Lesson 3 - Protocols, Programs, and Processes

   Introduction

Data communications involves the transfer of information between computer programs. Just as people must share a common language in order to communicate, the programs must share a common protocol, such as TCP/IP. The protocol defines the format and meaning of the data exchanged by the programs, as well as the rules for transferring that information.

   Objectives

At the end of this lesson you should be able to:

1.	Differentiate between a process, service, and protocol
2.	Understand the difference between peer-to-peer and client/server processes

Key Point
Protocols are implemented by programs and processes, which are subsets of programs.

[ Previous Lesson ] [ Unit Contents ] [ Next Section ]