Data communication and computer network

Chapter 3
Application, Presentation and Session layers

1
2
 Application Layer
 Communication between two networked devices starts at the application
layer.
 The application layer refers to the protocols that operate at this layer. Thus, if
a program needs to send data across the network to another computer, it will
pass the data down to the presentation layer with instructions on what to do
with it.
 A Web browser, for instance, does not operate at the application layer but the
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) does. The Web browser uses the HTTP
protocol to communicate. An application program interface (API) found
between the Web browser and the HTTP protocol.
 The API is responsible for talking to the application layer protocols.

3
Some Application layer protocols in OSI model are:
Telnet is a client/server application protocol that provides access to virtual
terminals of remote systems on local area networks or the Internet. It is a protocol
for bidirectional 8-bit communications. Its main goal was to connect terminal
devices and terminal-oriented processes.
SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is an Internet standard communication
protocol for electronic mail transmission..
POP3: Post Office Protocol version 3 provides access to an inbox stored in an
email server. It executes the download and delete operations for messages. Thus,
when a POP3 client connects to the mail server, it retrieves all messages from the
mailbox.

4
 Cont…
NFS: network file system allows a user on a client computer to access files over a
computer network much like local storage is accessed.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): used for transferring web pages and other
web-based content.
DNS (Domain Name System): used for resolving domain names into IP addresses.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): is used for managing and
monitoring network devices.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is a standard communication protocol used for the
transfer of computer files from a server to a client on a computer network.

5
Presentation Layer
 The presentation layer is the sixth layer in the OSI model. It is Known as a translator,
the presentation layer converts data into an accurate, well-defined, standard format
after it receives it from the application layer. The converted format varies, however,
based on the type of data received. Some formats include:
• EBCDIC and ASCII for text files
• MIDI, JPG, and QuickTime for audio files
• GIF, JPEG, and TIFF for image files
• MPEG, MOV, and AVI for movie files
• The data from the application layer is changed into its proper form and then
transmitted to other layers if not for the presentation layer.
• In computer networking, the OSI model layer 6 is sometimes referred to as the
syntax layer because it maintains the proper syntax of transferred data. This layer
also deals with the semantics of information transmitted over the network.

6
• Functions of the presentation layer
• Presentation layer is responsible for three general functions: translation,
compression, and encryption and decryption.
• Translation
• Layer 6 translates data based on the host’s needs as different hosts represent
data in diverse manners, especially when dealing with heterogeneous networks.
• The data received from the application layer usually includes numbers and
characters.
• The presentation layer then deals with translating the data into a transportable
and storable data format that the receiving application can understand.
• On the sender's end, the layer prepares data in the most common binary format.
This subsequently benefits the recipient by ensuring proper structure and format
of the data.

7
• Compression
• Data compression reduces data size by encoding the actual number of bits that
require transmission on the network. Therefore, through this, it helps speed up
file transfer, save storage capacity, reduce bandwidth, and decrease costs for
storage hardware.
• The goal of compression in the presentation layer is to reduce the number of
bits needed to represent data.
• Encryption and decryption
• Both encryption and decryption occur at the sixth layer. Encryption converts
data from a readable format, plaintext, into an unreadable format, ciphertext.
However, only the user with the correct encryption key can access the data. The
correct key then decrypts the data for proper display on the next layer.
• The encryption occurs at the transmitter and the decryption occurs at the
receiver.

8
• More over, the presentation layer also allows and manages high-level data structures
like banking records. It solves string representation issues, performs character
translation functions, and serializes by translating data into an easily-stored format.
• Presentation layer protocols
• AFP (Apple Filing Protocol): AFP, a communication protocol designed for Mac-based
platforms, specifically offers services to MacOS.
• SSL (Secure Socket Layer): SSL is an Internet security protocol that safeguards sensitive
data transferred between web browsers and servers
• NCP (NetWare Core Protocol): NCP is a network protocol designed for accessing files,
messaging, printing, creating directories, synchronizing clocks, and executing remote
commands, as well as other network service functions.
• XDR (External Data Representation): XDR is the standard for encoding and decoding
data. It allows data to transfer between systems.
• NDR (Network Data Representation): NDR provides several types of data
representation and various constructed data types.
9
Session Layer
 Responsible for managing the conversations between local and remote applications
from start to end. This includes starting the session, making sure it stays established,
and then closing the connection when finished.
 There can be one or more sessions occurring at the same time between two networked
hosts. Session layer is responsible for keeping track of each of these sessions so that
there is no confusion between various conversations that may be occurring at the same
time.
 A Web server may have thousands of sessions occurring due to people browsing its
web site. It’s up to this layer to manage every one of those sessions.
 After the transport layer has established the virtual connection, a communication
session can be established.
 A communication session occurs between two processes on two different computers.

10
 Cont…
 Session layer is responsible for establishing, monitoring, and terminating sessions,
using the virtual circuits established by the transport layer.
 The use of ACK messages helps coordinate transfer of data at the session layer.
 A very important function of the session layer is controlling whether the
communications within a session are sent as full-duplex, half-duplex, or simplex
messages.
 The session layer, is responsible for setting up the connection between an application
process on one computer and an application process on another computer, after
transport layer has established connection of two machines.
Generally, session layer is responsible for
 Session creation
 Session maintenance and
 Session disconnection

11
 Cont…
 In addition to establishment, maintenance, and end of sessions across all channels, it
also checks the authenticity and provides recovery options for active sessions in case
of a network error.
 Two very important terms to be familiar with are permanent virtual circuit (PVC) and
switched virtual circuit (SVC).
 A PVC is a permanently established logical connection between two devices on a
packet switched network.
 Examples, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) and Frame Relay networks.
 SVC a channel established on demand by network signaling, used for information
transport between two locations and lasting only for the duration of the transfer.
 Examples, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL).

12
 Some session layer protocols
• Sockets Direct Protocol (SDP): An advanced version of TCP, this shares limited
data and also supports socket streams over RDMA (Remote Direct Memory
Access).
• Secure Copy Protocol (SCP): SCP enables the transfer of computer files from a
local host to a remote host between two remote applications.
• Zone Information Protocol (ZIP): ZIP gives access to processes and applications
that relate to a certain zone. Therefore, no application with a different zone name
can go to another zone.
• Internet Storage Name Service (ISNS): ISNS automates the management and
discovery of devices on a storage area network.
• Network Basic Input Output System (NetBIOS):NetBIOS is a network protocol
that gives a platform for applications on different devices to share information
across a local area network.

13