Content deleted Content added
m disambig ODI |
suite vs stack |
||
Line 1:
A '''protocol stack''' is a particular software implementation of a [[computer network]]ing [[protocol suite]]. The terms are often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, the suite is the definition of the protocols and the stack is the software implementation of them.
Individual [[network protocol|protocols]] within a suite are often designed with a single purpose in mind. This [[modularisation]] makes design and evaluation easier. Because each protocol module usually communicates with two others, they are commonly imagined as ''layers'' in a stack of protocols. The lowest protocol always deals with "low-level", physical interaction of the hardware. Every higher layer adds more features. User applications habitually deal only with the topmost layers. See also [[OSI model]].
| |||