CIS 3718 Operating Systems Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Overview of Distributed Computing

• Networks
• Networking Standards
• OSI Reference Model
• Media
• OSI Network Management
• OSI Testing
• TCP/IP

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CIS 3718 Introduction Chapter 16

This chapter is primarily concerned how computer

networks relate to operating systems.

It deals with network types, network communications and

standards.

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CIS 3718 What is OSI? / What is a Network? Chapter 16

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) is a set of internationally

recognized, non-proprietary standards for networking and for
operating system involved in networking functions.

What is a Network?

Business View – a tool to achieve business goals; example: the

fast and efficient sharing of information among relevant
persons in a business

Information Systems View – various pieces of interconnected

hardware and software

General View – the communications paths between computers

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CIS 3718 Network Types Chapter 16

The most basic type of network (around since the 60’s) is the
remote access network. In this scheme, a central host
computer has a number of dumb terminals (containing no
processors) which are connected via cabling
More typically, a network is thought of as various host
computers which can provide various services to users. In
this type of network, computers are connected via phone
wire, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, infrared light beams,
radio waves, microwave links, satellite links, etc.
Users on such systems are provided operating system services,
such as file transfer, inter-user communication (e-mail,
etc.)

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CIS 3718 Network Types Chapter 16

With the latter type of network, there are two basic ways to
organize relationships between intelligent devices:
• Peer-to-Peer – the devices have the ability to negotiate the
information exchange; the devices act as partners, or
equal entities and have great flexibility; most OSI
networks are peer-to-peer networks
• Hierarchical – master/drone relationships, one device
must seek the permission of the other for the potential
information exchange (ex. IBM’s System Network
Architecture (SNA), which is less flexible)
OSI is primarily intended as an intermediary for transfer of
information among similar and dissimilar peer hosts.

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CIS 3718 Networking Standards Chapter 16

Advantages of having Networking Standards:

Networking and Communications methods are widely known
and accepted
Permit economies of scale
Permit lower costs in training
Permit lower costs in interfaces
Disadvantages:
Not always the best technical solution
Not always the most well known solution among managers
and laymen

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CIS 3718 International Standards Bodies Chapter 16
Several international standards bodies are involved in
networking standards, among them:
ISO International Standardization Organization
(developed the OSI model)
CCITT Consultative Committee for International
Telephone and Telegraph
Some national standards committees:
ANSI American National Standards Institute
NIST National Institute for Standards and Technology
Standards are also submitted to the above committees by other
professional/technical organizations, such as IEEE (Institute
for Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
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CIS 3718 Network Architecture and OSI Chapter 16
The OSI reference model is an arbitrary hierarchical
stratification (layering) of computer networking functions.
The stratification consists of seven layers.
There are various ways of implementing the protocols at any
given layer. OSI is a CONCEPTUAL model.
Protocols are prescriptive methods which delineate the
communication that is to take place at a given layer.
Several other well known and widely used reference models have
NOT been recognized as standards, e.g., IBM’s SNA (also a
layered approach), and the DoD developed protocols (which
include TCP/IP – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol, SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, FTP – File
Transfer Protocol) are often used in UNIX and other
environments.
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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16
The OSI reference model consists of seven layers, not including layer 8, the
end user’s application, and layer 0 the physical transmission media.
8. O/S or User Application
7. Application Layer
2. Presentation Layer
3. Session Layer
4. Transport Layer
5. Network Layer
6. Data Link Layer
7. Physical Layer
0. Physical Transmission Media

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 7 – The APPLICATION Layer

The top layer of the OSI model

Provides a set of interfaces for sending and receiving
applications to gain access to and use network services, such
as: networked file transfer, message handling and database
query processing

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 6 – The PRESENTATION Layer

Manages data-format information for networked
communications (the network’s translator)
For outgoing messages, it converts data into a generic format
for network transmission; for incoming messages, it converts
data from the generic network format to a format that the
receiving application can understand
This layer is also responsible for certain protocol conversions,
data encryption/decryption, or data compression/decompression
A special software facility called a “redirector” operates at this
layer to determine if a request is network related on not and
forward network-related requests to an appropriate network
resource

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 5 – The SESSION Layer

Enables two networked resources to hold ongoing
communications (called a session) across a network
Applications on either end of the session are able to ex hange
data for the duration of the session
This layer is:
Responsible for initiating, maintaining and terminating sessions
Responsible for security and access control to session
information (via session participant identification)
Responsible for synchronization services, and for checkpoint
services

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 4 – The TRANSPORT Layer

Manages the transmission of data across a network
Manages the flow of data between parties by segmenting long
data streams into smaller data chunks (based on allowed
“packet” size for a given transmission medium)
Reassembles chunks into their original sequence at the
receiving end
Provides acknowledgements of successful transmissions and
requests resends for packets which arrive with errors

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 3 – The NETWORK Layer

Handles addressing messages for delivery, as well as
translating logical network addresses and names into their
physical counterparts
Responsible for deciding how to route transmissions between
computers
This layer also handles the decisions needed to get data from
one point to the next point along a network path
This layer also handles packet switching and network
congestion control

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 2 – The DATA LINK Layer

Handles special data frames (packets) between the Network
layer and the Physical layer
At the receiving end, this layer packages raw data from the
physical layer into data frames for delivery to the Network
layer
At the sending end this layer handles conversion of data into
raw formats that can be handled by the Physical Layer

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

LAYER 1 – The PHYSICAL Layer

Converts bits into electronic signals for outgoing messages
Converts electronic signals into bits for incoming messages
This layer manages the interface between the the computer
and the network medium (coax, twisted pair, etc.)
This layer tells the driver software for the MAU (media
attachment unit, ex. network interface cards (NICs, modems,
etc.)) what needs to be sent across the medium
The bottom layer of the OSI model

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16

A convenient aid for remembering the OSI layer names is to use the
first letter of each word in the phrase:
All People Seem To Need Data Processing

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CIS 3718 The OSI Reference Model Chapter 16
Sending Computer Receiving Computer
User User
Application Application
7 Application 7 Application

6 Presentation 6 Presentation

5 Session 5 Session

Transmission Media
4 Transport 4 Transport

3 Network 3 Network

2 Data Link 2 Data Link

1 Physical 1 Physical
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CIS 3718 TCP/IP Chapter 16

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a

DoD developed, widely accepted and used communications
protocol. TCP/IP has only four layers, which roughly
correspond to groups of the OSI model. The Internet, many
internal business networks and some home networks used
TCP/IP.
The four layers in TCI/IP are:
Application Layer
Transport Layer
Internet Layer
Network Interface Layer

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CIS 3718 TCP/IP Chapter 16

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is the portion of TCP/IP

that is responsible for reliable delivery of data
TCP is a TRANSPORT protocol in the OSI and TCP/IP models

IP (Internet Protocol) is the portion of TCP/IP that provides

addressing and routing information
IP is a NETWORK protocol in the OSI model and an
INTERNET protocol in the TCP/IP model

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CIS 3718 Chapter 16
TCP/IP vs. OSI

Application 7 Application

6 Presentation

5 Session

Transport 4 Transport

Internet 3 Network

Network Interface 2 Data Link

1 Physical
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CIS 3718 Operating Systems Chapter 16

End of Chapter 16

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CIS 3718 Seek Optimization: SSFT Review
Shortest Seek Time First (SSFT) – the request closest to the request currently
being serviced is serviced next

Assume: While 12 is being serviced,

11 enters the queue.

SRQ Shortest Seek

15 7
2 4
7 2
12 1 1 2 4 7 11 12 15 19
4 12
19 11
1 15
11 19
-- Arm position at start:
bi-directional CYL 8
queue reordering
new - proximity
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CIS 3718 Seek Optimization: SCAN Review
SCAN – SSFT with directional preferences – elevator algorithm
Assume: While 12 is being serviced,
10, 18 and 4 enter the queue.

SRQ SCAN
7 12
2 18
12 10
3 7
4 2 3 4 7 10 12 14 18
10 3
18 2
4 --
Current Direction of
bi-directional
sweep CYL 8
queue reordering
new – if in direction of current sweep
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CIS 3718 Seek Optimization: N-Step SCAN Review
N-Step SCAN – SCAN with newly arriving requests ignored
Assume: While 13 is being serviced,
17, 4 and 7 enter the queue.

SRQ N-Step SCAN

13 11
11 13
20 20
17
17 7 2 3 4 11 13 17 20
7
4 4
7 --

Current Direction of CYL 8 bi-directional

sweep queue reordering
new – on next
direction change
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CIS 3718 Seek Optimization: C-SCAN Review
C-SCAN – a unidirectional scan; newly arriving requests ignored
Assume: While 11 is being serviced,
16, 3 and 7 enter the queue.

SRQ C-SCAN
13 11
11 13
20 20
3 11 13
2 3 4 7 16 20
16 7
3 16
7 --

uni-directional CYL 8
queue reordering
new – wait for next sweep Direction of sweep
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CIS 3718 Operating Systems Review

End of Problem Review

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