Goals of Computer Network

Right from the day of computer automation, a computer has developed

computer in each department. For example, the task can be to keep of track off
inventories, monitor productivity and maintain accounts. Initially, this computer
in different department works as an isolation from other computer. These
provided the necessary computer assistance in the activities pertaining to the
respective department. It was not possible to share information among the
departments. As a result, the information was replicated wherever needed. This
increased redundancy caused increased in storage space, less data consistency
etc.
Hence, at a point it was decided to connect the computers in various
departments to extract the information and correlate information about the entire
company. The following are the objectives of the computer networks.
1. Resource sharing is the main objective of the computer network. The goal is
to provide all the program, date and hardware is available to everyone on the
network without regard to the physical location of the resource and the users.
2. The second objective is to provide the high Reliability. It is achieved by
replicating the files on two or more machines, so in case of unavailability (due
to fail of hardware) the other copies can be used.
3. Computer organization has helped organization in saving money. This is due
to the fact that the small computer has much better price to the performance
ratio comparison than the large computer like mainframe. Mainframe computer

are approximately ten times faster that the microcomputers, but they cost
thousands times more. As a result of this imbalance, organization has preferred
to install interconnected microcomputer connected to the mainframe computer.
4. Computer network have provided means to increase system performance as
the work load increases (load balancing). In the days of mainframe when the
system was full it was to replace with the other large mainframe computer,
usually at and expensive rate not convenience for user.
5. Computer network help people who live or work apart to report together. So,
when one user prepared some documentation, he can make the document online
enabling other to read and convey their opinions. Thus computer network is a
powerful communication medium.
6. Only authorized user can access resource in a computer network. Users are
authenticated by their user name and password. Hence it is not possible to
access the data without proper account. This increases security.

Application of Networks:
1. Marketing and sales: Marketing professional uses them to collect exchange
and analyze data relating to customer needs and product development cycles.
Sales application includes Teleshopping, which uses order entry computers or
telephone connected to an order processing network, and online reservation
services for railways, hotels, airlines, restaurants theatre etc.

2. Financial services: It include credit history searches, foreign exchange and

investment services and electronic fund transfer (EFT), which allow a user to
transfer money without going to bank.
3. Manufacturing: computer networks are used today in many aspects of
manufacturing, including the manufacturing processes itself. Two aspects that
uses network to provide essential services are computer Assisted design (CAD)
and computer Assisted manufacturing (CAM), both of which allow multiple
user to work on a project simultaneously.
4. Electronic Messaging: E-mails transfer the messages between two and more
users in a network. With this application user can transfer the information in the
form of text, picture and voice.
5. Directory Services: It allows list of files to be stored in central location to
speed up the world wide search operation. E.g. search engines like Google,
Britannia, and Yahoo etc.
6. Information Services: It includes Bulletin Boards and data bank. A www
site offering the technical specification for a new product in a information
services.
7. Electronic Data Exchange (EDI): EDI allows business information
(including documents such as purchase orders and services) to be transferred
without using paper.
8. Teleconferencing: It allows conference to occur without the participant being
in the same location. It includes:

Text Conferencing: Participant communicates through their keywords and

computer monitors.
Voice Conferencing: Participant at a number of locations communicates
simultaneously through phone (talk).
Video Conferencing: Participant can see as well as talk to another.
9. Cellular Telephone: Wireless phone communication even while travelling
through long distance.
10. Cable TV: This is widest usable thing today throughout the world.

Network Architecture Types

Network architectures are sometimes classified into two broad categories:
client-server architectures,
peer-to-peer architectures.
In the client-server architectural model, a system is decomposed into client and
server processors or processes. Servers provide computational resources (or
services), which clients consume. Typically a server provides services to many
clients. It is also common for clients to consume services from multiple services.
Stated otherwise, there is generally a 1:M relationship between a server and its

clients, and it is sometimes the case that there is a 1:M relationship between a
client and the servers that it uses. The client-server architectural model supports
the separation of functionality based on the service concept.
Client-server architectures are commonly organized into layers referred to as
tiers.
Tiered Architectures
Two-tier architectures. The system architecture consists of a data server layer
and an application client layer. Data access computation is associated with the
data server layer, and the user interface is associated with the client application
layer. If most of the application logic is associated with the client application logic,
it is sometimes referred to as a fat client. If it is associated with the data access
server, the application client layer is sometimes referred to as a thin client.
Three-tier architecture. The system architecture consists of data server layer, an
application server layer and a client application layer. The application server layer
facilitates the separation of application logic from presentation, and promotes
distributed processing.
Multi-tier architecture. The system architecture is a superset of a three-tier
architecture, and includes additional layers for data and/or application servers.

Peer-to-Peer Architectures
In a peer-to-peer architecture model, a system is decomposed into computational
nodes that have equivalent capabilities and responsibilities. This division is in
contrast to a client-server architectural model, where client and server nodes are
divided into server and client roles.
An example of a peer-to-peer architecture is a system of intelligent agents that
collaborate to collect, filter, and correlate information.

Sometimes layered (tiered) and peer-to-peer architectures are combined,

where the nodes in particular layers are in peer-to-peer relationships. For
example, a multi-tiered architecture might include an enterprise management
layer, consisting of peer nodes for such things as network management, event
management, database management, Web sever management, and workload
balancing.