Flashcards: Network Applications and Protocols — 39 cards

What is client–server architecture in networking?

A model where clients request services from centralized servers.

What defines peer-to-peer architecture in networking?

Computers act as both clients and servers and communicate directly.

What advantage do client–server systems have over peer-to-peer?

They simplify management and can improve control and security.

What advantage do peer-to-peer systems have over client–server?

They improve scalability and avoid dependence on a central server.

What is the first step a typical web application performs on receiving a request?

It resolves the requested URL through DNS.

What does a typical web application do after processing a request on the server?

It accesses data when necessary.

What is the final action of a typical web application after accessing data?

It sends a response containing the requested resource.

Which web browsers provide client-side access to web resources?

Chrome and Safari.

What role do web browsers play in communication with web servers?

They communicate with web servers to access web resources.

What does the application layer provide?

Network services and protocols supporting communication between user applications.

What is a microservice in software architecture?

A small, independently deployable application component communicating via defined interfaces.

What benefits do microservices provide?

They improve scalability, modularity, deployment flexibility, and fault isolation.

What is a drawback of using microservices?

They introduce distributed-system communication and management overhead.

Name some common microservice capabilities taught in the course.

Gateways, caching, search, visualization, recommendations, notifications, logging, and data processing.

What distinguishes TCP from UDP in terms of connection and reliability?

TCP is connection-oriented and reliable, UDP is lightweight without connection-oriented reliability.

What is a socket in network communication?

A socket is a communication endpoint identified by an IP address and port number.

Which application-layer protocols are listed in the course?

HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP are listed.

What is HTTP in web communication?

An application-layer protocol where clients send requests and servers return responses.

What components does an HTTP request contain?

A method, requested URL, headers, and possibly a body.

What components does an HTTP response contain?

A status code, headers, and possibly a body.

How does HTTP/1.1 handle connections?

It commonly uses persistent connections.

How do non-persistent HTTP connections work?

They establish a separate connection for each object.

What does round-trip time (RTT) measure in communication?

The time for a message to go to the destination and back.

What is the formula for round-trip time (RTT)?

$RTT = T_{outbound} + T_{return}$

What is SMTP in email communication?

An application-layer protocol for transferring email between mail systems.

What role does a mail user agent play in email delivery?

It submits a message to a mail transfer agent.

How do mail transfer agents communicate during email delivery?

They transfer messages through SMTP.

What does a mail delivery agent do in email delivery?

It delivers the message to the recipient's mailbox.

How does POP3 handle email messages?

It typically downloads messages from a mailbox.

How does IMAP manage email messages differently from POP3?

It keeps messages on the mail server and supports synchronization.

What does the Domain Name System (DNS) translate?

Domain names into IP addresses.

What hierarchy does DNS use for name servers?

A distributed hierarchy.

Which servers can recursive DNS resolution query before returning a record?

Local resolver, root DNS server, top-level-domain server, and authoritative DNS server.

What does an A record map in DNS?

A domain name to an IPv4 address.

What does a CNAME record map in DNS?

An alias to a canonical domain name.

What determines how long DNS caching stores resolved records?

Their time to live (TTL).

What is a peer-to-peer network?

A distributed network where peers share resources directly without a central server.

Name one advantage of peer-to-peer networks.

Scalability is an advantage of peer-to-peer networks.

Name one challenge of peer-to-peer networks.

Security is a challenge of peer-to-peer networks.