Internet Protocol
An Internet Protocol is a network protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries to enable internetworking and packet routing.
- AKA: IP, IP Protocol, Internet Layer Protocol.
- Context:
- It can perform Packet Delivery through addressing mechanisms:
- It can identify Network Host through IP address.
- It can route Data Packet through network boundary.
- It can handle Packet Fragmentation through MTU size.
- It can manage Packet Reassembly through fragment offset.
- It can implement Protocol Versions through IP standards:
- It can support IPv4 Addressing through 32-bit address.
- It can enable IPv6 Addressing through 128-bit address.
- It can maintain Backward Compatibility through dual-stack implementation.
- It can provide Network Services through protocol features:
- It can ensure Best Effort Delivery through connectionless communication.
- It can support Quality of Service through DSCP field.
- It can enable Multicast Communication through group addressing.
- ...
- It can integrate with Transport Protocols for end-to-end communication:
- It can work with TCP Protocol for reliable delivery.
- It can support UDP Protocol for fast transmission.
- It can enable ICMP Protocol for network diagnostics.
- ...
- It can range from being a Simple IP Implementation to being an Advanced IP Implementation, depending on its protocol features.
- It can range from being a Basic Routing System to being a Complex Gateway System, depending on its network complexity.
- ...
- It can perform Packet Delivery through addressing mechanisms:
- Examples:
- IP Versions, such as:
- IPv4 (1981) for traditional internet addressing.
- IPv6 (1998) for extended address space.
- IP Implementations, such as:
- Network Stacks, such as:
- Router Implementations, such as:
- IP Applications, such as:
- IP Tunnels, such as:
- IP Services, such as:
- ...
- IP Versions, such as:
- Counter-Examples:
- MAC Protocol, which operates at data link layer instead of network layer.
- ARP Protocol, which maps IP address to physical address rather than routing datagrams.
- DNS Protocol, which resolves domain names instead of handling packet delivery.
- Transport Protocol, which manages end-to-end communication rather than network routing.
- Application Protocol, which handles user services instead of packet forwarding.
- See: Communications Protocol, Datagram, Routing, Internetwork, Internet, Internet Layer, Packet (Information Technology), Host (Network), IP Address, Header (Computing), Encapsulation (Networking), Connectionless Communication, TCP/IP, Subnet, BGP Protocol.
References
2014
- (Wikipedia, 2014) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol Retrieved:2014-11-25.
- The Internet Protocol (IP) is the principal communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.
IP, as the primary protocol in the Internet layer of the Internet protocol suite, has the task of delivering packets from the source host to the destination host solely based on the IP addresses in the packet headers. For this purpose, IP defines packet structures that encapsulate the data to be delivered. It also defines addressing methods that are used to label the datagram with source and destination information.
Historically, IP was the connectionless datagram service in the original Transmission Control Program introduced by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn in 1974; the other being the connection-oriented Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The Internet protocol suite is therefore often referred to as TCP/IP.
The first major version of IP, Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4), is the dominant protocol of the Internet. Its successor is Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
- The Internet Protocol (IP) is the principal communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.