Data networks and the internet

Data network communication and distributed applications rely on underlying communications software that is independent of applications and relieves the applications of much of the burden of reliably exchanging data. This communications software is organized into a protocol architecture, the most important incarnation of which is the TCP/IP protocol suit. The TCP/IP protocol suit is now dominant, in terms of products, deployment in data networks, and ongoing computer network research. The most prominent incarnation of this suit is in the internet and millions of computers attached to it.

The objective of this paper is to provide an up-to-date survey of development in the areas of computer networks and Internet based protocols and algorithms. Central problems that confront the networks designer are the need to support multimedia and real-time traffic, the need to control congestion, and the need to provide different levels of quality of service (Qos) to different applications.