Module Title: dgt_net02 – OSI and TCP Reference Model
Description:
“dgt_net02 – OSI and TCP Reference Model” is a module on the foundational structures that underpin modern networking. This module examines in detail both the Open Systems Interconnection OSI model and the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol TCP/IP suite, exploring how these frameworks guide network design and implementation.
Module Overview:
In this module, you will study each layer of the OSI model—from the physical layer to the application layer—learning about its specific functions, protocols, and services. We emphasize a layered approach where each layer provides essential services to the one above it while leveraging capabilities from the underlying layers. This hierarchical structure ensures that network communication is robust, scalable, and efficient.
This is the theory you will rely on throughout the academy. In the practical sessions you never capture packets or run diagnostic tools by hand: you ask the machine, in natural language, to inspect a connection, show you a packet capture or trace a route, and then you interpret what it returns layer by layer, deciding whether a problem lies in addressing, routing, transport or the application, and telling the machine where to look next.
Key Topics:
- Introduction to Networking Models:
- Overview of OSI and TCP/IP models
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Historical context and evolution
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The Seven Layers of the OSI Model:
- Physical Layer: Transmission media, signal encoding, data rate
- Data Link Layer: Framing, MAC addressing, error detection/correction
- Network Layer: IP addressing, routing, packet forwarding
- Transport Layer: TCP/UDP protocols, connection-oriented vs. connectionless services
- Session Layer: Establishing, managing, and terminating sessions
- Presentation Layer: Data translation, encryption, compression
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Application Layer: Protocols such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP
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Services Provided by Each Layer:
- Detailed examination of how each layer abstracts complexity for the layers above
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Case studies demonstrating real-world applications and problem-solving using layered approaches
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The TCP/IP Model:
- Understanding its four-layer architecture
- Differences between OSI and TCP/IP models
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How TCP/IP protocols interact within this model
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Cross-Layer Interactions and Dependencies:
- Exploration of how lower layers support higher layer functionalities
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Practical implications for network design, troubleshooting, and optimization
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Practical Applications and Current Trends:
- Case studies on modern networking technologies such as SDN Software-Defined Networking, IoT Internet of Things
- Analysis of emerging protocols and standards
- Guided troubleshooting sessions in which you direct the machine in natural language and read its findings through the layered model
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
- Articulate the roles and functions of each layer in both OSI and TCP/IP models.
- Explain how services provided by lower layers support functionalities at higher levels.
- Analyze network architectures using a layered approach, and use it to steer the machine through troubleshooting and optimization.
- Interpret captures, traces and diagnostics produced by the machine, and recognize when its conclusions do not fit the model.
Target Audience:
This module is intended for IT professionals, network engineers, students in computer science or information technology programs, and anyone who needs to understand networking principles and models.
The module provides the knowledge needed to design, analyze and optimize networks across various environments, and to guide the machine with precision when it does the hands-on work.
The students can push their exercises to the Academy DevOps & SRE Git project. For this module, create a folder with your username as its name in the following subfolder: https://github.com/Garanti-Del-Talento/gdt_academy