Running head: TELECOMMUNICATION 1

Telecommunication

Roland Yaw Kudozia

Aspen University
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Telecommunication

OSI Model Impacts on Equipment and Network Interpretability

Data communication systems can be very diverse and complex. These systems involve elaborate
software that must run on equipment having ever-increasing processing requirements. It was
unlikely that applications operating on different equipment from different vendors could
communicate. Vendors, users, and standards bodies needed to agree upon and implement a
standard architecture that would allow computer systems to exchange information even though
they were using software and equipment from different vendors. Under these conditions, it is
desirable to ensure maximum independence among the various software and hardware elements
of a system for two reasons:

• To facilitate intercommunication among disparate elements; and

• To eliminate the “ripple effect” when there is a modification to one software element that
may affect all elements.

In 1978, the International Standards Organization (ISO) introduced a networking model, called
the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, as a first step toward standardizing data
communications standards to promote multi-vendor network interoperability.

. This provided standard-setting agencies with architecture that defines communication tasks.
The OSI model provides the basis for connecting open systems for distributed applications
processing. The term open denotes the ability of any two systems conforming to the reference
model and associated standards to interconnect. OSI thus provides a common groundwork for the
development of families of standards permitting data assets to communicate.

By providing guidelines regarding the way network equipment should be manufactured and how
network operating systems communicate on a network, the OSI model became the common link
that allows data to be transmitted and exchanged reliably. Although it does not actually perform
any functions or do any of the actual work, the OSI model defines the way things should be done
by the software and hardware on a network so that communications can take place between two
computers or nodes.

By adhering to this standard model of communications, modern networks, including the Internet,
have come into existence. For anyone interested in implementing and supporting today's modern
networks, an understanding of the OSI model and its various layers is crucial. Indeed, this
standard of communications lays the foundation for all of today’s modern network hardware and
software.

Since the main purpose of a network is to share information, a standard that governs how this
information is formatted, transmitted, received and verified would make it possible for
information to be shared openly, even when dealing with dissimilar networks.
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In this way, the OSI model provides a universal set of rules that make it possible for

various manufacturers and developers to create software and hardware that is compatible with

each other. This makes for organized communications. Not only is it the foundation for all

network communications today, but also because it is such a fundamental part of these

communications, it becomes very apparent to me that it is very important for a network

technician to understand the OSI model in full detail.

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References

Advantages and disadvantages of the OSI model. (MAR 12, 2008 8:42 PM GMT). In IT

Knowledge Exchange. Retrieved ,16th October 2010, from

Fitz, M. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Communications Systems. 2007: The McGraw-Hill

Companies.

Micosoft Corporation. (May 4, 2010). Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Retrieved 17th October, 2010, from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-

us/library/cc959881.aspx

Why Is The OSI Model So Important. (n.d.). In Wiki Answers. Retrieved 17th October 2010, from

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_the_OSI_Model_so_important