEE 802 Repeater
cable
• defines cables, cards, and physical IEEE 802.2
hardware; raw bit Multiplexer
aspects
stream
• defines NIC attachments to hardware, ISO 2110
how cable is attached to NIC Hubs
• defines techniques to transfer bit stream ISDN
to cable TDR

Oscilloscope

Amplifier

ISO/OSI
Layer 7: Application
Written by and for users. This is what pays for the other 6 layers!

Layer 6: Presentation
Usually based on some kind of standard,
such as HTML.

Layer 5: Session
Deals usually with opening and closing a connection of some sort, or with an organized exchange
of individual messages. This is the obvious place for

• login
• usage charges
• checkpointing and restarting in case of failure
 Layer 4: Transport
Deals with carrying data from one computer to another. We will consider primarily the two
protocols
TCP
Used to operate a pair of byte streams between the computers.
UDP
Used to send individual messages between the computers.

Layer 3: Network
This layer concentrates on getting data across a catenated network, using network layer addresses
to determine the LANs that should be traversed, and the gateways to be used. We will focus
exclusively on IP.

Layer 2: Link
This is the "layer of the LAN". There is a wide range of link technology, with protocols to match.
Here we have addresses that reflect a particular LAN, and the job of this layer as a provider is to
format/parse data from/to the network layer in order to get it across the LAN, from network source
to gateway to gateway ... until it reaches the network destination.

This layer is usually subdivided into

logical link control ( LLC)

media access control (MAC))
which deals with how a particular station obtains access to the transmission medium, and
approprate addresses at the link level, and identification of the peer provider at this level.

Some of the Link technologies we will consider are:

ethernet
serial
FDDI
ATM
wireless

Layer 1: Hardware
This layer basically transfers on getting bits on to and off from a transmission medium,
synchronized with some kind of clock so that the bits may be framed into bytes, and the butes may
be framed in various ways.

Some of the media used are

twisted pair and coaxial cable / NIC

fiber optics