Communication Flashcards
What are the requirements of a data communication system?
Sender, Receiver, Transmission Medium, Message and a Protocol
What is meant by a message?
Any type of transmitted data
When can a message only be transmitted?
When there is an agreed protocol
Where can data communications systems be used?
For any network, including an isolated network
What are the different topologies that can be also used for an isolated network?
Point-to-Point Connection Star Network Bus Network Ring Network Mesh Network
What is a computer that is connected to one of these networks called?
End system
What is the cable called that connects end systems?
network link
State what is meant by a bus topology?
One network link
Shared by a number of end systems
Has multi-point connections
No direct connections between any pair of end-systems
State what is meant by a ring topology?
Each end system has a point to point connection to the two adjacent end systems
State what is meant by a mesh topology
Each end system has a point to point connection to each of the other end systems
State what is meant by a star topology
Each end system has a point to point connection to the central device
What did old systems use?
BUS/RING networks that had servers and workstations
How is a star topology structured?
Workstations/servers but it uses a central device - router/switch/hub.
The central device can be used to connect the network to other networks such as the internet.
A specialised application is to use the star topology to function logically as a ring. With the appropriate software installed, each end system can function as though it has 2 directly connected neighbours.
What is meant by HTTP?
Underpins the world wide web - it is an application layer protocol that is used everytime a website is accessed using a browser.
What type of protocol is HTTP?
a transaction-oriented, client-server protocol
What does a transaction involving HTTP look like?
It involves the client sending a request message and the server sending back a response message. The HTTP protocol defines the format of the message.
What does a message request look like in HTTP?
1st line is the request line. It can be followed by header lines. They all use ASCII coding. <> CRLF CR = carriage return LF = line feed The method is normally GET (not POST). Many versions of HTTP as time has evolved
Describe the events of when a browser accesses a web page.
- HTTP transmits a request message
- TCP creates 1 or more packets and sends the first 1 to IP using port 80 for the destination port and a temporary port number for the sending port.
- IP uses the URL in the message to get an IP address using DNS and sends a datagram.
- At the server, IP forwards datagram to TCP
- The server TCP sends an acknowledgement
- When a connection has been established, TCP sends remaining packets, if any, to IP which forwards them through server and TCP to the server application layer.
- HTTP transmits a response message which is transmitted via TCP->IP->IP->TCP->Client browser application