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Understanding LANs and WANs

IS IT POSSIBLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH CONNECTIVITY GURUS?

This one-day seminar presents a comprehensive overview of enterprise connectivity, facilitating communication between connecters and connectees.

"Connectivity is the foundation of distributed computing." say the connectivity gurus. But what good is connectivity without meaningful communication, the bedrock upon which the connectivity foundation rests?

Effective communication requires knowledge and understanding. But for many with a non-technical role in foundation-building, understanding the arcane vocabulary of the connectivity techo-jocks is a deconstructive exercise in frustration. You can't make intelligent choices based on unintelligible data.

Forget about reforming the techno-jocks. Arcane thought processes are part of their job requirement. It's the non-technoids who must adapt to ensure the survival of the enterprise. And this seminar may be the key to your survival.

Put the foundation of your enterprise computing system on solid ground…

In one place, in just one day, attendees of this seminar will explore the entire connectivity spectrum—from concepts through wiring schemes—in comprehendible detail. By the end of the day, students will have:

• An overall perspective of enterprise connectivity and how it fits into the distributed computing system.
• A conceptual understanding of the mechanics of moving data through a network, including interprocess communication protocols, translation layers and data-link transport protocols.
• A General knowledge of network operating systems and the physical components of networks.
• An expanded vocabulary of connectivity terminology and the comprehension to use it effectively.
• Grudging respect from techo-jocks for the ability to "talk the talk" and actually understand it.

Who will benefit from this seminar?

This seminar is intended for end users, managers, and non-techno-jocks who need the overall knowledge and understanding of enterprise connectivity required for effective communication.

Ensure a smooth and effective transition to client/server.
Call 1.800.756.9450 to schedule this seminar or request information about other Socrates Group seminars. If none of our standard courses fits your special needs, we'll gladly create one that does.

Course Outline:

What are Connectivity Services?

A computing system can be viewed in terms of the various services it offers to applications and users. By its nature, any distributed system must have connectivity services to allow each computer in the system to communicate in some way with every other. We begin this course with discussion about:

1. The connectivity spectrum; how connectivity continues to evolve
2. Local Area Networks (LANs)
3. Wide Area Networks (WANs)

Sub-Layers of the Connectivity Services

Getting data from one system to another is a complex process. Data must be packaged and labeled if it's to get to it's intended recipient intact. This packaging process is best described in terms of various sub-layers that the data must pass through as it moves to and from the physical connection between systems. Topics include:

1. The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) seven-layer model
2. Logical communication vs physical communication
3. The standard formats for interprocess communications
4. The physical layer, including:
   1. Physical media types
   2. Hubs & repeaters
   3. Typical wiring schemes
5. The data link layer, including:
   1. Data link sub-layers
   2. Logical link control
   3. Media access control
   4. Network interface cards
6. The Network Layer
7. Routers
8. The Transport Layer
9. The Session Layer
10. Gateways
11. The Presentation Layer
12. The Application Layer

More on the Data Link Layer: The Protocols

How is the data addressed and sent through the physical layer? How does the recipient know when to take the message? It's all in the protocol. As this section demonstrates, the data link and physical layers are very much interdependent. Topics include:

1. 802.3 CSMA/CD Ethernet
   1. How it works
   2. An Ethernet network
   3. Ethernet performance
2. 802.5 Token Ring
   1. How it works
   2. What's a MAU?
   3. A Token Ring network
   4. Token Ring performance
3. Token Ring vs Ethernet
4. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
5. Other Data Link Layer protocols
6. Bridges
7. Protocol stacks

More on the Application Layer: InterProcess Communications

Every application must know how it will be spoken to and be prepared to answer the same way. Topics include:

1. Named Pipes
2. Sockets
3. Advanced Program-to-Program Communications (APPC)
4. Remote Procedure Calls
5. IPC From Application Programs

Network Operating Systems

Bundled into the Network Operating System (NOS) are such services as network administration, network security, protocol support, resource sharing, and the interprocess communication protocols that enable client/server. Here we discuss the various major players in the NOS arena and how they compare. Topics include:

1. Locating network services
2. Novell NetWare
   1. SPX/IPX
3. Banyan VIrtual NEtwork System (Vines)
4. Microsoft Networking
5. IBM SNA
6. TCP/IP and the Internet

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