TCP/IP terminology
You might find it useful to become familiar with the following Internet terms as they are used in relation to TCP/IP.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| client | A computer or process that accesses the data, services, or resources of another computer or process on the network. |
| host | A computer that is attached to an Internet network and can communicate with other Internet hosts. The local host for a particular user is the computer at which that user is working. A foreign host is any other host name on the network. From the point of view of the communications network, hosts are both the source and destination of packets. Any host can be a client, a server, or both. On an Internet network, a host is identified by its Internet name and address. |
| network | The combination of two or more hosts and the connecting links between them. A physical network is the hardware that makes up the network. A logical network is the abstract organization overlaid on all or part of one or more physical networks. The Internet network is an example of a logical network. The interface program handles translation of logical network operations into physical network operations. |
| packet | The block of control information and data for one transaction between a host and its network. Packets are the exchange medium used by processes to send and receive data through Internet networks. A packet is sent from a source to a destination. |
| port | A logical connecting point for a process. Data is transmitted between processes through ports (or sockets). Each port provides queues for sending and receiving data. In an interface program network, each port has an Internet port number based on how it is being used. A particular port is identified with an Internet socket address, which is the combination of an Internet host address and a port number. |
| process | A program that is running. A process is the active element in a computer. Terminals, files, and other I/O devices communicate with each other through processes. Thus, network communications is interprocess communications (that is, communication between processes). |
| protocol | A set of rules for handling communications at the physical or logical level. Protocols often use other protocols to provide services. For example, a connection-level protocol uses a transport-level protocol to transport packets that maintain a connection between two hosts. |
| server | A computer or process that provides data, services, or resources that can be accessed by other computers or processes on the network. |