CHAPTER

2
PRACTICE SET
Questions
Q2-1. A server should always be on because a client may need to access it at any
time. A client is normally the initializer of the connection; it can be run when
it is needed.

Q2-3. Probably Alice turned off her desktop, which stopped the FTP server, when
she left the office. A server process should be running all the time, waiting for
clients to access it.

Q2-5. No changes are needed. The new protocol needs to use the services provided
by one of the transport-layer protocols.

Q2-7. The IP address identifies the source computer; the port number identifies the
source process.

Q2-9. In this case, UDP is more appropriate because it does not have the overhead of
TCP in connection establishment and teardown.

Q2-11. If Bob posts his clip on his website, Alice can get it by running an HTTP cli-
ent (a browser) using a GET message. Since Alice is not running an HTTP
server, she needs to use the PUT command and post her clip on Bob’s site.

Q2-13. The program is an example of a dynamic document because it needs to be run

at the server site and only the result is to be downloaded to the client site.

Q2-15. In FTP, the control connection is actively opened by the client. The server is
running all the time waiting for a client to make a control connection. The
data-transfer connection, on the other hand, is actively opened by the server.
The client issues a passive open and sends the ephemeral port (to be used for
the data-transfer connection) to the server, which is done using a control-con-
nection command. The server now issues an active open using the ephemeral
port received from the client.

Q2-17. The task can be done using only one control connection, but two data-transfer
connections are needed, one for retrieving and one for storing. Although the
data-transfer connection is a two-way connection, one is used for data transfer,
the other for acknowledging.

1
2

Q2-19. The answer is no. Only the client can get the list of files from the server. In the
client-server paradigm, the request is from the client; the server only can
respond.
Q2-21. If the message has no body section, the lack of any character after the blank
line is an indication that the message is over. If the message has a body, either
the body needs to have an end-of-file marker or the message should have the
Content-Length header to define the size of the body.
Q2-23. The answer is yes. Two separate connections are needed for setup and tear-
down to use FTP.
Q2-25. We can have a control connection without a data-transfer connection in FTP.
As a matter of fact, some tasks in FTP can be done without a data-transfer
connection. For example, if a client needs to rename a file at the server site,
there is no need for a data-transfer connection.
Q2-27. The file needs to be transferred as an image file (binary), which means the
downloaded file should be the bit-by-bit copy of the audio file on the server.
Q2-29. FTP has a specific format for exchanging commands and responses during the
control connection. We can say that these formats can be defined as shown
below:
Command: <command> [<space> <parameter> 
Response: <code> [<space> <text><CRLF>

Q2-31. Mail servers normally allocate a limited amount of storage for each mail-box.
If the e-mails or attachments are not retrieved, the mail-box may become full
and some old e-mails may be discarded.
Q2-33. TELNET allows a host to log into a remote computer that can offer applica-
tion programs. After the user logs in, she can use any services provided by the
remote computer. For example, the user can create a program in any computer
language supported by the remote computer, compile it, run it, and see the
result.
Q2-35. The HELO command is needed so that the client can identify itself using its
domain name during connection establishment. The MAIL FROM message is
needed to supply the server with a return mail address for returning errors and
reporting messages.

Q2-37.

a. In the direct method, the file is stored in node 20.

b. In the indirect method, the file is stored in node 4, but a reference is given
in node 20.

Q2-39. For this network, m  log21024  10. This means each identifier has 10 bits.
The height of the tree is also 10. The number of leaves is 1024. Each node has
10 subtrees. Each routing table also has 10 rows.
 3

Q2-41.

a. PQDN (It does not end with a dot.)

b. PQDN (It does not end with a dot.)
c. FQDN (It does end with a dot.)

Problems
P2-1. The following shows a simple example. In part a, the request can be
responded to by the proxy server. In part b, the proxy needs to send the request
to the true server. When the response is received, the proxy server saves it in
the cache for future use, and then sends it to the client.

Client
Proxy

Server

Internet

Request
Answer 1
to part a Response
2

Request
1
Request
2
Answer Add resposne Response
to part b to the cache
3

Response
4

Time Time Time

P2-3. The client or server can use one of the general headers called Connection, and
set the connection-token = close to define a nonpersistent connection.

P2-5. The following shows a possible request and response:

a. A possible request

GET /usr/users/doc HTTP /1.1

Date: Fri, 26-Nov-04 16:46:23 GMT
MIME-version: 1.0
Accept: image/gif
Accept: image/jpeg
Last modified: Mon, 22-Nov-04
4

b. A possible response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Date: Fri, 26-Nov-04 16:46:26 GMT
Server: Challenger
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-length: 4623
(Body of document)

P2-7. The following shows a simple situation. A portal is a special site that holds
the often-visited URLs for each client. The cookie stored in the browser under
the name of the portal holds the list of the sites the user normally needs to
check periodically. When the user clicks on the portal web page, a request is
sent with the cookie to the portal site with the list of desired web pages. The
portal then fetches the current pages from the corresponding site, compiles a
page, and sends it to the browser.

Portal Client
cookie Portal Site 1 Site 2
Site 1
Site 2
Request
1 + cookie
2 Request

3
P1
4 Request

5
6
P2
P1 P2

P2-9. The result is "Vw/w" in ASCII as shown below:

Original: 01010111 00001111 11110000

Grouped by six: 010101 110000 111111 110000
Base64: 21 48 63 48
ASCII: V w / w

P2-11.
MIME-version: 1.1

Content-Type: Text/Plain
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
 5

P2-13. The following gives the meaning and usage of each command:
a. The UIDL (unique ID listing) is used by the client to provide a unique
identifier for the message (if used with an argument) or for all messages (if
no argument is used).
b. The TOP command, always with two arguments, is used by the client to
ask the server to return the top lines of a particular message. In this case, it
means to return the top 15 lines of message 1.
c. The USER command is used by the client to define its user identification.
d. The PASS command is used by the client to define its password.

P2-15. The following shows the four states and the transitions from one state to
another.

Start
All messages marked
Closed
for delete become effective TCP connection
and TCP connection is is established.
terminated.

Update Authorization

Client issues The client is

QUIT command. authenticated
for the server.
Transaction
The client and server
exchange commands
and responses. Mails
are retrieved.

P2-17. The following shows the commands and responses. The file mode in this case
needs to be C (compressed).
Server: 220 (Service ready)
Client: USER Jane
Server: 331 (User name OK. Password?)
Client: PASS xxxx
Server: 220 (User login OK)
Client: PORT 61017
Server: 150 (Data connection will open shortly)
Client: STRU F
Server: 200 (OK)
Client: TYPE E
Server: 200 (OK)
Client: MODE C
Server: 200 (OK)
Client: RETR /usr/users/report/huge
Server: 125 (Data connection OK)
Transferring the file from the server to the client
Server: 226 (Closing data connection)
Client: Quit
Server: 221 (Server closing)
6

P2-19. The following shows the set of commands and responses. Note that there is no
data transfer connection in this; we have only a control connection. We need
to give the name of the file to be renamed (/usr/users/report/file1) and then the
new name (/usr/top/letters/file1).
Server: 220 (Service ready)
Client: USER Maria
Server: 331 (User name OK. Password?)
Client: PASS xxxx
Server: 220 (User login OK)
Client: RNFR /usr/users/report/file1
Server: 200 (Command OK)
Client: RNTO /usr/top/letters/file1
Server: 200 (Command OK)
Client: Quit
Server: 221 (Server closing)

P2-21. The following shows an example. We have shown only part of the transaction
(when the client starts retrieving the message):

Client: RETR 1
Server: +OK 230 octets
Server: // Message contents
Server: . // Dot means end of mail
Client: DELE 1
Server: +OK message 1 deleted
Client: RETR 2
Server: OK 400 octets
Server: // Message contents
Server: . // Dot means end of mail
Client: DELE 2
Server: +OK message 2 deleted

P2-23. SMTP does not create a session between the client and sender in which the cli-
ent can send some e-mails in a single session. The e-mails need to be sent one
by one. However, POP3 allows the user to retrieve all e-mails received in the
mailbox in one session.

P2-25. For a node to be the predecessor of a key, the key needs to be a member of the
half-open interval made of the node and its successor node. In other words,
key  (12, 17]. Note that the interval is 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17; it does not
include 12, but it includes 17.
 7

a. k12  (12, 17], which means that N12 is not the predecessor of k12.

b. k15  (12, 17], which means that N12 is the predecessor of k15.

c. k17  (12, 17], which means that N12 is the predecessor of k17.

d. k22  (12, 17], which means that N12 is not the predecessor of k22.

P2-27. FTP simulates a session by creating a control connection. When the control
connection is created between a client and a server, file transfer can continue
as long as the control connection still exists.

P2-29. Let us go through the event as we did in Example 2.16 in the text. The follow-
ing shows how N5 with some help from N10 and N12 goes through the
sequence of events to find the successor of k16:

k16 N20
N5
8 N20
find_
N12 Note:
successor When the loop in
2 Your the find_predecessor
finger [1]? function terminates,
k16 N12 the current node knows
that it has found the
key’s predecessor.
7
N12 is the N20
predecessor
of k16. N12
Your
finger [1]? N10
N12
find_ 5
predecessor
N10 is not the N12
predecessor N10 k16 N12
3 of k16. Your
finger [1]?
k16 N10
4 6
find_closest_ find_closest_
predecessor predecessor

a. Event 1: Since N5 is not the responsible node for k16, it calls its
find_successor function.
b. Event 2: N5 calls the find_predecessor function.
c. Event 3: Since N5 is not the predecessor node of k16, N5 calls the
find_closest_predecessor function. This function checks the finger table of
N5 from bottom to top. It finds that N10 is the closest predecessor because
10 (5, 16).
8

d. Event 4: The find_closest_predecessor function returns N10 to the find_

predecessor function as the closest predecessor of k16. N5 finds that N10
is not the predecessor of k16 (by remotely calling the N10.finger[1]).
e. Event 5: N5 remotely asks N10 to find the closest predecessor of k16.
f. Event 6: Node 10 finds that N12 is the closest predecessor of k16 accord-
ing to its knowledge. It returns N12 to N5. N5 finds that N12 is actually the
predecessor of k16 (by asking N12.finger[1].
g. Event 7: The find_predecessor function returns N12, as the predecessor of
k16, to the find_successor function.
h. Event 8: Node N5 finds that the successor node of k16 is N20 by asking
N12 to send its finger [1]).

P2-31. We have n = m/b = 32/4 = 8. The routing table is of size n  2b or 816 (8

rows and 16 columns). The leaf set is a table of one row and 16 columns.

P2-33. The following shows the ring, nodes, leaf sets, and routing tables.

Node N02
: key = hash (object name)
Legend : node = hash (IP address) 11 20
: Stored at Leaf set
0 1 2 3
k00 0 11 20
Node N23
N02 1
11 20 Routing table
Leaf set m=4
k24 Node N11
0 1 2 3 b=2
0 1 02 11 N23 N11 02 20 23
1 20
k12 Leaf set
Routing table N20 0 1 2 3
Node N20 0 02 20
1
02 11 23 Routing table
Leaf set
0 1 2 3
0 02 11
1 23
Routing table

P2-35. A node can quickly find if it is the predecessor of a key when key  (node,
successor]. If the key is not the predecessor, the node needs to find the closest
predecessor. For this purpose, it needs to check the entries in the finger table
(from bottom to top) to find a node, between itself and the key, that is closest
to the key as far as the information in the table can tell. The table needs to be
searched from bottom to top because many entries can be between the node
and the key, but the closest to the key is definitely the one which is found first
if we start from the bottom of the table. When the closest predecessor is found,
the node can ask it to continue with the search.
 9

a. Since k1 (N2, N4], N2 is not the predecessor of k1. Node N2 needs to

find the closest predecessor of k1. The table is searched from the bottom.
N12 (N2, k1) because 1 here means 17. So, as far as N2 knows, N12 is
the closest predecessor for k1. N2 will ask N12 to search further.

b. Since k6 (N2, N4], N2 is not the predecessor of k6. Node N2 needs to

find the closest predecessor of k6. The table is searched from the bottom.
N12 (N2, k6), N10 (N2, k6), N7 (N2, k6), but N4 (N2, k6). So, as
far as N2 knows, N4 is the closest predecessor for k6. N2 will ask N4 to
search further.

c. Since k9 (N2, N4], N2 is not the predecessor of k9. Node N2 needs to

find the closest predecessor of k9. The table is searched from the bottom.
N12 (N2, k9), N10 (N2, k9), but N7 (N2, k9). So, as far as N2
knows, N7 is the closest predecessor for k9. N2 will ask N7 to search fur-
ther.

d. Since k13 (N2, N4], N2 is not the predecessor of k13. Node N2 needs to
find the closest predecessor of k13. The table is searched from the bottom.
N12 (N2, k13), so, as far as N2 knows, N12 is the closest predecessor for
k13. N2 will ask N12 to search further.

P2-37. The node identities in binary are N2(0010), N3(0011), N7(0111), N10(1010),
and N12(1100). The following shows the routing tables. The explanation fol-
lows:
N2 N3 N7 N10 N12
0 N10 0 N10 0 N12 0 N2 0 N7
1 N3 1 N2 1 N3 1 N12 1 N10
2 N3 2 N2 2 2 2
3 N3 3 N2 3 3 3

a. Node N2 has no common prefix with node N10 and node N12, but it is
closest to N10 (using XOR criteria). It has one common prefix with N3 and
N7, but it is closest to N3. It has two common prefixes with node N3.
Finally, it has three common prefixes with N3.
b. Node N3 has no common prefix with node N10 and node N12, but it is
closest to N10. It has one common prefix with N2 and N7, but it is closest
to N2. It has two common prefixes with node N2. Finally, it has three com-
mon prefixes with N2.
c. Node N7 has no common prefix with node N10 and node N12, but it is
closest to N12. It has one common prefix with N2 and N3, but it is closest
to N3. It has two common prefixes with no nodes. It has three common pre-
fixes with no nodes.
d. Node N10 has no common prefix with nodes N2, N3, and N7, but it is clos-
est to N2. It has one common prefix with N12. It has two common prefixes
with no nodes. It has three common prefixes with no nodes.
10

P2-39. The accept() function is a blocking procedure; it is blocked until a connection

is established between a client and the server. It then gets the information from
the packet sent by the client to create a new socket to communicate with the
client.

P2-41. The following shows the four subtrees.

Tree root
0 1

0 1 0 1

0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

N0 N1 N3 k3 k4 N5 N6 k7 N8 k9 N11 k12 N15