TCP/IP Architecture:

An Introduction

Julie Earp
NCSU
Fall 2000

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 Host A Host B

Application module Application module

Middleware Middleware

Operating system Operating system

Network

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 Standards Architecture
 Begin With an Architecture (Framework)
 General plan for dividing up the work of
allowing application programs to work together
across a network
 Defines individual layers
 Defines how layers work together
 Then Create Standards for Individual Layers
 One Architecture: TCP/IP

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 OSI
 OSI (Reference Model of Open
Systems Interconnection)
 Open systems are those that are
open to communicating with all
other systems
OSI
 “Reference model” is another Application (7)
name for “architecture” Presentation (6)
Session (5)
 Subnet Layers Transport (4)
Network (3)
Data Link (2)
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Physical (1)
 Internet Standards
 Framework for standards setting is
called TCP/IP
 Originally under DARPA (Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency)
 Now under an independent body, the IETF
(Internet Engineering Task Force)

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 TCP/IP
 TCP/IP is the Dominant Architecture above
the Subnet Layer
 Simple Standards
 Simplicity leads to rapid product development
 Simplicity leads to inexpensive products that are
easy to implement
 “Fast to market and inexpensive” because of
simplicity has led to TCP/IP’s dominance
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 OSI
 TCP/IP versus OSI

OSI TCP/IP
Application (7)
Presentation (6) Application
Session (5)
Transport (4) Transport
Internet
Network (3)
Data Link (2) Subnet
Physical (1)
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 Hybrid TCP/IP Architecture
 OSI Standards are
Dominant for Subnet
Transmission
 TCP/IP Does Not
Challenge that Dominance TCP/IP
 Therefore we have the Application
Hybrid TCP/IP Transport
architecture for the Internet
Internet
Subnet
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 Hybrid TCP/IP Architecture
 OSI Standards are
Dominant for Subnet
Transmission
 TCP/IP Does Not
Challenge that Dominance TCP/IP
 Therefore we have the Application
Hybrid TCP/IP Transport
architecture for the Internet
Internet Data Link
Physical
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 TCP/IP - Five Layers
 Application
 Transport
 Internet
A A
 Data Link
T
 Physical T
I I
D D
P P
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 Internet Standards
 Application Layer Standards
 … allow two application programs to work
together
 What if the 2 programs come from
different vendors?
 Doesn’t matter

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 Internet Standards
 Protocol
 A standard to govern communication between
peer processes at the same layer on different
systems
 Browser and webserver programs are at the same
layer (application)
 Browser and webserver programs are on different
machines (user PC and webserver)
 So HTTP is a protocol.

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 Internet Standards
 Transport Layer Protocols
 … allow any two computers to exchange
messages
 What if they come from different vendors?
 What if they are of different platform
types?

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 Internet Standards
 Internet Layer Protocols
 … allow packets to be routed across multiple
routers from a source host to a destination host.

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 Internet Standards
 Different Subnets Can Have Different
Subnet Protocols
 IP at the internet layer routes across different
protocols between subnets

WAN Subnet RR
Protocol 2
LAN Subnet
Protocol 1 R

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 Internet Standards
 The IETF Does Not Create Subnet
Standards
 Uses standards from OSI
 Reference Model of Open Systems
Interconnection
Application
Transport
Internet

Subnet: Use OSI Standards

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 Internet Standards
 Data Link Layer
 organize transmissions into collections of
bits and manage their transmission within
a single network
Frame
10010001001

Data Link

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 Internet Standards
 Data Link Layer Standards
 Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)

PPP
ISP

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 Internet Standards
 Physical Layer Standards
 connector plugs
 transmission media
 electrical signaling
 other physical matters you can see and
touch, even if they come from different
vendors

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 Internet Standards
 Physical Layer Standards in Internet Access from Home
 External modem
 RJ11 Wall jack
 Serial port
 Telephone wire

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 Internet Standards
 Subnet Versus Internet Layer Standards

R
R

Subnet Layer (Data Link and Physical)

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 Internet Standards
 Accessing the WWW from Home
App
App HTTP App
App
Trans
Trans TCP Trans
Trans
Int
Int IP Int
Int IP Int
Int
DL
DL PPP DL
DL ? DL
DL
Phy
Phy Modem Phy
Phy ? Phy
Phy

Router
User PC
Webserver
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 Internet Standards
 End-to-End Layers

App
App HTTP App
App
Trans
Trans TCP Trans
Trans
Int
Int Int
Int Int
Int
DL
DL DL
DL DL
DL
Phy
Phy Phy
Phy Phy
Phy

Router
User PC Webserver
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 Hops
 What is a hop?
 Hop-by-Hop layers
 internet
 data link
 physical

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 Internet Standards
 Connection between User PC and First Router

App
App App
App
Trans
Trans Trans
Trans
Int
Int IP Int
Int Int
Int
DL
DL PPP DL
DL DL
DL
Phy
Phy Modem Phy
Phy Phy
Phy
First
User PC Router Webserver

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 Internet Standards
 Other Connections
 Router-Router
 Router-DestinationHost
 IP at internet layer App
App
 Subnet standard unknown to user PC
Trans
Trans
Int
Int IP Int
Int IP Int
Int
DL
DL ? DL
DL ? DL
DL
Phy
Phy ? Phy
Phy ? Phy
Phy
First Other Webserver
Router Router
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 Client/Server Processing
 Widely Used on the Internet

E-mail
Server
Browser
Webserver

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TCP/IP: Messaging at the
Higher Layers
 Communication
 Standards govern various parts of the messages
being exchanged
 Form
 syntax of the message
 Content
 what the sender can say
 limited because receiver is not intelligent

 Timing
 when can each side send
 Responses
 Responses must be limited in number
 Responses must also be limited in content

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 TCP/IP: 5 layer summary
 Application (browser-webserver application)
 Transport (user PC-webserver)
 Internet (transmission across routers)
 Data Link (transmission within subnet)
 Physical (physical/electrical within subnet)

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 Layers and Messaging

 How do standards work?

 by exchanging messages at top 4 layers
 What happens at the Physical layer?
 it uses bit-by-bit transmission without message
structure

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 Layers and Messaging

App
App message App
App
Trans
Trans message Trans
Trans
Int
Int packet Int
Int packet Int
Int
DL
DL frame DL
DL frame DL
DL
User PC Router Webserver

Physical

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 Message Exchange
 Standards work through message
exchange
Message
App
App HTTP App
App
Trans
Trans TCP Trans
Trans
Int
Int IP Int
Int IP Int
Int
DL
DL PPP DL
DL ? DL
DL
Phy
Phy Modem Phy
Phy ? Phy
Phy
User PC Router Webserver

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 Octets

 Lengths are often given in groups of

eight bits - called octets
 Octet vs. Byte

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 Message Structure
 Header (trailers too)
 Gives instructions to peer on other system
 Usually has several parts (fields)
 Address, error handling information, etc.
 Like salutation and address in a letter
Header

Data
DataField
Field

Header Fields
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 Message Structure
 Data Field
 The information to be delivered to the
peer process on the other system
 Usually far longer than the header and
trailer
 Just as body of letter is usually longer than
the salutation and closing
Data
DataField
Field
Trailer Header
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 Message Structure
IP message structure
(compressed to fit on slide)

Version Hdr Len

Bit 0 (4) (4)
TOS (8) Total Length in bytes (16)

Bit 32 Indication (16 bits) Flags (3) Fragment Offset (13)

Bit 64 Time to Live (8) Protocol (8) Header Checksum (16)

Bit 96 Source IP Address

Bit 128 Destination IP Address

Options (if any) PAD

Data Field

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 Message Structures
 Not All Fields are Always Present
 Header alone may be sufficient in a
supervisory message
 Header plus data field for delivering data
 Sometimes all three Header
Header

Data
DataField
Field Header
Header

Trailer
Trailer Data
DataField
Field Header
Header

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 Message Time Diagrams
 Standards also govern message timing
 When each side may transmit
 For example, webserver may not send an
HTTP response message until it receives a
request
Browser Webserver
HTTP Request
Message

Time

HTTP Response
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 Telephone Webserver Access

Layer Standard
Application HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP)

Transport Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

Internet Internet Protocol (IP) -

Messages are packets
Data Link Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) -
Messages are frames
Physical Modem, etc.

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 ENCAPSULATION
 Combination of data from the next-
higher layer and control information
Application
Application data Application
Application
Transport
Transport data TCP-h Transport
Transport
Internet
Internet data TCP-h IP-h Internet
Internet
Data
Data Link
Link data TCP-h IP-h D-h Data
Data Link
Link

User PC Physical Webserver

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 Hops
 What is a hop?
 Hop-by-Hop layers
 internet
 data link
 physical

Copyright 2000 Earp