Midterm Exam Revision Material

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the midterm exam revision material covering networking concepts and protocols.

Application Layer

A layer in the OSI model that enables applications to communicate over a network using protocols like HTTP, SMTP, etc.

Client

The process that initiates communication in a client-server model.

Server

The process that provides services or resources in response to requests from clients.

TCP

Transmission Control Protocol; a reliable, connection-oriented protocol used for web browsing and email.

UDP

User Datagram Protocol; a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee reliable data delivery.

Edge Network

The part of the network that connects to end users and devices.

Network Edge

The point in a network where the core network infrastructure interfaces with end user devices.

Peering

Direct connection between ISPs for exchanging traffic without financial settlement.

Transit

A service provided by one ISP to another for carrying data, typically involving payment.

Web-cache Server

A server that stores frequently accessed web content to reduce latency.

Stateless Protocol

A protocol like HTTP where each request is independent and does not retain session information.

Cookies

Data stored on a user's computer by a web server that can help manage stateful interactions.

DNS

Domain Name System; translates human-readable domains into IP addresses.

Keep-alive Connection

A persistent connection that allows multiple requests to be sent over a single TCP connection.

Collision Domain

A network segment where data packets can collide with one another.

Packet Switching

A method of grouping data transmitted over a digital network into packets for efficiency.

Circuit Switching

A method of communication where a dedicated circuit is established for the duration of the transmission.

Transmission Delay

The time it takes for a packet to be pushed onto the wire.

Propagation Delay

The time it takes for a signal to travel from the sender to the receiver.

NOC

Network Operations Center; a centralized location for monitoring and managing networks.

VDSL

Very-high-bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line; provides high-speed internet over copper telephone lines.

CDN Architectures

Content Delivery Network architectures, with distributed and centralized models.

DASH

Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP; a streaming protocol that adapts video quality to available bandwidth.

SYN

Synchronize; a TCP control flag used to initiate a connection.

ACK

Acknowledgement; a TCP signal that indicates successful receipt of a packet.

Congestion Control

Mechanisms to manage data traffic to prevent network congestion.

Flow Control

Techniques to control the rate of data transmission between sender and receiver.

Multiplexing

Combining multiple data streams into one for transmission.

Demultiplexing

Separating combined data streams at the receiver's end.

NAT

Network Address Translation; a technique to allow multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address.

DHCP

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; automatically assigns IP addresses to devices on a network.

ICMP

Internet Control Message Protocol; used for error messages and operational information.

IP Address Class

Categorization of IP addresses based on the leading bits; includes Classes A, B, C, D, and E.

Subnet Mask

A 32-bit number that divides an IP address into a network and host portion.

CIDR

Classless Inter-Domain Routing; a method for allocating IP addresses more efficiently than traditional class-based addressing.

Private IP Address

IP addresses that are designated for use within a private network and not routable on the Internet.

Loopback Address

An address used to refer to the local machine; typically 127.0.0.1.

Traffic Intensity

The ratio of the arrival rate of packets to the service rate of the network.

Little's Theorem

A mathematical formula relating average number of items in a system, arrival rate, and average time in the system.