Business Data- Cmmunication (Essay Sample)

Running head: BUSINESS DATA COMMUNICATION
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Introduction
Clients of most companies prefer visiting company website when looking for information such as company products and services as well as making inquiries. This process involves the flow of information and data between the client’s computer and the company computer. For the client to access the company website the basic requirements include a computer, internet access, company URL and active company web server (Awad, 2002). It is important to note that most computers operate under the World Wide Web, this system constitute various internet servers that can read specifically formatted documents. Documents are formatted in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) referred to markup language. HTML supports the link to documents such as, Microsoft office documents, graphics, audio, video and various other files.
A common protocol called HTTP is used to pass around the formatted documents. HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) determines how messages and documents are formatted and transmitted; it also defines the required actions to be taken by web servers and browsers (Sen, 2014). This happens when a client enters company URL then the browser sends a command of HTTP to the company Web server and it is directed to access and transmit back the requested page.
How client’s computers communicate with company server
Internet is basically a global network of computers that connects client’s computers and various companies’ servers. The various computers accessing the web follow certain rules that support effective interaction. HTTP plays a vital role in streamlining the underlying rules of computer to computer interaction, notably HTTP ensures that a client computer has to first initiate a request for a webpage. The request is sent to the company server which is the company computer where the websites reside. The company server receives the request, finds the web page and transmits it back to the client computer. Detailed HTTP request/ response cycle process involving the client’s machine and the Company server computer clearly illustrates how the interaction happens. TCP port numbers are important to IP/TCP networking and internet in general. The protocol numbers and ports facilitate access to the web server.
Network security can be increased by allowing or disabling available ports (Awad, 2002). IP (Internet Protocol address) is used to identify a computer on a TCP/IP network; it is a 32 numeric figure label assigned to each computer participating in a network using internet. Ethernet address is a numerical number assigned to any hardware interface attached to a computer.
Internet addresses
Each computer connected to internet has its own specific IP address which is identified to it.
Diagram 1. Source (Awad, 2002)
The diagram aboveshows two computers with different IP addresses in the same network. Computers connecting through Internet Service Provider have temporary assigned IP address depending on dial-in-session duration. Clark (2003) provides that computers connecting through local area network (LAN) usually have a permanent IP address or assigned temporarily from DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server (Clark, 2003).
Protocol Packets and Stacks
Through the internet Computers with unique IP address can communicate with one another. If a client’s computer request a web page of our company. This request is sent over the internet from any internet service provider and it is transmitted through a phone line. The command is made in alphabetical text and translated into electronic signals. The Company server will then translate back in alphabetical text; this is achieved by the use of protocol stack. Computer to computer communication on internet is usually embedded in the computer operating system (Schmidbauer, 2014). TCP/IP protocol stack is commonly used as the above stated protocol stack. These are the key communication protocols used. The message sent from one computer passes through layers whereby it is broken into smaller chunks of data. The layers can be illustrated as follows.
Protocol Layer

Particulars

Application protocol layer

This is procedure to applications such as email, World Wide Web and File transfer. Data packets having passed this layer continue to TCP Layer.

Transmission Control Protocol Layer

Packets in this layer are assigned to specific port and direct it to specific application on a computer.

Internet protocol Layer

The packets in this Layer is assigned a destination IP address i.e. to a specific computer

Hardware Layer

Packet data is converted to network signals and transmitted back.

Both the client’s and the company computers have these protocol layers
Diagram 2. Source (Sen, 2014)
When all the packets have a port and destination IP address they can now be sent over the internet. Computers on the other end in this case the companies’ server has also a direct connection to the internet (Sen, 2014). Internet Service Provider router defines the IP address destination and determines where to send where the packets are transmitted to another router (Clark, 2003). Finally the packets reach the destination and the packets start from the bottom on the TCP/IP stack.