Function of a computer protocol: Firstly a protocol is a way in which something should be done. In computer terms, a protocol is how two machines communicate with each other over a network. The protocol outlines how data is transmitted and processed between clients and servers, servers and clients etc.
Protocols are established by, International Agreement. Therefore once created all Hardware and Software manufactures need to adhere to them.
Example protocols.
HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol.
WebPages are created to a standard language called HTML (Hypertext Mark up Language). A HTML page is transmitted over TCP/IP using the HTTP protocol. It works like this:
Browser -> Server (Requesting)
Server -> Browser (Receiving)
To use the HTTP protocol a “Web Browser” is required. To host a website a “Web Server” is required. Internet Explorer and Apache are the most popular.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol.
FTP is used to upload and download files to and from a server quickly. Also used with TCP/IP for locating the server you wish to communicate with. There are many different FTP clients and Servers available. Some of the most popular is Smart FTP (client) and Bullet Proof FTP Server.
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