Layered Architectures & Protocol Stacks

Introduction to Layered Architectures

When building a large complex system, it helps to approach the problem at gradually increasing levels of abstraction. Thus, systems can be composed of layers, each performing a specific set of tasks.

Why Layers?

Layered architectures give us modularity by allowing us to discuss specific, well-defined parts of larger systems. This makes changing implementation-level details and identifying bugs easier.

An Analogy: Post

Before we dive deep into different models of the network layer stack, let’s look at an interesting analogy.

Think about posting a letter or a package. The general steps to doing so are as follows,