DCN - Chapter 1 - Basic Network Concepts

Basic Network Concepts
Human Network
In its broadest sense, a network consists of two or more entities, or objects,
sharing resources and information.
1. Family Network
Most people belong to a family network
in which related people share their
resources and information. This sharing
is bi-directional because even the
youngest family members share
information of some sort. As the
Family grows, so does the network.
2. Peer Network
Outside the family, there is a community that offers a wider array of
resources than the typical family can provide.
Naturally, it makes sense to connect the family to this community to take
advantage of the wealth of resources available around town. This type of
information/resource sharing can be as simple as loaning a hammer to a
neighbor, car-pooling with work associates, or helping a friend with his or
her homework.
All of these activities involve sharing, or trading, resources. This kind of
network is represented by a two-way relationship, a give and take among
equals or peers.
2. Peer Network
3. Restaurant Network: The Client and the server
So, in any type of human network, there’s a lot of giving and taking. You’re
already more accustomed to the client/server perspective in networking than
you realize.
For instance, when you go to dinner at a restaurant, you become a customer,
or client, enjoying the food and drink prepared and served to you by the
restaurant.
On the other hand, the waiter works as a server, controlling and providing
his customers with access to resources in the form of placing orders for and
delivering food items.
The server knows that requests will be made of him (access is sought when
an order is placed) and that he will service those making the requests
(access is granted when the order is delivered).
3. Restaurant Network:
The Client and the server
4. Contact Network
Anyone who has looked for a job knows that one of the best ways to find a
job is to network. That is, create a list of friends and associates who will
help you find the perfect job.
The more people you meet and get to know, the better your chances of
obtaining work. As you develop and nurture your career, this contact
network will serve you best because your role in it will change as you gain
more experience.
Soon, you may be able to help the people who helped you. And as your
personal and professional networks grow, so do your opportunities.
4. Contact Network
These examples of human networks
should help you understand that networking
is common between people and is not
just an activity restricted to computers.
Computer Network
Computer Network
A computer network consists of two or more computing devices that are
connected in order to share the components of your network (its resources)
and the information you store there, as shown in Figure 1.1
The most basic computer network (which consists of just two connected
computers) can expand and become more usable when additional computers
join and add their resources to those being shared.
The first computer, yours, is commonly referred to as your local computer.
It is more likely to be used as a location where you do work, a workstation,
than as a storage or controlling location, a server.
Computer Network
As more and more computers are connected to a network and share their
resources, the network becomes a more powerful tool, because employees
using a network with more information and more capability are able to
accomplish more through those added computers or additional resources.
The real power of networking computers becomes apparent if you visualize
your own network growing and then connecting it with other distinct
networks, enabling communication and resource sharing across both
networks.
That is, one network can be connected to another network and become a
more powerful tool because of the greater resources.
Computer Network
For example, you could connect the network you and your classmates
develop for this course to similarly constructed networks from other
introductory networking classes if you wanted them to share your
information and networked resources.
Those classes could be within your own school, or they could be anywhere
in the world.
Wherever that newly joined network is, the communication and resource
sharing activities in that new network could then be shared with anyone
connected to your network.
All you have to do is join that new network’s community or allow its
members to join yours.
Computer Network
In addition, a company’s cost of doing business can be reduced as a result
of sharing data (defined as a piece or pieces of information) and resources.
Instead of having individual copies of the data at several locations around
the company, and needing to keep all of them similarly updated, a company
using a network can have just one shared copy of that data and share it,
needing to keep only that one set of data updated.
Furthermore, sharing networked resources (like printers) means that more
people can use a particular resource and a wider variety of resources (like
different printers) can be used by each network user.
Any time a company can do more with less, or buy fewer items to do the
same job, its total costs are reduced, and it is able to make more money per
dollar spent.
Network Plan
Networking computers first and tracking the connections later can quickly
become confusing and unmanageable as you try to find which computer
communicates with and shares resources with which other computers.
In your human network, do you share everything with your friends?
In your family network, would you want your parents or guardians to know
your every thought?
You have your information sharing plan in your head, and it is important to
keep track of it so you don’t make a mistake and share something where it
was not intended.
Similar concerns must be considered while designing a computer network.
Before you even connect your first computers together, you should have a
plan.
A network plan, therefore, is a formally created product that shows all
the network’s components and the planned connections between them.
Such a plan is also used to manage the various types of information.
Your plan should show what types of information are stored where, and
who is allowed to use each type.
Information Management
Your network plan should help you manage the information gathered,
stored, and shared between your users.
If you were given an empty three-drawer filing cabinet and told to use it to
organize your company’s information, you would have an excellent
(although manual) example of a filing system that needs a plan.
Having an overall guide that tells you who will be allowed access to the
three drawers will help determine what you store in each one.
Once you have that part of the plan, you could put the least-used
information in the bottom drawer, the more-used in the middle drawer, and
the most-used in the top drawer so that it is easier for your users to access
their information.
Even when we discuss implementing a three-drawer manual filing system,
the importance of having a network plan ahead of time becomes evident.
If you put the limited-access material in a drawer open to all employees,
how do you keep it secure? Additional security measures (like adding a lock
to a drawer, or moving the secure information somewhere else) may be
required later.
A networking plan could tell you that as specific types of sensitive data (like
medical, personal, or payroll information) are gathered or grouped, they should
be stored higher in the hierarchical structure (ranked from most sensitive to
least sensitive), and this can save your time in the end.
That plan should specify that the access requirements are stricter for sensitive
data and reduce the number of people able to use specific types of information.
The distribution side of the networking plan, as opposed to the accumulation
side of the plan discussed above, should spell out that the more an individual
has access to the data in storage, the less they should be able to share groups of
information entrusted to them.
For example, you may not mind sharing your first name, but you would
probably object to an instructor openly distributing all information in your
school records to anyone requesting it.
Information’s Importance
If you think about the manual filing system we discussed using a filing
cabinet, an important computing concept is easy to recognize.
Some information is more important or more sensitive than the rest. It is
usually obvious in real filing cabinet systems, because the top drawer is
usually where the most sensitive information is stored, and it is locked.
Few people in an organization have access to that information. For
example, credit card or Social Security numbers are information that should
be given the highest level of security access to that information is given
only to a limited number of people in a company.
On the other hand, some information, such as Web pages, newsletters, and
product information, is created for everyone to see, even outside a company.
Following Figure 1.2 shows how this kind
of information is organized into a
hierarchy of information, where the
most detailed information is found
at the top and the more general,
less secure information is located
at the bottom.
Identifying the Benefits of Networks
In the early days of the personal computer (PC), during the late ’70s and
early ’80s, often a PC was used as a stand-alone computer and operated
independently from other computers, as shown in Figure 1.3 below
When, over the span of just those few years, their use increased rapidly and
more PCs were found relatively close to each other, users began sharing
information.
The information was either printed out or copied from one computer to another
using backup or storage devices, such as tapes, disks, or other digital storage
media.
The printout or the storage device was then physically carried to another
computer where the information was re-entered or copied from the portable
media into the next computer.
This process was referred to as a sneakernet because users actually had to walk
from computer to computer. It was probably the cheapest type of network
unless the computers were large distances apart or the information needed to
be shared among many computers.
Other drawbacks to sneakernets were that printouts were often bulky, and
the storage devices could hold a relatively small amount of data compared
to the large amount of output users produced.
Once computers were connected by networks, information sharing
increased dramatically.
People found that more data helped them make better decisions, and
companies started saving money.
Many original networks were designed to facilitate communication, but
they were quickly expanded as businesses noticed increased productivity
and reduced costs.
Sharing Resources
In the sneakernet era, users spent huge amounts of time attempting to share
their resources. They had to physically distribute files that others needed.
Expenditures for printers and other attached computer components rose
rapidly while the individual components themselves were not being used to
their full capacity.
On top of that, the hard disk storage on each local computer began filling
up, partly because everyone had a copy of every document.
One copy of that data, and even the applications that produced it, could
more efficiently be stored in a single location and shared over a network.
Sharing Resources
The ability to share resources was another reason networks were created,
and it is still one of the main purposes for using networks.
The inevitable technology creep extends the computer user’s involvement
in technology because companies expect employees to learn new systems as
they are installed.
Companies also look for ways to make the best use of their investments by
sharing the purchased resources among multiple departments.
Let’s look at some of the resources that are commonly shared over
computer networks.
Peripherals
Many companies start with multiple stand-alone computers. Not too long
after the initial computer purchase, however, additional components that
attach to a computer, called peripherals, like printers, scanners, and
speakers, are purchased and are connected to that computer to expand its
use (see Figure 1.5).
Peripherals
When there are multiple users and computers, it soon becomes apparent that
the peripheral devices are seldom fully utilized.
Money can be saved if some of these peripherals are shared, instead of
having to purchase a separate set for each computer.
Networking enables the sharing of peripherals. The ability to share printers
was very often enough of a cost savings for companies to invest in
implementing and supporting a simple network.
Peripherals
The company could then also realize additional cost savings as it shared
additional peripheral devices, such as faxes, modems, scanners, plotters, and
virtually any other device that connects to computers.
Sharing peripherals often ends up producing significant cost savings and
more than justifies the expense of adding a network.
Storage
Data was being loaded on the computers of every fledgling network user as
they expanded their network use.
Users quickly ran out of space on their own local computers, so the people
in charge of the networks began devising ways to store data centrally so that
it was accessible to any user who needed it.
Large amounts of storage capacity, usually in fast, very powerful
computers, were set up to act as storage locations for this data where access
to it could be controlled by the person storing the data.
Applications
Cost and space savings are achieved when computer users can centrally
store their software applications - the computer programs (organized sets of
computer instructions) that make a user’s computer do what needs to be
done.
Applications, such as those used for preparing taxes, creating text
documents, or playing computer games, have grown in complexity and size
and often take up considerable local storage.
Installing an application once on a network and then sharing it cuts down
on the storage space required when multiple users need the same
application.
Applications
Unfortunately, there are still several problems with this type of
arrangement.
Some applications work fine with different setups for each user (different
choices for screen settings and other custom features), but normally all such
settings must be the same for all users.
Sometimes, applications still function better when installed on a user’s local
computer.
Managing Software
Using the network helped reduce software costs. Savings occurred when all
users on a network used the same software and when software was bought
in bulk quantities for a discount.
Centralizing the installation of that software also reduced operation costs
because the installations could be accomplished remotely over the network.
The computer programs that were needed to perform the installations were
stored on servers and made accessible over the network.
The maintenance personnel would then simply log on to the network from a
client computer and install the needed applications using the installation
software stored on the server.
Managing Software
Within the past few years, even more savings have been achieved by having
the centralized server initiate the software installations or updates on the
client computers without the need for maintenance personnel to actually
visit any of the clients.
Maintaining the Network
Purchasing similar equipment for use on the network meant that network
maintenance costs were reduced because there were fewer dissimilar
components.
Maintenance workers no longer had to attend numerous training sessions on
many different components, which meant they could spend more time
maintaining the actual components.
Backing Up Data
A network minimizes the time spent backing up (saving extra copies, called
backups) of necessary files.
In the event of a hardware or software failure that causes information or
applications to be lost, vital information and necessary applications can be
restored if sufficient backups exist.
The backup process is normally a regular activity in a company, and all
transactions between scheduled backups are recorded so that the files can be
restored as completely as possible.
Technicians can access the backup files and recorded transactions from a
central location without having to physically visit the source computers.
Local Area Network (LAN)
A local area network (LAN) is usually privately owned and links the
devices in a single office, building, or campus (see Figure 1.6).
Depending on the needs of an organization and the type of technology used,
a LAN can be as simple as two PCs and a printer in someone's home office;
or it can extend throughout a company and include audio and video
peripherals.
Currently, LAN size is limited to a few kilometres.
LANs are designed to allow resources to be shared between personal
computers or workstations.
The resources to be shared can include hardware (e.g., a printer), software
(e.g., an application program), or data.
A common example of a LAN, found in many business environments, links
a workgroup of task-related computers, for example engineering
workstations or accounting PCs.
One of the computers may be given a large capacity disk drive and may
become a server to clients.
Software can be stored on this central server and used as needed by the
whole group. For example, the size of the LAN may be determined by
licensing restrictions on the number of users per copy of software, or by
restrictions on the number of users licensed to access the operating system.
In addition to size, LANs are distinguished from other types of networks by
their transmission media and topology.
In general, a given LAN will use only one type of transmission medium.
The most common LAN topologies are bus, ring, and star.
Early LANs had data rates in the 4 to 16 megabits per second (Mbps) range.
Today, however speeds are normally 100 or 1000 Mbps.
Advantages
1. Resource Sharing: Computer hardware resources like printers, modems,
DVD-Rom drives and hard disks can be shared with the help of local area
networks. This will reduce cost of hardware purchases. For example, a
business organization using a Local Area Network for an office can use a
single network printer for the employees in the office.
2. Software Applications Sharing: It is cheaper to use same software over
network instead of purchasing separate licensed software for each client in a
network. It will cost more to purchase a separate licensed software for each
computer in a network.
3. Easy and Cheap Communication: Data and messages can easily be
transferred over networked computers. It saves a lot of time and money.
4. Centralized Data: The data of all network users can be saved on hard disk
of the server computer. This will help users to use any workstation in a
network to access their data. Because data is not stored on workstations
locally. But it is stored on a server computer. User will access their own data
by logging into their accounts from any client computer in the network.
5. Data Security: Since, data is stored on server computer centrally, it will be
easy to manage data at only one place and the data will be more secure too,
because of more security for the server computer.
6. Internet Sharing: Local Area Network provides the facility to share a
single internet connection among all the LAN users. In Net Cafes, single
internet connection sharing system keeps the internet expenses cheaper.
Disadvantages
1. Covers Limited Area: Local Area Network covers a small area like one
office, one building or a group of nearby buildings.
2. Data Security Threat: Unauthorized users can access important data of an
organization if centralized data repository is not secured properly by the LAN
administrator. LAN Administer is responsible for the security of the whole
data resource in an organization.
3. High Setup Cost: Although the LAN will save cost over time due to
shared computer resources but the initial setup costs of installing Local Area
Networks is high. This is because any organization that will setup a network,
will have to purchase necessary hardware equipment for networking.
Applications of Local Area Network (LAN)
LAN is used in a computer lab to connect computers. The students can
share software, files and data in the lab.
In Internet cafe, many computers can be connected through LAN. These
computers can share single connection of Internet.
Local Area Network can be used in an office to share common data and a
network printer and any other software or hardware.
A local area network in a digital library can provide access to centralized
collection of digital books for many readers using different computers in
library building.
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is a large computer network on the
large geographical area that include several buildings or even the entire city
(metropolis).
The geographical area of the MAN is larger than LAN, but smaller than
WAN.
MAN includes many communicating devices and provides the Internet
connectivity for the LANs in the metropolitan area.
MAN is used to combine into a network group located in different buildings
into a single network.
The diameter of such a network can range from 5 to 50 kilometers.
Computers can be connected using a variety of media access controllers: a
twisted pair, optical conductors (optical cables) and via radio (wireless
technology).
Wired optical connections are usually established via Ethernet, wireless -
through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS and other protocols.
Advantages of Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
The biggest advantage of MANs is the bandwidth (potential speed) of the
connecting links. This means that resources (such as databases and files)
shared on the network can be accessed extremely quickly.
Covers a comparatively larger area than LAN.
MAN requires fewer resources compare to WAN. This saves the
implementation cost.
It helps people interface fast LANs together. This is due to easy
implementation of links.
It provides higher security compare to WAN.
Disadvantages of Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
It is very expensive for the setting part.
It is difficult to manage the network once it becomes large.
It is difficult to make the system secure from hackers.
Network installation requires skilled technicians and network
administrators. This increases overall installation and management costs.
It requires more cables for connection from one place to the other compare
to LAN.
Applications of Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Usually, you will find MANs installed on university campuses, where all
academic buildings and residences are linked together, and this network is
in turn linked up to a Wide Area Network (WAN) for access to the wider
Internet.
Digital cable television and cable broadband are considered to be MANs,
since they link up many buildings within a local geographical area such as a
city.
Wide Area Network (WAN)
A wide area network (WAN) provides long-distance transmission of data,
image, audio, and video information over large geographic areas that may
comprise a country, a continent, or even the whole world.
It is a type of telecommunication network, which is used to connect the
computers on a wide geographical area.
WANs are quite popular and widely used networks, the most known and
bright example of WAN is the Internet.
They offer exceedingly convenient and quick way of exchanging
information and data between employees, suppliers, and clients that are
geographically remote to each other.
WAN is expensive than LAN. WAN is not as fast as LAN. There is a
possibility of error in data transmission due to very long distance they
cover.
Advantages of Wide Area Network (WAN)
WAN covers larger geographical area. Hence business offices situated at
longer distances can easily communicate.
Like LAN, it allows sharing of resources and application software's among
distributed workstations or users.
Organizations can form their global integrated network through WAN.
Moreover it supports global markets and global businesses.
The emergence of IoT (Internet of Things) and advanced wireless
technologies such as LAN or LAN-Advanced have made it easy for the
growth of WAN based devices. Messages can be sent very quickly across
the globe with the help of applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook
messenger etc.
Disadvantages of Wide Area Network (WAN)
Initial investment costs are higher.
It is difficult to maintain the network. It requires skilled technicians and
network administrators.
There are more errors and issues due to wide coverage and use of different
technologies. Often it requires more time to resolve issues due to
involvement of multiple wired and wireless technologies.
It has lower security compare to LAN and MAN due to wider coverage and
use of more technologies.
Security is big concern and requires use of firewall and security
softwares/protocols at multiple points across the entire system. This will
avoid chances of hacking by intruders.
Applications of Wide Area Network (WAN)
In air line ticketing system, many offices of an air line company can be
joined together using WAN. A person can get a ticket from any office in the
country.
A bank with many branches in different cities can connect its branches
through WAN. The customer can use his account from any branch.
Basis of LAN MAN WAN
Differentiate Comparison
Meaning A network that It covers It spans large
connects a group relatively large locality and
of computers in a region such as connects
small geographical cities, towns. countries together.
area. Example Internet.
Ownership of Private Private or Public Private or Public
Network
Design and Easy Difficult Difficult
maintenance
Propagation Short Moderate Long
Delay
Basis of LAN MAN WAN
Comparison
Geographical area Small Moderate Very Large
covered
Bandwidth Low Moderate High
(Data rate) Speed High Moderate Low
Congestion Less More More
Used for College, School, Small towns, City. Country/Continent.
Hospital.
Classifying Networks by Component Roles
peer-to-peer networks
server-based networks
client-based networks
peer-to-peer networks
In peer to peer network each computer is responsible for making its own
resources available to other computers on the network.
Each computer is responsible for setting up and maintaining its own
security for these resources.
Also each computer is responsible for accessing the required network
resources from peer to peer relationships.
Peer to peer network is useful for a small network containing less than 10
computers on a single LAN .
In peer to peer network each computer can function as both client and
server.
Peer to peer networks do not have a central control system. There are no
servers in peer networks.
peer-to-peer (p2p) network

Advantages of peer to peer network
Easier to set up and more reliable
In peer-to-peer networks all nodes act as server as well as client therefore
no need of dedicated server. Hence failure of one peer will not affect the
functioning of other peers.
Peer to peer network is easier to set up which means that less time is spend
in the configuration and implementation of peer to peer network.
Cost of building and maintaining this p2p network is less as compared to
other network.
Disadvantages of peer to peer network
A computer can be accessed anytime.
Network security has to be applied to each computer separately.
Backup has to be performed on each computer separately.
No centralized server is available to manage and control the access of data.
Users have to use separate passwords on each computer in the network.
As with most network systems, unsecure and unsigned codes may allow
remote access to files on a victim's computer or even compromise the entire
network.
Server-Based Networks
Unlike peer-to-peer networks that operate without central control and are
difficult to secure, a server-based network offers centralized control and is
designed for secured operations, as shown in Figure.
Server-Based Networks
While there are still both clients and servers on a server-based network, a
dedicated server controls the network. A dedicated server is one that, for all
practical purposes, operates solely as a server.
A dedicated server on a server-based network services its network clients by
storing data, applications, and other resources, and then providing access to
those resources when called for by a client.
When a client requests a resource such as a document, the server sends the
whole resource (the document) over the network to the client, where it is
processed and later returned to the server for continued storage.
Dedicated servers can also control the entire network’s security from one
central location or share that control with other specially configured servers.
Advantages of Server-Based Networks
Central file storage, which allows all users to work from the same set of
data and provides easy backup of critical data.
Ability to share expensive equipment, such as laser printers.
Management of users becomes very easy in server based network because
you can manage all users from a single computer (server).
A server based network has the power of managing thousands of users.
In server based network security is very easy to manage because one server
has to make policies and it applies on all the users in network.
Disadvantages of Server-Based Networks
The entire network functions are server based. If server fails then the entire
network will go down because all the clients are server dependent.
Server-based networks are more costly and complex to set up and
administer than peer-to-peer networks, and they often require the services of
a full-time network administrator.
Dedicated hardware and specialized software add to the cost of server-based
networking.
Client-Based Networks
A client based network utilizes a client workstation’s power in processing
some functions locally while requesting additional processing from a server
whenever it is needed for increased speed.
Client-based network servers process requests from clients and return just
the results, rather than sending the original resource to the client to be
processed and returned after computations are complete.
Client-based networks, therefore, take advantage of the powerful processing
capabilities of both the client and the server, as shown in Figure. This type
of arrangement may include application servers (where entire computer
programs are shared from the server) and communications servers (where e-
mail and other communications media are operated).
Fig. Client-Based Networks

The End

DCN - Chapter 1 - Basic Network Concepts

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

DCN - Chapter 1 - Basic Network Concepts

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Basic Network Concepts

peer-to-peer (p2p) network

Fig. Client-Based Networks

You might also like