Application Layer
The Application layer is the last layer, implying the end-user can interact directly with the software application.
It has the following functions:
- The Application layer recognizes the availability of communication partners for an application.
- It determines if sufficient network resources are available.
- It synchronizes communication that occurs between applications.
The services of the application layers are as follows:
- The user can log on to a remote host by creating a software emulation of a terminal at the remote host.
- Application allows a user to manage, retrieve, and access files in a remote computer.
- It also provides mail services such as email forwarding and storage.
- An application does addressing to provide communication between the server and client.
- It also provides authentication services, it authenticates the messages of the sender and the receiver.
- It provides access for global application about objects and services.
Network Application Architecture
Application architecture is of two types:
- Client-Server architecture
In the client-server architecture, the clients do not directly communicate with each other, but contact the server by sending a packet to the sender’s IP address.
- P2P architecture
In the peer-to-peer architecture, there is no dedicated server in a data center. The peers are synonymous to computer which are not owned by the service providers, they communicate information without passing the information through a dedicated server.
Reference
Application Layer