Application Layer

Functionality and
Protocols

Network Fundamentals – Chapter 3

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Objectives
 Define the application layer as the source and
destination of data for communication across
networks.
 Explain the role of protocols in supporting
communication between server and client
processes.
 Describe the features, operation, and use of
well-known TCP/IP application layer services
(HTTP, DNS, SMTP).

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Applications provide the means for generating and receiving data
that can be transported on the network

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Presentation
o Coding and conversion of Application layer data
o Compression of the data
o Encryption of the data for transmission

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Session creates and maintains dialogs between source
and destination applications.

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Network aware applications, services and protocols
Applications provide the human interface. Services follow protocols to prepare
data for the network.

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Application layer protocol functions

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Define the separate roles applications, services and protocols play
in transporting data through networks

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Domain Name Service Protocol (DNS) is used to resolve Internet
names to IP addresses.
 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used to transfer files that
make up the Web pages of the World Wide Web. (Web server)
 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for the transfer of
mail messages and attachments.

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks
 Telnet, a terminal emulation protocol, is used to provide
remote access to servers and networking devices.
 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used for interactive file
transfer between systems.
 DHCP server assigns the IP, subnet mask, default
gateway and other information to clients

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Applications –
The Interface Between Human and Data Networks

 Domain Name System (DNS) - TCP/UDP Port 53

 Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - TCP Port 80
 Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) - TCP Port 25
 Post Office Protocol (POP) - UDP Port 110
 Telnet - TCP Port 23
 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol - UDP Port 67
 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - TCP Ports 20 and 21

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The Role of Protocols in Supporting Communication
 Server is a repository of data
 Client is a device requesting for information

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The Role of Protocols in Supporting Communication
 When multiple application simultaneously requests for
information, the daemon takes care of each.
 Daemon is a process that runs in the background
listening for requests

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The Role of Protocols in Supporting Communication
 Compare and contrast client server networking with peer-to-peer
networking and peer-to-peer applications

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The Role of Protocols in Supporting Communication
 Peer-to-peer network - per request basis
 Peer-to-peer application – a client acts as client and
server in the same communication
 Advantages
o Decentralized information
 Disadvantages
o Difficult to enforce security and access policies

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 DNS protocol defines an automated service that matches resource
names with the required numeric network address.

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 Record types are:
o A - an end device address
o NS - an authoritative name server
o CNAME - the canonical name (or Fully Qualified Domain
Name) for an alias; used when multiple services have the
single network address but each service has its own entry in
DNS
o MX - mail exchange record; maps a domain name to a list of
mail exchange servers for that domain

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 The browser checks with a name server to convert www.cisco.com
into a numeric address.
 Using the HTTP protocol requirements, the browser sends a GET
request to the server and asks for the file web-server.htm.
 The server in turn sends the HTML code or error message for this
web page to the browser.
 Finally, the browser deciphers the HTML code and formats the
page for the browser window.

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 GET – to request data from the server
 POST – includes the data in the message
 PUT – uploads resources or contents to the web
browser
 HTTPS

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP Application
Layer Services

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 POP is used for inbound while SMTP is used for outbound

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 Port 21 is used to establish connection to the server. Port 20 is
used for actual data transfer.

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 The DHCP service enables devices on a network to obtain IP
addresses and other information from a DHCP server.

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 Telnet is used to remotely manage a network. Telnet is called a
VTY session.

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 Describe the features of the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol
and the role it plays in supporting file sharing in Microsoft-based
networks

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Features, Operation, and Use of TCP/IP
Application Layer Services
 The Gnutella protocol and the role it plays in supporting P2P
services
 Used in BearShare, Gnucleus, LimeWire, Morpheus, WinMX and
XoloX

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Summary

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© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cisco Public 28