Lecture 3: Protocols and Layering (Jan 27)

In this lecture, Dr. Gunes went further in depth on the topic of Protocols and Layering. A protocol was defined and described using the human conversation analogy. We compared and contrasted programs and processes. We talked about the server client relationship and how a server is a process running on a machine. Dr. Gunes spoke a lot about the OSI model and its importance in networked systems. We then went into depth of each of the 7 layers in the OSI model and talked about the Responsibilities and Issues corresponding to each layer. As a class we reached a fundamental understanding of how the headers of a packet are used to navigate each of the 7 layers. Particularly interesting to me was how the MAC address was used for low level routing. This was an extremely informative lecture that delivered a firm grasp of layering and protocol fundamentals.