General Information

This section provides the foundation for understanding the underlying operation of the Node Manager software.

If you are already familiar with IEEE 802.2 and 802.3 terminology and concepts, this section may be a review. However, it also contains specific information regarding the Hewlett"Packard implementation of the standards.

Open Systems Interconnection Model

Hewlett"Packard's Local Area Networking implementation was guided by the International Standards Organization (ISO) Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. The model is based on a layered architecture that facilitates a modular approach for network communications development. The seven layers of the model are shown in Figure 2"1.

Application Layer 7

Presentation Layer 6

Session Layer 5

Transport Layer 4

Network Layer 3

Data Link Layer 2

Physical Layer 1

Figure 2%1. Layers of the OSI Model

General Information 2%1