The Internet protocol suite

Internet protocol suite

The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...

 (TCP/IP) and the Open Systems Interconnection

Open Systems Interconnection

Open Systems Interconnection is an effort to standardize networking that was started in 1977 by the International Organization for Standardization , along with the ITU-T.-History:...

 model (OSI model

OSI model

The Open Systems Interconnection model is a product of the Open Systems Interconnection effort at the International Organization for Standardization. It is a prescription of characterizing and standardizing the functions of a communications system in terms of abstraction layers. Similar...

) of computer network

Computer network

A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....

ing each specify a group of protocols and methods identified by the name application layer.

In TCP/IP, the application layer contains all protocols and methods that fall into the realm of process-to-process communications across an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Application layer methods use the underlying transport layer

Transport layer

In computer networking, the transport layer or layer 4 provides end-to-end communication services for applications within a layered architecture of network components and protocols...

 protocols to establish host-to-host connections.

In the OSI model, the definition of its application layer is narrower in scope, explicitly distinguishing additional functionality above the transport layer at two additional levels, the session layer

Session layer

The session layer is layer 5 of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking.The session layer provides the mechanism for opening, closing and managing a session between end-user application processes, i.e., a semi-permanent dialogue. Communication sessions consist of requests and responses...

 and the presentation layer

Presentation layer

The presentation layer is layer 6 of the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking and serves as the data translator for the network. It is sometimes called the syntax layer.-Description:...

. OSI specifies strict modular separation of functionality at these layers and provides protocol implementations

OSI protocols

The Open Systems Interconnection protocols are a family of information exchange standards developed jointly by the ISO and the ITU-T starting in 1977....

 for each layer.

TCP/IP protocols

The following protocols are explicitly mentioned in RFC 1123 (1989), describing the application layer of the Internet protocol suite.

• Remote login category
  • Telnet
    TELNET
    Telnet is a network protocol used on the Internet or local area networks to provide a bidirectional interactive text-oriented communications facility using a virtual terminal connection...
    
    
• File transfer category
  • FTP
    File Transfer Protocol
    File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server...
    
    
  • TFTP
    Trivial File Transfer Protocol
    Trivial File Transfer Protocol is a file transfer protocol known for its simplicity. It is generally used forautomated transfer of configuration or boot files between machines in a local environment....
    
    
• Electronic mail category
  • SMTP
    Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
    Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is an Internet standard for electronic mail transmission across Internet Protocol networks. SMTP was first defined by RFC 821 , and last updated by RFC 5321 which includes the extended SMTP additions, and is the protocol in widespread use today...
    
    
  • IMAP
    Internet Message Access Protocol
    Internet message access protocol is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol...
    
    
  • POP
    Post Office Protocol
    In computing, the Post Office Protocol is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP and IMAP are the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. Virtually all modern...
    
    
• Support services category
  • DNS
    Domain name system
    The Domain Name System is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities...
    
    
  • RARP
    Reverse Address Resolution Protocol
    The Reverse Address Resolution Protocol is an obsolete computer networking protocol used by a host computer to request its Internet Protocol address from an administrative host, when it has available its Link Layer or hardware address, such as a MAC address.RARP is described in Internet...
    
    
  • BOOTP
  • SNMP
    Simple Network Management Protocol
    Simple Network Management Protocol is an "Internet-standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks. Devices that typically support SNMP include routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, modem racks, and more." It is used mostly in network management systems to monitor...
    
    
  • CMOT
    Common management information protocol
    The Common Management Information Protocol is the OSI specified network management protocol.Defined in . It provides an implementation for the services defined by the Common Management Information Service specified in , allowing communication between network management applications and...
    
    

Other protocol examples

• 9P
  9P
  9P is a network protocol developed for the Plan 9 from Bell Labs distributed operating system as the means of connecting the components of a Plan 9 system. Files are key objects in Plan 9. They represent windows, network connections, processes, and almost anything else available in the operating...
  
  , Plan 9 from Bell Labs
  Plan 9 from Bell Labs
  Plan 9 from Bell Labs is a distributed operating system. It was developed primarily for research purposes as the successor to Unix by the Computing Sciences Research Center at Bell Labs between the mid-1980s and 2002...
  
   distributed file system protocol
• AFP,
• APPC, Advanced Program-to-Program Communication
  Advanced Program-to-Program Communication
  In computing, Advanced Program to Program Communication or APPC is a protocol which computer programs can use to communicate over a network...
  
  
• AMQP, Advanced Message Queuing Protocol
  Advanced Message Queuing Protocol
  The Advanced Message Queuing Protocol is an open standard application layer protocol for message-oriented middleware. The defining features of AMQP are message orientation, queuing, routing , reliability and security.AMQP mandates the behaviour of the messaging provider and client to the extent...
  
  
• BitTorrent
• Atom Publishing Protocol
• CFDP, Coherent File Distribution Protocol
  Coherent file distribution protocol
  Coherent File Distribution Protocol is an IETF-documented experimental protocol intended for high-speed one-to-many file transfers. Class 1 is assured delivery, class 2 is blind unassured delivery.See ....
  
  
• DDS, Data Distribution Service
  Data Distribution Service
  Data distribution service for real-time systems is a specification of a publish/subscribe middleware for distributed systems created by the Object Management Group in response to the need to standardize a data-centric publish-subscribe programming model for distributed systems.- History :A few...
  
  
• DeviceNet
  DeviceNet
  DeviceNet is a network system used in the automation industry to interconnect control devices for data exchange. It uses Controller Area Network as the backbone technology and defines an application layer to cover a range of device profiles...
  
  
• eDonkey
  EDonkey network
  The eDonkey network is a decentralized, mostly server-based, peer-to-peer file sharing network best suited to share big files among users, and to provide long term availability of files...
  
  
• ENRP, Endpoint Handlespace Redundancy Protocol
  Endpoint Handlespace Redundancy Protocol
  The Endpoint Handlespace Redundancy Protocol is used by the Reliable server pooling framework for the communication between Pool Registrars to maintain and synchronize a handlespace....
  
  
• FastTrack
  FastTrack (protocol)
  FastTrack is a peer-to-peer protocol that was used by the Kazaa, Grokster, iMesh, and Morpheus file sharing programs. FastTrack was the most popular file sharing network in 2003, and used mainly for the exchange of music mp3 files. The network had approximately 2.4 million concurrent users in 2003...
  
   (KaZaa, Grokster, iMesh)
• Finger
  Finger protocol
  In computer networking, the Name/Finger protocol and the Finger user information protocol are simple network protocols for the exchange of human-oriented status and user information.-Name/Finger protocol:...
  
  , User Information Protocol
• Freenet
  Freenet
  Freenet is a decentralized, censorship-resistant distributed data store originally designed by Ian Clarke. According to Clarke, Freenet aims to provide freedom of speech through a peer-to-peer network with strong protection of anonymity; as part of supporting its users' freedom, Freenet is free and...
  
  
• FTAM
  FTAM
  FTAM, ISO standard 8571, is the OSI Application layer protocol for File Transfer Access and Management.The goal of FTAM is to combine into a single protocol both file transfer, similar in concept to the Internet FTP, as well as remote access to open files, similar to NFS...
  
  , File Transfer Access and Management
• Gopher, Gopher protocol
• HL7, Health Level Seven
• HTTP, HyperText Transfer Protocol
  Hypertext Transfer Protocol
  The Hypertext Transfer Protocol is a networking protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web....
  
  
• H.323
  H.323
  H.323 is a recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network...
  
  , Packet-Based Multimedia Communications System
• IRCP, Internet Relay Chat
  Internet Relay Chat
  Internet Relay Chat is a protocol for real-time Internet text messaging or synchronous conferencing. It is mainly designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message as well as chat and data transfer, including file...
  
   Protocol
• Kademlia
  Kademlia
  Kademlia is a distributed hash table for decentralized peer-to-peer computer networks designed by Petar Maymounkov and David Mazières in 2002. It specifies the structure of the network and the exchange of information through node lookups. Kademlia nodes communicate among themselves using UDP. A...
  
  
• KAP, Anonymous File Transfer over UDP/IP (KickAss Protocol)
• LDAP, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
  Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
  The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol is an application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over an Internet Protocol network...
  
  
• LPD, Line Printer Daemon Protocol
• MIME (S-MIME), Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions and Secure MIME
• Modbus
  Modbus
  Modbus is a serial communications protocol published by Modicon in 1979 for use with its programmable logic controllers . Simple and robust, it has since become one of the de facto standard communications protocols in the industry, and it is now amongst the most commonly available means of...
  
  
• Netconf
  Netconf
  The Network Configuration Protocol, NETCONF, is an IETF network management protocol. It was developed in the NETCONF working group and published in December 2006 as RFC 4741 and later revised in June 2011 and published as RFC 6241....
  
  
• NFS, Network File System
• NIS, Network Information Service
  Network Information Service
  The Network Information Service, or NIS is a client–server directory service protocol for distributing system configuration data such as user and host names between computers on a computer network...
  
  
• NNTP, Network News Transfer Protocol
  Network News Transfer Protocol
  The Network News Transfer Protocol is an Internet application protocol used for transporting Usenet news articles between news servers and for reading and posting articles by end user client applications...
  
  
• NTCIP, National Transportation Communications for Intelligent Transportation System Protocol
  National Transportation Communications for Intelligent Transportation System Protocol
  The National Transportation Communications for Intelligent Transportation System Protocol is a family of standards designed to achieve interoperability and interchangeability between computers and electronic traffic control equipment from different manufacturers.The protocol is the product of a...
  
  
• NTP, Network Time Protocol
  Network Time Protocol
  The Network Time Protocol is a protocol and software implementation for synchronizing the clocks of computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. Originally designed by David L...
  
  
• OSCAR
  OSCAR protocol
  OSCAR or Open System for CommunicAtion in Realtime is AOL's flagship instant messaging and presence information protocol. Currently, OSCAR is in use for AOL's two main instant messaging systems: ICQ and AIM....
  
  , AOL Instant Messenger Protocol
• PNRP, Peer Name Resolution Protocol
  Peer Name Resolution Protocol
  Peer Name Resolution Protocol is a peer-to-peer protocol designed by Microsoft. PNRP enables dynamic name publication and resolution, and requires IPv6.PNRP was first mentioned during a presentation at a P2P conference in November 2001...
  
  
• RDP, Remote Desktop Protocol
  Remote Desktop Protocol
  Remote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft, which provides a user with a graphical interface to another computer. The protocol is an extension of the ITU-T T.128 application sharing protocol. Clients exist for most versions of Microsoft Windows , Linux, Unix, Mac OS...
  
  
• Rlogin
  Rlogin
  rlogin is a software utility for Unix-like computer operating systems that allows users to log in on another host via a network, communicating via TCP port 513.It was first distributed as part of the 4.2BSD release....
  
  , Remote Login in UNIX Systems
• RPC, Remote Procedure Call
  Remote procedure call
  In computer science, a remote procedure call is an inter-process communication that allows a computer program to cause a subroutine or procedure to execute in another address space without the programmer explicitly coding the details for this remote interaction...
  
  
• RTMP Real Time Messaging Protocol
  Real Time Messaging Protocol
  Real Time Messaging Protocol was initially a proprietary protocol developed by Macromedia for streaming audio, video and data over the Internet, between a Flash player and a server...
  
  
• RTP, Real-time Transport Protocol
  Real-time Transport Protocol
  The Real-time Transport Protocol defines a standardized packet format for delivering audio and video over IP networks. RTP is used extensively in communication and entertainment systems that involve streaming media, such as telephony, video teleconference applications, television services and...
  
  
• RTPS
  RTPS protocol
  The Real-Time Publish Subscribe protocol is the interoperability protocol used to allow multi vendor DDS implementations to communicate-Version History:* DDS RTPS 2.1 — Latest version, * DDS RTPS 2.0...
  
  , Real Time Publish Subscribe
• RTSP, Real Time Streaming Protocol
• SAP, Session Announcement Protocol
  Session Announcement Protocol
  Session Announcement Protocol is a protocol for broadcasting multicast session information.A SAP listening application can listen to the SAP multicast IP address and construct a guide of all advertised multicast sessions...
  
  
• SDP, Session Description Protocol
  Session Description Protocol
  The Session Description Protocol is a format for describing streaming media initialization parameters. The IETF published the original specification as an IETF Proposed Standard in April 1998, and subsequently published a revised specification as an IETF Proposed Standard as RFC 4566 in July...
  
  
• SIP, Session Initiation Protocol
  Session Initiation Protocol
  The Session Initiation Protocol is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol . The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party or multiparty sessions...
  
  
• SLP, Service Location Protocol
  Service Location Protocol
  The Service Location Protocol is a service discovery protocol that allows computers and other devices to find services in a local area network without prior configuration. SLP has been designed to scale from small, unmanaged networks to large enterprise networks...
  
  
• SMB, Server Message Block
  Server Message Block
  In computer networking, Server Message Block , also known as Common Internet File System operates as an application-layer network protocol mainly used to provide shared access to files, printers, serial ports, and miscellaneous communications between nodes on a network. It also provides an...
  
  
• SNTP, Simple Network Time Protocol
• SOCKS, the SOCKS
  SOCKS
  SOCKS is an Internet protocol that routes network packets between a client and server through a proxy server. SOCKS5 additionally provides authentication so only authorized users may access a server...
  
   internet protocol
• SSH, Secure Shell
  Secure Shell
  Secure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client...
  
  
• SSMS, Secure SMS Messaging Protocol
• TCAP, Transaction Capabilities Application Part
  Transaction Capabilities Application Part
  Transaction Capabilities Application Part, from ITU-T recommendations Q.771-Q.775 or ANSI T1.114 is a protocol for Signalling System 7 networks. Its primary purpose is to facilitate multiple concurrent dialogs between the same sub-systems on the same machines, using Transaction IDs to differentiate...
  
  
• TDS, Tabular Data Stream
  Tabular Data Stream
  Tabular Data Stream is an application layer protocol, used to transfer data between a database server and a client. It was initially designed and developed by Sybase Inc...
  
  
• TSP, Time Stamp Protocol
  Time stamp protocol
  The Time-Stamp Protocol, or TSP is a cryptographic protocol for certifying timestamps using X.509 certificates and public key infrastructure...
  
  
• VTP, Virtual Terminal Protocol
• Waka
  Waka (protocol)
  Waka is an application protocol intended as "a binary, token-based replacement for HTTP." It is "designed to match the efficiency of the REST architectural style."-History:...
  
  , an HTTP replacement protocol
• Whois
  WHOIS
  WHOIS is a query and response protocol that is widely used for querying databases that store the registered users or assignees of an Internet resource, such as a domain name, an IP address block, or an autonomous system, but is also used for a wider range of other information. The protocol stores...
  
   (and RWhois), Remote Directory Access Protocol
• WebDAV
  WebDAV
  Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning is a set of methods based on the Hypertext Transfer Protocol that facilitates collaboration between users in editing and managing documents and files stored on World Wide Web servers...
  
  
• X.400
  X.400
  X.400 is a suite of ITU-T Recommendations that define standards for Data Communication Networks for Message Handling Systems — more commonly known as "email"....
  
  , Message Handling Service Protocol
• X.500
  X.500
  X.500 is a series of computer networking standards covering electronic directory services. The X.500 series was developed by ITU-T, formerly known as CCITT, and first approved in 1988. The directory services were developed in order to support the requirements of X.400 electronic mail exchange and...
  
  , Directory Access Protocol (DAP)
• XMPP, Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
  Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
  Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol is an open-standard communications protocol for message-oriented middleware based on XML . The protocol was originally named Jabber, and was developed by the Jabber open-source community in 1999 for near-real-time, extensible instant messaging , presence...
  
  

External links

• How The Application Layer Works (refers to the Internet Protocol Suite)