Design Issues for the Layers of Computer Networks
The network layer focuses on getting packets from the source to the destination, routing error handling, and congestion control.
The network layer also has various design issues stated as follows:
- Reliability
The components and the networks might be unreliable, causing loss of bits during data transfer and the information transferred may be distorted.
- Addressing
There might be a difficulty in addressing, as a large number of messages are being transferred to an equally large number of computers.
- Flow control
A proper flow mechanism needs to be implemented, as if the rate at which the data is produced by the sender is higher than the rate at which the data is received by the receiver, then there will be an overflow of data.
- Error control
The layers need to agree upon a common error detection and correction method, as the unreliable channels introduce a number of errors in the data streams that are communicated and that may cause problems in protecting the packets.
- Security
There should be adequate mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access to data through authentication and breach of data.
- Statistical multiplexing
The data channel needs to be multiplexed so as to allocate a fraction of bandwidth.
- Resource allocation
The allocation and the deallocation should happen with minimal interference.