“Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away”

The OSI (Open System Interconnection) model defines a networking framework

for implementing protocols in seven layers. It is a way of sub-dividing a
communications system into smaller parts called layers. Control is passed from one
layer to the next, starting at the application layer in one station, and proceeding to
the bottom layer, over the channel to the next station and back up the hierarchy.

Layer 7: Application Layer

• Where users communicate to the computer.
• Supports application and end-user processes.
• Communication partners are identified, quality of service is identified, user
authentication and privacy are considered, and any constraints on data syntax
are identified.
• Examples: Telnet, HTTP, FTP, WWW browsers, NFS, SNMP.

Layer 6: Presentation Layer

• Gets its name from its purpose: It presents data to the Application layer.
• Provides independence from differences in data representation (encoding,
encryption, compression) by translating from application to network format,
and viceversa.
• It's essentially a translator and provides coding and con-version functions.
 • Ensures that data transferred from the Application layer of one system can be
read by the Application layer of another host.
• Sometimes it's called the syntax layer.
• Examples: JPEG, ASCII, EBCDIC, TIFF, GIF, PICT, encryption, MPEG, MIDI
Layer 5: Session Layer
• Establishes, manages and terminates connections between applications.
• Sets up, coordinates, and terminates conversations, exchanges, and dialogues
between the applications at each end.
• Deals with session and connection coordination.
• Provides for full-duplex, half-duplex, or simplex operation, and establishes
check-pointing, adjournment (suspension), termination, and restart
procedures.

Layer 4: Transport Layer

• Provides transparent transfer of data between end systems, or hosts, and is
responsible for end-to-end error recovery and flow control.
• Controls the reliability of a given link through flow control, segmentation/de-
segmentation, and error control to ensure complete data transfer.
• Examples: TCP, UDP, SPX

Layer 3: Network Layer

• Provides switching and routing technologies, creating logical paths, known as
virtual circuits, for transmitting data from node to node.
• Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing,
internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing.
• Responsible for routing through an internetwork and for network addressing.
It’s responsible for transporting traffic between devices that are not locally
attached. Routers, or other layer-3 devices, are specified at the Network layer
and provide the routing services in an internetwork. When a packet is
received on a router interface, the destination IP address is checked. If the
packet is not destined for the router, then the router will look up the
destination network address in the routing table. Once an exit interface is
chosen, the packet will be sent to the interface to be framed and sent out on
the local network. If the entry for the destination network is not found in the
routing table, the router drops the packet.
• Examples: IP, IPX, AppleTalk DDP

Layer 2: Data Link Layer

• Ensures that messages are delivered to the proper device and translates
messages from the Network layer into bits for the Physical layer to transmit.
• It formats the message into data frames and adds a customized header
containing the hardware destination and source address.
• It's divided into the:
1. Media Access Control (MAC), which controls how a computer on
the network gains access to the data and permission to transmit it.
2. Logical Link Control (LLC), which controls frame
synchronization, flow control and error checking.

Layer 1: Physical Layer

• This is where the bits are actually converted into the electrical, light or radio
signals that travel across the physical circuit.
 • It provides the hardware means of sending and receiving data on a carrier,
including defining cables, cards and physical aspects.
• Connectors, pins, electrical currents, encoding and light modulation are all
part of different physical layer specifications.

Source: http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/OSI_Layers.asp
Source: http://www.serverwatch.com/print.php/1474881