MET CS 625 Business Data Communication and Networks Assignment 1

Lecture 1 1. (10 pts) Identify the seven layers in the OSI model, and explain the purpose of and functionality provided by each layer. 1. Physical Layer: the function is to transmit data bits (ones or zeros) over a communication circuit. The purpose is to define the rules by which ones and zeros are transmitted (i.e. voltages of electricity, bits/sec., and the physical format of the connectors and cables used). 2. Data Link Layer: the function of the data link layer is to manage the physical transmission circuit in layer 1 and transform it into a circuit that is free of transmission errors as far as the layers above are concerned. Another function is to solve problems caused by damaged, lost, or duplicate messages so the succeeding layers are shielded from transmission errors. This layer also marks where a message starts and where it ends. The purpose of the data link layer is to create/recognize message boundaries as well as error detection and correction. Also, it prevents two computers from trying to transmit at the same time by deciding when a device can transmit. 3. Network Layer: the function is to perform routing. The purpose is to determine the next computer the message should be sent to so it can follow the best route through the network and find the full address for that computer, if needed. 4. Transport Layer: the function is dealing with end to end issues (i.e. procedures for entering and departing from the network) to establish, maintain, and terminate logical connections for the transfer of data between the original sender and the final destination of the message. The purpose is breaking a large data transmission into smaller packets (if needed), ensuring that all the packets have been received, eliminating duplicate packets, error control, and performing flow control to ensure that no computer is overwhelmed by the number of messages it receives. 5. Session Layer: the function is managing and structuring all sessions. Another function is handling session accounting so the correct party receives the bill. The purpose of session initiation is to arrange for all the desired and required services between session participants (i.e. logging onto circuit equipment, transferring files, and performing security checks). The purpose of session termination is providing an orderly way to end the session, as well as a means to abort a session prematurely. Redundancy may be built in to recover from a broken transport connection in case of failure. 6. Presentation Layer: the functions include displaying, formatting, and editing user inputs. The purpose of these functions is to format the data for presentation to the user. The overall purpose is to accommodate different interfaces on different computers, so the application program does not have to worry about them. Any function outside of those in layers 1-5 that is requested sufficiently often to warrant finding a general solution is placed in the presentation layer. 7. Application Layer: the function is being the end users access to the network.

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Each user program determines the set of messages and any action it might take on receipt of a message. The purpose is to provide a set of utilities for application programs. Some of the network-specific application layer purposes include network monitoring and network management. 2. (10 pts) Identify and explain three differences between the OSI model and the Internet model. 1. The Internet model only has five layers (physical, data link, network, transport, and application), but the OSI model has seven layers (physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application). 2. The OSI model is a formal standard that is documented in one standard. During the late 1970s, the International Organization for Standardization (IOS) created the Open System Interconnection Subcommittee, whose task was to develop a framework of standards for computer-to-computer communications. In 1984, this effort produced the OSI model. Therefore, the OSI model was a de juro standard. The Internet model has never been formally defined; it has been interpreted from a number of standards and evolved from the work of thousands of people who developed pieces of the internet. Therefore, the Internet Model was a de facto standard. 3. The OSI model places emphasis on providing a reliable data transfer service, while the Internet model treats reliability as an end-to-end problem. Each layer of the OSI model detects and handles errors, all data transmitted includes checksums. The transport layer of the OSI model checks source-todestination reliability. In the Internet model, reliability control is concentrated at the transport layer. The transport layer handles all error detection and recovery. The Internet transport layer uses checksums, acknowledgments, and timeouts to control transmissions and provides end-to-end verification. Lecture 2 3. (10 pts) Assume that you are running HTTP 1.0, and requesting an HTML page which contains two images in addition to the HTML content. How many request response pairs would there be in such a scenario? Describe how a Web browser and a Web server work together to send a Web page to a user in the above scenario. There would be three request response pairs. First the, the browser would issue a request for the web page, and the server would send the response. The browser would then begin displaying the web page and notice the two graphic files. Next, the browser would send a request for the first graphic and a request for the second graphic, and the server would reply with two separate HTTP responses, one for each request. 4. Assume that an organization has 25 employees that have each been given a computer to perform their work. Each computer accesses the organizations applications via a powerful mainframe computer in the server room. When an employee types a key, the keystroke is sent to the mainframe, which in turn decides what action to take, and transmits that action back to their computer. Every keystroke is sent to the mainframe, and all decisions are made by the mainframe. Each employees computer
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acts only as an input and display device. a. (10 pts) Identify the application architecture used by this organization, and explain the definition, pros, and cons of that architecture. The application architecture used by this organization is host-based. They were the very first data communications networks. The clients merely capture keystrokes, send them to the server for processing, and accept instructions from the server on what to display. Application software is developed and stored on the mainframe along with all of the data. There is one point of control because all messages flow through the one central mainframe. One of the advantages is there are economies of scale, because all computer resources are centralized. This centralization also lends itself to improved security control. Two of the major cons with this architecture is (1) servers must process all messages, which can lead to message overload, difficulty with prioritization, and inefficient processing, as well as (2) expensive equipment/upgrades that must come in large increments. b. (10 pts) Identify and explain three issues the organization would need to address if it would like to switch from its current architecture to a two-tier, client-server architecture. 1. Currently, the mainframe handles all of the processing. Switching to clientserver architecture would require that the client computers handle the presentation logic and potentially the application logic. Therefore, the client computers must have the processing power to execute the necessary programs. 2. The organization must adopt middleware if the application software on the client is not fully compatible (e.g. different vendors) with the existing application software on the mainframe. This will provide a standardized way of communicating that can translate between software from different vendors. It will also manage message transfer from clients to servers. 3. The organization would need to determine whether they take a thin-client or thick-client approach. The thin-client approach places little or no application logic on the client. A thick-client approach places all or almost all of the application logic on the client. Thin-clients are much easier to manage because application changes only require changes to the server with application logic. Lecture 3 5. (10 pts) What is bandwidth and how does it relate to data rate? What would happen to the data rate if the bandwidth was tripled? Bandwidth is the difference between the highest and the lowest frequencies in a band or set of frequencies. The data rate is calculated by multiplying the number of bits sent on each symbol by the maximum symbol rate. The maximum symbol rate in any circuit depends on the bandwidth available and the signal-to-noise ratio. The relationship between bandwidth and data rate is shown below:
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C = B x log2 (1+S / N) Where: C = Data Rate B = bandwidth S = signal strength N = noise strength If signal strength and noise strength remain constant and bandwidth triples, then the data rate will also triple. 6. (10 pts) What is the purpose of multiplexing? Multiplexing means to break one high-speed physical communication circuit into several lower-speed logical circuits so that many different devices can simultaneously use it but still think that they have their own separate circuits. The aim is to share an expensive resource. The primary benefit of multiplexing is to save money by reducing the amount of cable or the number of network circuits that must be installed. If we did not use multiplexers, we would need to run four separate circuits from the clients to the server. If the clients were located several miles from the server, the extra costs could be substantial. 7. (10 pts) How does digital data differ from analog data? Analog data is represented by a continuum of an infinite number of values, while digital data is represented by a finite number of discrete values. 8. (20 pts) Assume we need to download the text of a paperback book at the rate of 30 pages per minute. Further assume that the number of lines per page is 23, and the number of characters per line is 65. What is the required bit rate of the channel? Show all of your work for full credit. 23 x 65 = 1575 = number of characters per page 1 character = 1 byte = 8 bits Therefore, 1575 bytes per page = 12,600 bits per page t=b/C Where, t = time it takes to transfer b bits, b = amount of data transferred in bits, and C = data rate in bits per second Therefore, the equation is 60 seconds = (12,600 bits per page * 30 pages) / C 60 = 378000 / C C = 6300 bits/sec = 6.3 Kbps

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Use the Ask your Facilitator Discussion Board if you have any questions regarding the how to approach this assignment. Save your assignment as lastnameFirstname_assignment1.doc and submit it in the Assignments section of the course. For help uploading files please refer to the Technical Support page in the syllabus.

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