OSI REFERENCE MODEL

5. OSI REFERENCE MODEL

5.1 Introduction

The early development of networks was disorganized in many ways. The early 1980s saw tremendous increases in the number and size of networks. As companies realized the advantages of using networking technology, networks were added or expanded almost as rapidly as new network technologies were introduced.

By the mid-1980s, these companies began to experience problems from the rapid expansion. Just as people who do not speak the same language have difficulty communicating with each other, it was difficult for networks that used different specifications and implementations to exchange information. The same problem occurred with the companies that developed private or proprietary networking technologies. Proprietary means that one or a small group of companies controls all usage of the technology. Networking technologies strictly following proprietary rules could not communicate with technologies that followed different proprietary rules.

To address the problem of network incompatibility, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) researched networking models like Digital Equipment Corporation net (DECnet), Systems Network Architecture (SNA), and TCP/IP in order to find a generally applicable set of rules for all networks. Using this research, the ISO created a network model that helps vendors create networks that are compatible with other n/w

The OSI reference model released in 1984 was the descriptive network model that the ISO created. It provided vendors with a set of standards that ensured greater compatibility and interoperability among various network technologies produced by companies around the world.
The OSI reference model has become the primary model for network communications. Although there are other models in existence, most network vendors relate their products to the OSI reference model. This is especially true when they want to educate users on the use of their products. It is considered the best tool available for teaching people about sending and receiving data on a network.

The OSI reference model is a framework that is used to understand how information travels throughout a network. The OSI reference model explains how packets travel through the various layers to another device on a network, even if the sender and destination have different types of network media. In the OSI reference model, there are seven numbered layers, each of which illustrates a particular network function.Dividing the network into seven layers provides the following advantages:

• It breaks network communication into smaller, more manageable parts.
• It standardizes network components to allow multiple vendor development and support.
• It allows different types of network hardware and software to communicate with each other.
• It prevents changes in one layer from affecting other layers.
• It divides network communication into smaller parts to make learning it easier to understand.

5.2 OSI Layers

Layer 7:Application Layer

• Defines interface-to-user processes for communication and data transfer in network
• Provides standardized services such as virtual terminal, file and job transfer and operations

Layer 6: Presentation Layer

• Masks the differences of data formats between dissimilar systems
• Specifies architecture-independent data transfer format
• Encodes and decodes data; encrypts and decrypts data; compresses and decompresses data

Layer 5: Session Layer

• Manages user sessions and dialogues
• Controls establishment and termination of logic links between users
• Reports upper layer errors

Layer 4: Transport Layer

• Manages end-to-end message delivery in network
• Provides reliable and sequential packet delivery through error recovery and flow control mechanisms
• Provides connectionless oriented packet delivery

Layer 3: Network Layer

• Determines how data are transferred between network devices
• Routes packets according to unique network device addresses
• Provides flow and congestion control to prevent network resource depletion

Layer 2: Data Link Layer

• Defines procedures for operating the communication links
• Frames packets
• Detects and corrects packets transmit errors

Layer 1: Physical Layer

• Defines physical means of sending data over network devices
• Interfaces between network medium and devices

Defines optical, electrical and mechanical characteristics