3.1Computer Network〖*4/5〗3.1.1TextComputer network can be used for numerous services,both for companies and for individuals. For companies,networks of personal computers using shared servers often provide flexibility and a good price/ performance ratio. For individuals,networks offer access to a variety of information and entertainment resources. Roughly speaking,networks can be divided up into LANs,MANs,WANs,and Internet works,each with their own characteristics,technologies,speeds,and niches. LANs cover a building,MANs cover a city,and WANs cover a country or continent. LANs and MANs are unswitched (i.e.,do not have routers); WANs are switched. Network software consists of protocols,or rules by which processes can communicate[1]. Protocols can be either connectionless or connectionoriented. Most networks support protocol hierarchies,with each layer providing services to the lower layers. Protocol stacks are typically based either on the OSI model or the TCP/IP model. Both of these have network,transport,and application layers,but they differ on the other layers. Network establishes communication among computers. This system is especially helpful when people work on different place. It improves the speed and accuracy of communication,prevents messages from being misplaced and automatically ensures total distribution of key information. 1. Local Area Networks (LANs) A local area networks,or LAN,is a communication network that is privately owned and that covers a limited geographic area such as an office,a building,or a group of building. The LAN consists of a communication channel that connects either a series of computer terminals together with a minicomputer or,more commonly,a group of personal computers to one another. Very sophisticated LANs can connect a variety of office devices such as word processing equipment,computer terminals,video equipment and personal computers. Two common applications of local area networks are hardware resource sharing and information resource sharing. Hardware resource sharing allows each personal computer in the network to access and use devices that would be too expensive to provide for each user. Information resource sharing allows anyone using a personal computer on the local area network to access data stored on any other computer in the network[2]. In actual practice,hardware resource sharing and information resource sharing are often combined. 计算机专业英语(第3版)第3章Computer Network Knowledge2. Wide Area Networks (WANs) A wide area network,or WAN,is geographic in scope (as opposed to local) and uses telephone lines,microwaves,satellites,or a combination of communication channels. Public wide area network companies include socalled common carriers such as the telephone companies. Telephone company deregulation has encouraged a number of computers of companies to build their own wide area networks. 3. Network Configuration The configuration,or physical layout,of the equipment in a communication network is called topology. Communication networks are usually configured in one or a combination of three patterns. These configurations are star,bus,and ring networks. Although these configurations can be used with wide area networks,we illustrate them with local area networks. Devices connected to a network,such as terminal,printers,or other computers,are referred to as nodes. (1) Star Network A star network (Fig.31) contains a central computer and one or more terminals or personal computers connected to it,forming a star[3]. A pure star network consists of only pointtopoint lines between the terminals and the computer,but most star networks,such as the one shown in Fig.31,include both pointtopoint lines and multidrop lines. A star network configuration is often used when the central computer contains all the data required to process the input from the terminals,Such as an airline reservation system. For example,if inquiries were being processed in the star network,all the data to answer the inquiry would be contained in the database stored on the central computer. Fig.31A star network A star network can be relatively efficient,and close control can be kept over the data processed on the network. Its major disadvantage is that the entire network is dependent on the central computer and the associated hardware and software. If any of these elements fail,the entire network is disabled. Therefore,in most large star networks,backup computer systems are available in case the primary system fails. (2) Bus Network When a bus network is used,all the devices in the network are connected to a single cable. Information is transmitted in either direction from any one personal computer to another. Any message can be directed to specific device. An advantage of the bus network is that devices can be attached or detached from the network at any point without disturbing the rest of the network. In addition,if one computer on the network fails,this does not affect the other users of the network. Fig.32 illustrates a simple bus network. Fig.32A bus network (3) Ring Network Fig.33A ring networkA ring network does not use a centralized host computer. Rather,a circle of computers communicate with one another (Fig.33). A ring network can be
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