06/06/2024, 10:52 What is OSI Model | 7 Layers Explained

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What is OSI Model? – Layers of OSI Model

Last Updated : 06 May, 2024
OSI stands for Open Systems Interconnection, where open stands to say
non-proprietary. It is a 7-layer architecture with each layer having specific
functionality to perform. All these 7 layers work collaboratively to transmit
the data from one person to another across the globe. The OSI reference
model was developed by ISO – ‘International Organization for
Standardization‘, in the year 1984.

The OSI model provides a theoretical foundation for understanding

network communication. However, it is usually not directly implemented in
its entirety in real-world networking hardware or software. Instead, specific
protocols and technologies are often designed based on the principles
outlined in the OSI model to facilitate efficient data transmission and
networking operations.

Prerequisite: Basics of Computer Networking

What is OSI Model?

What are the 7 layers of the OSI Model?
Physical Layer – Layer 1
Data Link Layer (DLL) – Layer 2
Network Layer – Layer 3
Transport Layer – Layer 4
Session Layer – Layer 5
Presentation Layer – Layer 6
Application Layer – Layer 7
What is the Flow of Data in OSI Model?
Advantages of OSI Model
OSI Model in a Nutshell
OSI vs TCP/IP Model

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What is OSI Model?

The OSI model, created in 1984 by ISO, is a reference framework that
explains the process of transmitting data between computers. It is divided
into seven layers that work together to carry out specialised network
functions, allowing for a more systematic approach to networking.

What are the 7 layers of the OSI Model?

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The OSI model consists of seven abstraction layers arranged in a top-down

order:

1. Physical Layer
2. Data Link Layer
3. Network Layer
4. Transport Layer
5. Session Layer
6. Presentation Layer
7. Application Layer

Physical Layer – Layer 1

The lowest layer of the OSI reference model is the physical layer. It is
responsible for the actual physical connection between the devices. The
physical layer contains information in the form of bits. It is responsible for
transmitting individual bits from one node to the next. When receiving data,
this layer will get the signal received and convert it into 0s and 1s and send
them to the Data Link layer, which will put the frame back together.

Functions of the Physical Layer

Bit synchronization: The physical layer provides the synchronization of

the bits by providing a clock. This clock controls both sender and receiver
thus providing synchronization at the bit level.
Bit rate control: The Physical layer also defines the transmission rate i.e.
the number of bits sent per second.
Physical topologies: Physical layer specifies how the different,
devices/nodes are arranged in a network i.e. bus, star, or mesh topology.
Transmission mode: Physical layer also defines how the data flows
between the two connected devices. The various transmission modes
possible are Simplex, half-duplex and full-duplex.

Note:

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1. Hub, Repeater, Modem, and Cables are Physical Layer devices.

2. Network Layer, Data Link Layer, and Physical Layer are also known
as Lower Layers or Hardware Layers.

Data Link Layer (DLL) – Layer 2

The data link layer is responsible for the node-to-node delivery of the
message. The main function of this layer is to make sure data transfer is
error-free from one node to another, over the physical layer. When a packet
arrives in a network, it is the responsibility of the DLL to transmit it to the
Host using its MAC address.
The Data Link Layer is divided into two sublayers:

1. Logical Link Control (LLC)

2. Media Access Control (MAC)

The packet received from the Network layer is further divided into frames
depending on the frame size of the NIC(Network Interface Card). DLL also
encapsulates Sender and Receiver’s MAC address in the header.

The Receiver’s MAC address is obtained by placing an ARP(Address

Resolution Protocol) request onto the wire asking “Who has that IP
address?” and the destination host will reply with its MAC address.

Functions of the Data Link Layer

Framing: Framing is a function of the data link layer. It provides a way for
a sender to transmit a set of bits that are meaningful to the receiver. This
can be accomplished by attaching special bit patterns to the beginning
and end of the frame.
Physical addressing: After creating frames, the Data link layer adds
physical addresses (MAC addresses) of the sender and/or receiver in the
header of each frame.
Error control: The data link layer provides the mechanism of error control
in which it detects and retransmits damaged or lost frames.
Flow Control: The data rate must be constant on both sides else the data
may get corrupted thus, flow control coordinates the amount of data that
can be sent before receiving an acknowledgment.

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Access control: When a single communication channel is shared by

multiple devices, the MAC sub-layer of the data link layer helps to
determine which device has control over the channel at a given time.

Note:

1. Packet in the Data Link layer is referred to as Frame.

2. Data Link layer is handled by the NIC (Network Interface Card) and
device drivers of host machines.
3. Switch & Bridge are Data Link Layer devices.

Network Layer – Layer 3

The network layer works for the transmission of data from one host to the
other located in different networks. It also takes care of packet routing i.e.
selection of the shortest path to transmit the packet, from the number of
routes available. The sender & receiver’s IP addresses are placed in the
header by the network layer.

Functions of the Network Layer

Routing: The network layer protocols determine which route is suitable

from source to destination. This function of the network layer is known as
routing.
Logical Addressing: To identify each device inter-network uniquely, the
network layer defines an addressing scheme. The sender & receiver’s IP
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addresses are placed in the header by the network layer. Such an address
distinguishes each device uniquely and universally.

Note:

1. Segment in the Network layer is referred to as Packet.

2. Network layer is implemented by networking devices such as
routers and switches.

Transport Layer – Layer 4

The transport layer provides services to the application layer and takes
services from the network layer. The data in the transport layer is referred to
as Segments. It is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the complete
message. The transport layer also provides the acknowledgment of the
successful data transmission and re-transmits the data if an error is found.

At the sender’s side: The transport layer receives the formatted data from
the upper layers, performs Segmentation, and also implements Flow and
error control to ensure proper data transmission. It also adds Source and
Destination port numbers in its header and forwards the segmented data to
the Network Layer.

Note: The sender needs to know the port number associated with the
receiver’s application.

Generally, this destination port number is configured, either by default

or manually. For example, when a web application requests a web
server, it typically uses port number 80, because this is the default
port assigned to web applications. Many applications have default
ports assigned.

At the receiver’s side: Transport Layer reads the port number from its
header and forwards the Data which it has received to the respective
application. It also performs sequencing and reassembling of the
segmented data.

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Functions of the Transport Layer

Segmentation and Reassembly: This layer accepts the message from the
(session) layer, and breaks the message into smaller units. Each of the
segments produced has a header associated with it. The transport layer
at the destination station reassembles the message.
Service Point Addressing: To deliver the message to the correct process,
the transport layer header includes a type of address called service point
address or port address. Thus by specifying this address, the transport
layer makes sure that the message is delivered to the correct process.

Services Provided by Transport Layer

1. Connection-Oriented Service
2. Connectionless Service

1. Connection-Oriented Service: It is a three-phase process that includes

Connection Establishment
Data Transfer
Termination/disconnection

In this type of transmission, the receiving device sends an acknowledgment,

back to the source after a packet or group of packets is received. This type of
transmission is reliable and secure.

2. Connectionless service: It is a one-phase process and includes Data

Transfer. In this type of transmission, the receiver does not acknowledge
receipt of a packet. This approach allows for much faster communication
between devices. Connection-oriented service is more reliable than
connectionless Service.

Note:

1. Data in the Transport Layer is called Segments.

2. Transport layer is operated by the Operating System. It is a part of
the OS and communicates with the Application Layer by making
system calls.
3. The transport layer is called as Heart of the OSI model.

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4. Device or Protocol Use : TCP, UDP NetBIOS, PPTP

Session Layer – Layer 5

This layer is responsible for the establishment of connection, maintenance of
sessions, and authentication, and also ensures security.

Functions of the Session Layer

Session establishment, maintenance, and termination: The layer allows

the two processes to establish, use, and terminate a connection.
Synchronization: This layer allows a process to add checkpoints that are
considered synchronization points in the data. These synchronization
points help to identify the error so that the data is re-synchronized
properly, and ends of the messages are not cut prematurely and data loss
is avoided.
Dialog Controller: The session layer allows two systems to start
communication with each other in half-duplex or full-duplex.

Note:

1. All the below 3 layers(including Session Layer) are integrated as a

single layer in the TCP/IP model as the “Application Layer”.
2. Implementation of these 3 layers is done by the network application
itself. These are also known as Upper Layers or Software Layers.
3. Device or Protocol Use : NetBIOS, PPTP.

For example:-

Let us consider a scenario where a user wants to send a message through

some Messenger application running in their browser. The “Messenger” here
acts as the application layer which provides the user with an interface to
create the data. This message or so-called Data is compressed, optionally
encrypted (if the data is sensitive), and converted into bits (0’s and 1’s) so
that it can be transmitted.

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Communication in Session Layer

Presentation Layer – Layer 6

The presentation layer is also called the Translation layer. The data from
the application layer is extracted here and manipulated as per the required
format to transmit over the network.

Functions of the Presentation Layer

Translation: For example, ASCII to EBCDIC.

Encryption/ Decryption: Data encryption translates the data into another
form or code. The encrypted data is known as the ciphertext and the
decrypted data is known as plain text. A key value is used for encrypting
as well as decrypting data.
Compression: Reduces the number of bits that need to be transmitted on
the network.

Note: Device or Protocol Use: JPEG, MPEG, GIF

Application Layer – Layer 7

At the very top of the OSI Reference Model stack of layers, we find the
Application layer which is implemented by the network applications. These
applications produce the data to be transferred over the network. This layer
also serves as a window for the application services to access the network
and for displaying the received information to the user.

Example: Application – Browsers, Skype Messenger, etc.

Note: 1. The application Layer is also called Desktop Layer.

2. Device or Protocol Use : SMTP

Functions of the Application Layer

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The main functions of the application layer are given below.

Network Virtual Terminal(NVT): It allows a user to log on to a remote

host.
File transfer access and management(FTAM): This application allows a
user to
access files in a remote host, retrieve files in a remote host, and manage
or
control files from a remote computer.
Mail Services: Provide email service.
Directory Services: This application provides distributed database
sources
and access for global information about various objects and services.

Note: The OSI model acts as a reference model and is not

implemented on the Internet because of its late invention. The current
model being used is the TCP/IP model.

Aptitude Engineering Mathematics Discrete Mathematics Operating System DBMS Computer Networks

What is the Flow of Data in OSI Model?

When we transfer information from one device to another, it travels through
7 layers of OSI model. First data travels down through 7 layers from the
sender’s end and then climbs back 7 layers on the receiver’s end.

Let’s look at it with an Example:

Luffy sends an e-mail to his friend Zoro.

Step 1: Luffy interacts with e-mail application like Gmail, outlook, etc.
Writes his email to send. (This happens in Layer 7: Application layer)

Step 2: Mail application prepares for data transmission like encrypting data
and formatting it for transmission. (This happens in Layer 6: Presentation
Layer)

Step 3: There is a connection established between the sender and receiver

on the internet. (This happens in Layer 5: Session Layer)

Step 4: Email data is broken into smaller segments. It adds sequence

number and error-checking information to maintain the reliability of the
information. (This happens in Layer 4: Transport Layer)

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Step 5: Addressing of packets is done in order to find the best route for
transfer. (This happens in Layer 3: Network Layer)

Step 6: Data packets are encapsulated into frames, then MAC address is
added for local devices and then it checks for error using error detection.
(This happens in Layer 2: Data Link Layer)

Step 7: Lastly Frames are transmitted in the form of electrical/ optical

signals over a physical network medium like ethernet cable or WiFi.

After the email reaches the receiver i.e. Zoro, the process will reverse and
decrypt the e-mail content. At last, the email will be shown on Zoro’s email
client.

Advantages of OSI Model

The OSI Model defines the communication of a computing system into 7
different layers. Its advantages include:

It divides network communication into 7 layers which makes it easier to

understand and troubleshoot.
It standardizes network communications, as each layer has fixed functions
and protocols.
Diagnosing network problems is easier with the OSI model.
It is easier to improve with advancements as each layer can get updates
separately.

OSI Model – Layer architecture

Layer No Layer Name Responsibility Information Device or

Form (Data Protocol
Unit)

7 Helps in
identifying the
Application
client and Message SMTP
Layer
synchronizing
communication.

6 Presentation Data from the Message JPEG,

Layer application MPEG, GIF

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Layer No Layer Name Responsibility Information Device or

Form (Data Protocol
Unit)

layer is
extracted and
manipulated in
the required
format for
transmission.

5 Establishes
Connection,
Maintenance, Message (or
Session Layer Ensures encrypted Gateway
Authentication message)
and Ensures
security.

4 Take Service
from Network
Transport Layer and
Segment Firewall
Layer provide it to the
Application
Layer.

3 Transmission of
data from one
Network host to another,
Packet Router
Layer located in
different
networks.

2 Node to Node
Data Link Switch,
Delivery of Frame
Layer Bridge
Message.

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Layer No Layer Name Responsibility Information Device or

Form (Data Protocol
Unit)

1 Establishing
Hub,
Physical
Physical Repeater,
Connections Bits
Layer Modem,
between
Cables
Devices.

OSI vs TCP/IP Model

Some key differences between the OSI model and the TCP/IP Model are:

1. TCP/IP model consists of 4 layers but OSI model has 7 layers. Layers
5,6,7 of the OSI model are combined into the Application Layer of
TCP/IP model and OSI layers 1 and 2 are combined into Network
Access Layers of TCP/IP protocol.
2. The TCP/IP model is older than the OSI model, hence it is a foundational
protocol that defines how should data be transferred online.
3. Compared to the OSI model, the TCP/IP model has less strict layer
boundaries.
4. All layers of the TCP/IP model are needed for data transmission but in the
OSI model, some applications can skip certain layers. Only layers 1,2 and
3 of the OSI model are necessary for data transmission.

Did you Know?

TCP/IP protocol ( Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol ) was

created by U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects
Agency (ARPA) in 1970s.

We have discussed about What is OSI model?, What are layers of OSI
model, How data flows in the 7 layers of OSI model, and the differences
between TCP/IP protocol and OSI protocol.

What is OSI Model? – FAQs

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