Computer Network Architecture:-

Computer Network Architecture is defined as how computers are organized and how tasks are
allocated to the computer.

It define physical and logical design of the software, hardware, protocols, and media of the
transmission of data. Simply we can say that how computers are organized and how tasks are
allocated to the computer.

The two types of network architectures are used:

o Peer-To-Peer network
o Client/Server network

Peer-To-Peer network:-
o Peer-To-Peer network is a network in which all the computers are linked together with
equal privilege and responsibilities for processing the data.
o Peer-To-Peer network is useful for small environments, usually up to 10 computers.
o Peer-To-Peer network has no dedicated server.
o Special permissions are assigned to each computer for sharing the resources, but this can
lead to a problem if the computer with the resource is down.
Advantages Of Peer-To-Peer Network:-
o It is less costly as it does not contain any dedicated server.
o If one computer stops working but, other computers will not stop working.
o It is easy to set up and maintain as each computer manages itself.

Disadvantages Of Peer-To-Peer Network:-

o In the case of Peer-To-Peer network, it does not contain the centralized system .
Therefore, it cannot back up the data as the data is different in different locations.
o It has a security issue as the device is managed itself.

Client/Server Network:-
o Client/Server network is a network model designed for the end users called clients, to
access the resources such as songs, video, etc. from a central computer known as Server.
o The central controller is known as a server while all other computers in the network are
called clients.
o A server performs all the major operations such as security and network management.
o A server is responsible for managing all the resources such as files, directories, printer,
etc.
o All the clients communicate with each other through a server. For example, if client1
wants to send some data to client 2, then it first sends the request to the server for the
permission. The server sends the response to the client 1 to initiate its communication
with the client 2.
Advantages Of Client/Server network:-
o A Client/Server network contains the centralized system. Therefore we can back up the
data easily.
o A Client/Server network has a dedicated server that improves the overall performance of
the whole system.
o Security is better in Client/Server network as a single server administers the shared
resources.
o It also increases the speed of the sharing resources.

Disadvantages Of Client/Server network:-

o Client/Server network is expensive as it requires the server with large memory.
o A server has a Network Operating System(NOS) to provide the resources to the clients,
but the cost of NOS is very high.
o It requires a dedicated network administrator to manage all the resources.

Transmission modes:-

o The way in which data is transmitted from one device to another device is known
as transmission mode.
o The transmission mode is also known as the communication mode.
o Each communication channel has a direction associated with it, and transmission media
provide the direction. Therefore, the transmission mode is also known as a directional
mode.
o The transmission mode is defined in the physical layer.

The Transmission mode is divided into three categories:

o Simplex mode
o Half-duplex mode
o Full-duplex mode

(A)Simplex mode:-

o In Simplex mode, the communication is unidirectional, i.e., the data flow in one
direction.
o A device can only send the data but cannot receive it or it can receive the data but cannot
send the data.
o This transmission mode is not very popular as mainly communications require the two-
way exchange of data. The simplex mode is used in the business field as in sales that do
not require any corresponding reply.
o The radio station is a simplex channel as it transmits the signal to the listeners but never
allows them to transmit back.
o Example:-Keyboard and Monitor. Keyboard can only accept the data from the user and
monitor can only be used to display the data on the screen.
o The main advantage of the simplex mode is that the full capacity of the communication
channel can be utilized during transmission.

Advantage of Simplex mode:-

o In simplex mode, the station can utilize the entire bandwidth of the communication
channel, so that more data can be transmitted at a time.
Disadvantage of Simplex mode:-
o Communication is unidirectional, so it has no inter-communication between devices.

(B)Half-Duplex mode:-

o In a Half-duplex channel, direction can be reversed, i.e., the station can transmit and
receive the data as well.
o Messages flow in both the directions, but not at the same time.
o The entire bandwidth of the communication channel is utilized in one direction at a time.
o In half-duplex mode, it is possible to perform the error detection, and if any error occurs,
then the receiver requests the sender to retransmit the data.
o A Walkie-talkie is an example of the Half-duplex mode. In Walkie-talkie, one party
speaks, and another party listens. After a pause, the other speaks and first party listens.
Speaking simultaneously will create the distorted sound which cannot be understood.

Advantage of Half-duplex mode:-

o In half-duplex mode, both the devices can send and receive the data and also can utilize
the entire bandwidth of the communication channel during the transmission of data.

Disadvantage of Half-Duplex mode:-

o In half-duplex mode, when one device is sending the data, then another has to wait, this
causes the delay in sending the data at the right time.

(C)Full-duplex mode:-
o In Full duplex mode, the communication is bi-directional, i.e., the data flow in both the
directions.
o Both the stations can send and receive the message simultaneously.
o Full-duplex mode has two simplex channels. One channel has traffic moving in one
direction, and another channel has traffic flowing in the opposite direction.
o The Full-duplex mode is the fastest mode of communication between devices.
o The most common example of the full-duplex mode is a telephone network. When two
people are communicating with each other by a telephone line, both can talk and listen at
the same time.

Advantage of Full-duplex mode:-

o Both the stations can send and receive the data at the same time.

Disadvantage of Full-duplex mode:-

o If there is no dedicated path exists between the devices, then the capacity of the
communication channel is divided into two parts.

Differences b/w Simplex, Half-duplex and Full-duplex mode:-

Basis for Simplex mode Half-duHalf-duplex mode Full-duplex mode
comparison

Direction of In simplex mode, the In half-duplex In full-duplex mode, the communicatio

communication communication is mode, the is bidirectional.
unidirectional. communication is
bidirectional, but
one at a time.

Send/Receive A device can only send Both the devices Both the devices can send and receive
the data but cannot can send and data simultaneously.
receive it or it can only receive the data,
receive the data but but one at a time.
cannot send it.

Performance The performance of half- The performance The Full-duplex mode has better
duplex mode is better than of full-duplex performance among simplex and half-
the simplex mode. mode is better duplex mode as it doubles the utilizatio
than the half- of the capacity of the communication
duplex mode. channel.

Example Examples of Simplex Example of half- Example of the Full-duplex mode is a

mode are radio, keyboard, duplex is Walkie- telephone network.
and monitor. Talkies.

QUESTIONS

Q1.Describe client-server network architecture.

Q2.What is the difference between half-duplex and full-duplex mode?

Q3.Describe peer-to-peer network architecture.