MIS 3740 Lab 1

Application Layer Messages

All messages sent in a network pass through each of the network layers. Because of this,
special terms have been adopted for the "messages" of each layer. The term frame
denotes an information unit whose source and destination is a data link-layer entity. The
term packet denotes an information unit whose source and destination is a network-layer
entity. Finally, the term message denotes an information unit whose source and
destination entity exists above the network layer (i.e, application layer).
The top layer, the application layer, is responsible for managing the interface to the user
and include such network applications as electronic mail (email), file transfer protocol
(FTP), and Telnet. In general, messages have the following format:
Header Data

In this exercise, you will examine the application layer language for the World Wide
Web, HyperText Transfer Protocol or HTTP. An HTTP request from the Web client (i.e.,
the browser) is typically a request for some piece of information in Web space. For
example, typing http://www.wpi.edu into the location box requests WPI's home page
from the campus' Web server.
HTTP should not be confused with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) which also has
headers. HTTP is used by the network application (in this case, the Web browser and
Web server) to synchronize communications (sent and received by both browsers and
servers) and is typically not displayed. HTML is used to format the data sent from server
to client and is almost always displayed. A typical HTTP message (from the server to the
browser) looks as follows:
Header (HTTP) HTTP data (HTML Head) HTTP data (HTML Body)

In this lab, we also examine email messages. Email, the most common application on
the Internet, also has its own language. Mail messages are passed through a network of
mail transfer agent (MTAs) using a common language such as simple mail transfer
protocol (SMTP). Mail is exchanged between the final MTA and the email client or mail
user agent (MUA) using a separate set of standards (e.g., POP or IMAP).
Header (SMTP) SMTP data (email message)

In later exercises, we will see how the lower layers "encapsulate" messages from higher
level layers, treating the entire upper layer message as their own data and attaching a new
header of their own.
Application layer tools:
HTTP is used by the Web browser but is not displayed like HTML. To view HTTP
messages you will need an HTTP header viewer like the following:
 A Web-based http viewer (www.rexswain.com), Another Web-based http viewer
(www.delorie.com)

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 Lab 1
Many email programs also filter a larger portion of the header (SMTP) information. The
following resource details how to extract this header information most of the major email
clients
 Email header information for various email clients
Exercise:
1. Does the website AMAZON.COM (http://www.amazon.com) set a cookie (Set-
Cookie:) ?

2. What version of HTTP does AMAZON.COM’s server "speak"?

3. Complete the following table (day and time when this question was done).
_______________
Web Site Size (Content-Length:) Server software (Server:)
www.yahoo.com
www.mgt.wpi.edu
www.outlook.com

Use an email message from me to answer the following questions. Be sure to include a
printout of the header of this message.
4. From what email server did the message originate?

5. What is the name of the last email server to receive this message?
Application layer references
 A tutorial on HTTP
Email and Additional Application Basics:
 http://www.gcflearnfree.org/emailbasics

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