School of Information Science

Introduction to Systems and Networks

( INSY 3071 )

Instructor : Tsegaye Berhanu

 Chapter 1
Overview of
Computer Networks
 What is Computer Networking?

3
 Computer Network
 A computer network is a group of computers and
associated peripheral devices connected by a
communication channel capable of sharing files and
other resources among several users.

 Computer network is a connection of two or more

computers that are connected with one another for
the purpose of communicating data or information
electronically.
4
 Computer Network
 This connecting together of computers and other
devices is called a Network, and the concept or practice
of connected computers sharing resources is called
Networking.

5
 Computer Network
 A computer network can range from a peer-to-peer
network connecting a small number of users in an
office or department, to a LAN connecting many
users over permanently installed cables and dial-up
lines, to a MAN or WAN connecting users on several
networks spread over a wide geographic area.

6
 Computer Network
 Computer networking arose as an answer to the need
of data sharing in a timely fashion.
 Before networks, users needed either to print-out
documents or copy document files to a disk for others
to edit or use them.
 This was, and still is, known as "working in a stand-
alone environment."

Stand-alone Computer
7
 Computer Network
 But what if a computer was connected to other
computers? Then, it could share data/information
with the other computers or send documents to a
printer.
 Early data networks were limited to exchanging
character-based information between connected
computer systems.
 Current networks have evolved to carry voice, video
streams, text, and graphics between many different
types of devices.
8
 Computer Network

9
 Benefits of Computer Networks

 Computer networks have the following basic goals:

➢Sharing Information (or Data)
➢Sharing Hardware (Peripheral Devices)
➢Sharing Programs (application Software)
➢Centralizing network administration and support

10
 Sharing Hardware
 Computer networks enable us to share expensive
hardware resource among several computers.
 A typical example of shared hardware resource is a
printer. For example, a company may prefer to
acquire one expensive printer and connect it to
the network to provide high quality printing to users.
This avoids the need to have separate printer for each
computer in the office.

11
 Sharing Hardware
 Central Disk storage: Network system provide
the possibility of using a dedicated file server
to store all the company data in one location.
 Users will be able to access their data over the
network from their workstations. Using central
disk storage system facilitates data backup
operations from a central location guarantying
complete data recovery in case of system failures.
12
 Sharing Data/Information
 Data sharing is the ability to share the same
data resource with multiple applications or
users.
 Users in a certain network environment have
the freedom of sharing data and information
across the network.
 Data sharing enables different users to work on
a certain file concurrently.
13
 Examples of sharing data
 Database: - databases are often managed centrally and
several users can have access to the database at same
time. For example, in a networked banking system,
different bank branches can have access to the central
account database. This enables bank clients to carry
their transactions on any branch bank office.
 E-mail: email communication can be achieved over the
network enabling networked users in the company to
communicate messages across the network using email.

14
 Sharing Data
 Intranet: Intranets are similar to World Wide Web
(WWW) where centrally stored hypertext documents
can be accessed using the web. Unlike the WWW,
intranets are available only to user within the company
network system. Intranet is a very common service in
large networked organizations (example, AAUNet).
 Extranet: Although similar to intranet, extranet
provides selected users from outside the organization to
access data from the internal network. Extranets are
commonly used by suppliers to provide data to company
clients.
15
 Centralizing Administration and Support

 Networking computers can simplify support tasks as

well.
 Network administrator is responsible for setting up
user accounts and maintains a network. The network
administrator provides each new user with a user ID
and starter password. In this way centralized
administration and support can be achieved.

16
 Centralizing Administration and Support

 Network administration tasks include:

 Managing users and security.
 Making resources available.
 Maintaining applications and data.
 Installing and upgrading application and operating
system software.

17
 Advantages of Networks
 Speed (Email)
 Cost (cost of printer)
 Security (access control)
 Resource Sharing (data/information)
 Electronic Mail
 Centralized Software Management
 ……

18
 Disadvantages Network
 Expensive to Install (initial setup)
 Requires Administrative Time
 Server (fileserver) May Fail
 Cables May Break
 Vulnerable to computer viruses and malware

19
 Other benefits of computer networks
 Documents (memos, spreadsheets, invoices, and so on).
 E-mail messages.
 Word-processing software.
 Project-tracking software.
 Illustrations, photographs, videos, and audio files.
 Live audio and video broadcasts.
 Printers, Fax machines.
 Hard drives.

20
 Other benefits of computer networks

 Networks Supporting TheWayWe Live

 Networks Supporting Daily Lives

 Networks Support the way we Learn

 Networks Supporting the WayWe Work

21
Networks Supporting The Way We Live

 The methods that we use to share ideas and information

are constantly changing and evolving.
 Whereas the human network was once limited to face-
to-face conversations, media breakthroughs continue to
extend the reach of our communications.
 From the printing press to television, each new
development has improved and enhanced our
communication.

22
  Decide what to wear using online current weather
conditions.
 Find the least congested route to your destination,
displaying weather and traffic video from webcams.
 Check your bank balance and pay bills electronically.
 Receive and send e-mail, or make an Internet phone
call.
 Obtain health information and nutritional advice from
experts all over the world, and post to a forum to share
related health or treatment information.
23
 Networks Support the way we Learn
 Communication, collaboration, and engagement are
fundamental building blocks of education.
 Institutions are continually striving to enhance these
processes to maximize the dissemination of knowledge.
 Robust and reliable networks support and enrich
student learning experiences. These networks deliver
learning material in a wide range of formats. The
learning materials include interactive activities,
assessments, and feedback.
24
 Networks Support the way we Learn
 Availability of current and accurate training materials.
 Availability of training to a wide audience. Online
training is not dependent on travel schedules,
instructor availability or physical class size.
 Cost reduction. In addition to reducing the cost of
travel and the lost time associated with travel, there are
other cost reducing factors for business related to
online training.
 Online distance learning has removed geographic
barriers and improved student opportunity.
25
 Networks Supporting the Way We Work

 Initially, data networks were used by businesses to

internally record and manage financial information,
customer information, and employee payroll systems.
 These business networks evolved to enable the
transmission of many different types of information
services, including e-mail, video, messaging, and
telephony.

26
 Networks Supporting the Way We Work

 Intranets, private networks in use by just one company,

enable businesses to communicate and perform
transactions among global employee and branch
locations.
 Companies develop extranets, or extended
internetworks, to provide suppliers, vendors, and
customers limited access to corporate data to check
order status, inventory, and parts lists.
 Today, networks provide a greater integration between related
functions and organizations than was possible in the past.
27
 The Network Architecture
 Networks must support a wide range of
applications and services, as well as operate over
many different types of physical infrastructures.
 Network architecture refers to both:
 the technologies that support the infrastructure and
 the services and protocols that move the messages
across that infrastructure.

28
 The Network Architecture
 There are four basic characteristics that the underlying
architectures need to address in order to meet user
expectations:
 Fault tolerance
 Scalability
 Quality of services
 Security

29
 Fault Tolerance network
 A fault tolerant network is one that limits the
impact of a hardware or software failure and
can recover quickly when such a failure occurs.

 These networks depend on redundant

links, or paths, between the source and
destination of a message.

30
 Fault Tolerance
 If one link or path fails, processes ensure that
messages can be instantly routed over a
different link transparent to the users on either
end.

 Both the physical infrastructures and the

logical processes that direct the messages
through the network are designed to
accommodate this redundancy.
31
 Scalability
 A scalable network can expand quickly to support
new users and applications without impacting the
performance of the service being delivered to existing
users.
 The ability of the network to support these new
interconnections depends on a hierarchical
layered design for the underlying physical
infrastructure and logical architecture.
 The operation at each layer enables users or service
providers to be added without causing disruption to
the entire network.
32
33
 QoS (Quality of Service)
 Quality of Service (QoS) is a set of technologies that
work on a network to guarantee its ability to
dependably run high-priority applications and
traffic under limited network capacity.
 Measurements of concern to QoS are:
 bandwidth (throughput)
 latency (delay)
 jitter (variance in latency)
 error rate

34
 Security
 Network Security protects your network and data
from breaches, intrusions and other threats.
 Network security describes hardware and software
solutions as well as processes or rules and
configurations relating to network use, accessibility, and
overall threat protection.
 The security and privacy expectations that result from
the use of internetworks to exchange confidential and
business critical information exceed what the current
architecture can deliver.
37
 Security
 Rapid expansion in communication areas that were
not served by traditional data networks is increasing
the need to embed security into the network
architecture.
 As a result, much effort is being devoted to this area
of research and development.
 In the meantime, many tools and procedures are
being implemented to combat inherent security
flaws in the network architecture.
38