Understanding the network architecture is crucial for anyone involved in network design, maintenance, or security. This guide provides an overview of various network architectures and their characteristics.
Key Components of a Network Architecture
- Physical Layer: The foundation of any network, responsible for transmitting raw bits over a physical medium.
- Data Link Layer: Manages the reliable transmission of data between directly connected nodes.
- Network Layer: Focuses on routing packets from source to destination across multiple networks.
- Transport Layer: Ensures reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of packets between applications running on hosts communicating over an IP network.
- Application Layer: The topmost layer where applications access network services.
Types of Network Architectures
- Peer-to-Peer (P2P): All nodes in the network have equal status and can act as both clients and servers. An example of P2P networking is BitTorrent.
- Client-Server: A central server provides resources or services to multiple client nodes. Web servers and file servers are common examples.
- Distributed: Resources and services are spread across multiple nodes, with each node contributing to the overall functionality. This architecture is often used in cloud computing environments.
Diagrams
Network Architecture Diagram
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For a deeper understanding of network architectures, you can explore this detailed guide on network architecture types.