Conversation with Merlin [email protected] · Thu Dec 14 2023

I will ask the question related to the network and security, so be ready?

I'm ready to assist you with any questions you have related to network and security. Please feel free to ask your question, and I'll do my best to provide you with a comprehensive resolution.

what is byte stream

A byte stream refers to a sequence of bytes that are transmitted or processed sequentially. In computing, a byte stream is used to represent data that is being read from or written to a source, such as a, network connection, or memory location. Byte streams are essential transmitting and processing information in various computing systems and are a fundamental concept in programming.

Byte streams are often used for tasks as file input/output operations, network communication, and data processing. They allow for the efficient transfer and manipulation of data, as individual bytes can be accessed, read, or modified within the stream.

Overall, a byte is a fundamental concept in computing that represents an ordered sequence of, essential for data processing, communication, and storage.

A socket is an abstraction that is provided to network. It hides the underlying networking concepts and provides us with an interface to communicate between computers A socket is one endpoint of a two way communication link between two programs running on the network. Socket are generally employed in client server applications. The server creates a socket, attaches it to a network port addresses then waits for the client to contact it. The client creates a socket and then attempts to connect to the server socket. When the connection is established, transfer of data takes place. The socket function is used to create a socket. This socket function defines the type of socket specified by the protocol argument of the function call. Explain this in simple words?

In simple terms, a socket is like a communication channel between two computer programs that are connected over a network. It allows them to send and receive data to each other.

When two programs want to talk to each other over the network, they create a socket to manage their communication. One program acts as a server and awaits connections, while the other program acts as a client and initiates the connection. Once they connect, they can start sending and receiving information.

The socket function is used to create this communication channel, and it specifies the type of communication that will take place. This helps the programs understand how they should talk to each other.

Generic Socket Address Structure

A socket address structure is always passed by reference when Passed as an argument to any socket functions.

Struct sockaddr { uint8_t sa_len; sa_family_t sa_family /* address family : AF_xxx Value*/ char sa_data[] /* protocol specific address*/ }

The generic socket address structure, defined as "struct sockaddr," is always passed by reference when used as an argument in any socket functions.

The structure includes the following elements:

  • sa_len: A field representing the length of the socket address.
  • sa_family: This field denotes the address family, which typically takes a value such as AF_INET or AF_INET6, indicating the type of address being used.
  • sa_data[]: This field contains the protocol-specific address information.

When interacting with socket functions, this structure allows for the representation and manipulation of different types of addresses in a flexible and standardized manner.

Byte Manipulation Functions: There are two groups of functions that operate on multi byte fields, without interpreting the data We need these types of functions when dealing with sockets address structures as we need to manipulate fields such as IP addresses which can contain byte of 0, The functions beginning with str ( for string), defined by including the < string.h> header, deal with null terminated C character strings. The first group of functions whose name begin with b (for byte) are from 4.3. BSD. The second group of functions whose name begin with mem ( for memory) are from ANSI C library

The byte manipulation functions are typically used when dealing with socket address structures and other multi-byte fields where data needs to be manipulated without interpretation.

There are two distinct groups of functions for this purpose:

  1. Functions beginning with "str" (for string) – these are defined by including the <string.h> header and are used for manipulating null-terminated C character strings.
  2. Functions beginning with "b" (for byte) – these originate from the 4.3 BSD and are focused on byte-level manipulation.
  3. The second group of functions begins with "mem" (for memory) and are part of the ANSI C library.

These functions are especially valuable when working with socket address structures, as they allow for manipulation of fields such as IP addresses, where individual bytes are important and may contain values of 0.

Address conversion functions: There are two groups of address conversion function that convert the Internet address between ASCII strings (readable form) to network byte ordered binary values and vice versa. #include <arpa/inet.h>

int inet_aton (const * strptr, strut in_addr * addptr);

The first of these, inet_aton( ) converts the C character strings pointed to by the strptr into its 32 bit binary network byte ordered value which is stored through the pointer addptr. If successful 1 is returns otherwise a 0. in_addr_t inet_addr (const char * strptr);

inet_addr( ) does the same conversion, returning the 32 bit binary network byte ordered value as the return value The function inet_ntoa ( ) function converts a 32 bit binary network byte ordered IPv4 address into its corresponding dotted decimal string. Char *inet_ntoa (struct in_addr inaddr); Returns pointer to dotted-decimal string inet_pton ( ) and inet_ntop( ) functions: These two functions are new with the IPv6 and work with both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

The letter p and n stands for presentation and numeric. Presentation format for an address is often ASCII string and the numeric format is the binary value that goes into a socket address structure.

# include <arpa/inet.h>

int inet_pton (int family, const char *strptr, void *addrptr); const char *inet_ntop (int family, cost void *addrptr, char *strptr, size_t len); Explain this in understandable words

The address conversion functions serve to convert Internet addresses between readable ASCII strings network byte-ordered binary values, as well as vice versa. These functions are usually used when working with networking in programsThe basic functions include:

  1. inet_aton(): function takes a C character string (pointed to by strptr) and converts it into 32-bit binary network byte-ordered value, storing the through the pointer addptr. If successful, it returns 1; otherwise, it returns 0.
  2. inet_addr() Similar to inet_aton()`, this function also converts the input C character string into a 32-bit binary network byte-ordered value, returning the result as the function's return value.

Additionally, there is the inet_ntoa() function, which converts a 32-bit binary network byte-ordered IPv4 into its corresponding dotted decimal string.

For IPv6, the functions inet_pton() and inet_ntop() are used. Thep" and "n" in their names refer to "presentation" andnumeric," respectively. "Presentation" format typically refers to the ASCII string representation of an address, while "numeric" format denotes the binary value suitable for use in a socket address structure.

These functions are essential for converting addresses between different formats, supporting both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. They are vital for handling network address conversions in a clear and efficient manner.

full form of ASCII

The full form of ASCII is "American Standard Code for Information Interchange."

is broadcast and anycast are same

Broadcast and anycast are not the same.

Broadcast:

  • In networking, broadcast refers to the process of sending data packets to all nodes on a network. The data is intended for all devices within the network, and it is delivered to all recipients.

Anycast:

  • Anycast, on the other hand, is a networking technique where a single destination address can represent multiple devices. When a packet is sent to an anycast address, it is routed to the nearest or most appropriate destination based on routing metrics such as network distance or priority.

In summary, while broadcast sends data to all devices on the network, anycast sends data to the closest or most suitable recipient from a group of devices sharing the same anycast address.

multicast and anycast are same?

Multicast and anycast are not the same.

Multicast: In networking, multicast involves sending data packets from one sender to multiple recipients. It is commonly used for streaming media, online conferencing, and other applications where data needs to be to multiple destinations simultaneously.

Anycast:

  • Anycast, on the other hand, is a technique where a single destination address can represent multiple devices. When packet is sent to an anycast address, it is routed to the closest most appropriate recipient based on routing metrics such as network distance or.

In conclusion, multicast involves sending data to multiple recipients, while anycast sends data to the closest or most suitable recipient from a group of devices sharing the same anycast address.

Explain all the system calls of socket, bind, listen, connect and accept with its prototypes and purpose briefly

Sure! Here's a brief explanation of the system calls for socket programming and their purposes along with their prototypes:

  1. socket:
    • Prototype: int socket(int domain, int type, int protocol); - **Purpose**: Creates an endpoint for communication and returns socket descriptor. The domainspecifies the protocol family,typedetermines the communication, andprotocol` sets the specific protocol to be used.

. bind:

  • Prototype: int bind(int sockfd, const struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t addrlen); -Purpose**: Associates a socket with a specific local address and port number. This step is necessary for the server to receive incoming client requests on a specific network interface and port.
  1. listen:

    • Prototype: int listen(int sockfd, int backlog);
    • Purpose: Marks the socket passive, creating a listening socket. The backlog parameter defines the maximum length to which the queue of pending connections may grow.
  2. connect:

  • Prototype: int connect(int sockfd, const struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t addrlen); -Purpose**: Initiates a connection to a remote socket. This typically used by client programs to establish a connection to a server.
  1. accept:
    • Prototype:int accept(int sockfd, struct sockaddr *addr, socklen *addrlen);`
    • Purpose: Blocks the execution of the program until a client connects to the server. When a connection is established, it returns a new file descriptor for the communication with the client.

These system calls are fundamental for creating and managing network communication and are essential for building applications.

System calls used with sockets: Socket calls are those functions that provide access to the underlying functionality and utility routines that help the programmer. A socket can be used by client or by a server, for a stream transfer (TCP) or datagram (UDP) communication with a specific endpoints address. Following figure shows a time line of the typical scenario that takes place between client and server.

It seems like you are requesting an explanation involving the typical scenario clients and servers in a network communication system. If you have specific questions or need further details, feel free to ask!

tls architecture

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide communications security over a computer network. The protocol is widely used in applications such as email, instant messaging, and voice over IP, but its use in securing HTTPS remains the most publicly visible.

The TLS protocol aims primarily to provide security, including privacy (confidentiality), integrity, and authenticity through the use of cryptography, such as the use of certificates, between two or more communicating computer applications. It runs in the presentation layer and is itself composed of two layers: the TLS record and the TLS handshake protocols.

The closely related Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) is a communications protocol that provides security to datagram-based applications.

In summary, TLS ensures secure communication by providing privacy, integrity, and authenticity through the use of cryptography, making it a crucial protocol for secure data transmission over computer networks.

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide communications security over a computer network. The protocol is widely used in applications such as email, instant messaging, and voice over IP, but its use in securing HTTPS remains the most publicly visible. The TLS protocol aims primarily to provide security, including privacy (confidentiality), integrity, and authenticity through the use of cryptography, such as the use of certificates, between two or more communicating computer applications. It runs in the presentation layer and is itself composed of two layers: the TLS record and the TLS handshake protocols. The closely related Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) is a communications protocol that provides security to datagram-based applications. In technical writing, references to "(D)TLS" are often seen when it applies to both versions.[1] TLS is a proposed Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard, first defined in 1999, and the current version is TLS 1.3, defined in August 2018. TLS builds on the now-deprecated SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) specifications (1994, 1995, 1996) developed by Netscape Communications for adding the HTTPS protocol to their Navigator web browser. Description[edit] Client-server applications use the TLS protocol to communicate across a network in a way designed to prevent eavesdropping and tampering. Since applications can communicate either with or without TLS (or SSL), it is necessary for the client to request that the server set up a TLS connection.[2] One of the main ways of achieving this is to use a different port number for TLS connections. Port 80 is typically used for unencrypted HTTP traffic while port 443 is the common port used for encrypted HTTPS traffic. Another mechanism is to make a protocol-specific STARTTLS request to the server to switch the connection to TLS for example, when using the mail and news protocols. Once the client and server have agreed to use TLS, they negotiate a stateful connection by using a handshaking procedure (see TLS handshake).[3] The protocols use a handshake with an asymmetric cipher to establish not only cipher settings but also a session-specific shared key with which further communication is encrypted using a symmetric cipher. During this handshake, the client and server agree on various parameters used to establish the connection's security: The handshake begins when a client connects to a TLS-enabled server requesting a secure connection and the client presents a list of supported cipher suites (ciphers and hash functions). From this list, the server picks a cipher and hash function that it also supports and notifies the client of the decision. The server usually then provides identification in the form of a digital certificate. The certificate contains the server name, the trusted certificate authority (CA) that vouches for the authenticity of the certificate, and the server's public encryption key. The client confirms the validity of the certificate before proceeding. To generate the session keys used for the secure connection, the client either: encrypts a random number (PreMasterSecret) with the server's public key and sends the result to the server (which only the server should be able to decrypt with its private key); both parties then use the random number to generate a unique session key for subsequent encryption and decryption of data during the session, or uses DiffieHellman key exchange (or its variant elliptic-curve DH) to securely generate a random and unique session key for encryption and decryption that has the additional property of forward secrecy: if the server's private key is disclosed in future, it cannot be used to decrypt the current session, even if the session is intercepted and recorded by a third party. This concludes the handshake and begins the secured connection, which is encrypted and decrypted with the session key until the connection closes. If any one of the above steps fail

en.wikipedia.org

Introduction The SSL protocol was originally developed at Netscape to enable ecommerce transaction security on the Web, which required encryption to protect customers personal data, as well as authentication and integrity guarantees to ensure a safe transaction. To achieve this, the SSL protocol was implemented at the application layer, directly on top of TCP (Figure4-1), enabling protocols above it (HTTP, email, instant messaging, and many others) to operate unchanged while providing communication security when communicating across the network. When SSL is used correctly, a third-party observer can only infer the connection endpoints, type of encryption, as well as the frequency and an approximate amount of data sent, but cannot read or modify any of the actual data. Figure 4-1. Transport Layer Security (TLS) When the SSL protocol was standardized by the IETF, it was renamed to Transport Layer Security (TLS). Many use the TLS and SSL names interchangeably, but technically, they are different, since each describes a different version of the protocol. SSL 2.0 was the first publicly released version of the protocol, but it was quickly replaced by SSL 3.0 due to a number of discovered security flaws. Because the SSL protocol was proprietary to Netscape, the IETF formed an effort to standardize the protocol, resulting in RFC 2246, which was published in January 1999 and became known as TLS 1.0. Since then, the IETF has continued iterating on the protocol to address security flaws, as well as to extend its capabilities: TLS 1.1 (RFC 4346) was published in April 2006, TLS 1.2 (RFC 5246) in August 2008, and work is now underway to define TLS 1.3. That said, dont let the abundance of versions numbers mislead you: your servers should always prefer and negotiate the latest stable version of the TLS protocol to ensure the best security, capability, and performance guarantees. In fact, some performance-critical features, such as HTTP/2, explicitly require the use of TLS 1.2 or higher and will abort the connection otherwise. Good security and performance go hand in hand. TLS was designed to operate on top of a reliable transport protocol such as TCP. However, it has also been adapted to run over datagram protocols such as UDP. The Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol, defined in RFC 6347, is based on the TLS protocol and is able to provide similar security guarantees while preserving the datagram delivery model. Encryption, Authentication, and Integrity The TLS protocol is designed to provide three essential services to all applications running above it: encryption, authentication, and data integrity. Technically, you are not required to use all three in every situation. You may decide to accept a certificate without validating its authenticity, but you should be well aware of the security risks and implications of doing so. In practice, a secure web application will leverage all three services. Encryption A mechanism to obfuscate what is sent from one host to another. Authentication A mechanism to verify the validity of provided identification material. Integrity A mechanism to detect message tampering and forgery. In order to establish a cryptographically secure data channel, the connection peers must agree on which ciphersuites will be used and the keys used to encrypt the data. The TLS protocol specifies a well-defined handshake sequence to perform this exchange, which we will examine in detail in TLS Handshake. The ingenious part of this handshake, and the reason TLS works in practice, is due to its use of public key cryptography (also known as asymmetric key cryptography), which allows the peers to negotiate a shared secret key without having to establish any prior knowledge of each other, and to do so over an unencrypted channel. As part of the TLS handshake, the protocol also allows both peers to authenticate their identity. When used in the browser, this authentication mechanism allows the client to verify that the s

hpbn.co

Network security entails securing data against attacks while it is in transit on a network. To achieve this goal, many real-time security protocols have been designed. There are popular standards for real-time network security protocols such as S/MIME, SSL/TLS, SSH, and IPsec. As mentioned earlier, these protocols work at different layers of networking model. In the last chapter, we discussed some popular protocols that are designed to provide application layer security. In this chapter, we will discuss the process of achieving network security at Transport Layer and associated security protocols. For TCP/IP protocol based network, physical and data link layers are typically implemented in the user terminal and network card hardware. TCP and IP layers are implemented in the operating system. Anything above TCP/IP is implemented as user process. Need for Transport Layer Security Let's discuss a typical Internet-based business transaction. Bob visits Alices website for selling goods. In a form on the website, Bob enters the type of good and quantity desired, his address and payment card details. Bob clicks on Submit and waits for delivery of goods with debit of price amount from his account. All this sounds good, but in absence of network security, Bob could be in for a few surprises. If transactions did not use confidentiality (encryption), an attacker could obtain his payment card information. The attacker can then make purchases at Bob's expense. If no data integrity measure is used, an attacker could modify Bob's order in terms of type or quantity of goods. Lastly, if no server authentication is used, a server could display Alice's famous logo but the site could be a malicious site maintained by an attacker, who is masquerading as Alice. After receiving Bob's order, he could take Bob's money and flee. Or he could carry out an identity theft by collecting Bob's name and credit card details. Transport layer security schemes can address these problems by enhancing TCP/IP based network communication with confidentiality, data integrity, server authentication, and client authentication. The security at this layer is mostly used to secure HTTP based web transactions on a network. However, it can be employed by any application running over TCP. Philosophy of TLS Design Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols operate above the TCP layer. Design of these protocols use popular Application Program Interfaces (API) to TCP, called sockets" for interfacing with TCP layer. Applications are now interfaced to Transport Security Layer instead of TCP directly. Transport Security Layer provides a simple API with sockets, which is similar and analogous to TCP's API. In the above diagram, although TLS technically resides between application and transport layer, from the common perspective it is a transport protocol that acts as TCP layer enhanced with security services. TLS is designed to operate over TCP, the reliable layer 4 protocol (not on UDP protocol), to make design of TLS much simpler, because it doesn't have to worry about timing out and retransmitting lost data. The TCP layer continues doing that as usual which serves the need of TLS. Why TLS is Popular? The reason for popularity of using a security at Transport Layer is simplicity. Design and deployment of security at this layer does not require any change in TCP/IP protocols that are implemented in an operating system. Only user processes and applications needs to be designed/modified which is less complex. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) In this section, we discuss the family of protocols designed for TLS. The family includes SSL versions 2 and 3 and TLS protocol. SSLv2 has been now replaced by SSLv3, so we will focus on SSL v3 and TLS. Brief History of SSL In year 1995, Netscape developed SSLv2 and used in Netscape Navigator 1.1. The SSL version1 was never published and used. Later, Microsoft improved upon SSLv2 and introduced another similar protocol named Private Communications Techno

tutorialspoint.com

Two important TLS concepts are the TLS session and the TLS connection, which are defined in the specification as follows: Connection: A connection is a transport (in the OSI layering model definition) That provides a suitable type of service. For TLS, such connections are peer-to peer relationships. The connections are transient. Every connection is associated with one session. Session: A TLS session is an association between a client and a server. Sessions are created by the Handshake Protocol. Sessions define a set of cryptographic security parameters, which can be shared among multiple connections. Sessions are used to avoid the expensive negotiation of new security parameters for each connection.

Certainly! In the context of TLS, two essential concepts are the TLS session and the TLS connection:

  1. Connection:

    • A connection in the context of TLS represents a transport, as per the OSI layering model. It provides the necessary type of service. For TLS, these connections involve peer-to-peer relationships and are transient. Each connection is associated with one session.
  2. Session:

    • A TLS session represents an association between a client and a server. These sessions are created by the Handshake Protocol and define a set of cryptographic security parameters. These parameters can be shared among multiple connections, enabling the avoidance of expensive negotiations of new security parameters for each connection.

In summary, the TLS connection provides the transport and service type, while the TLS session is the association between a client and a server, defining and sharing cryptographic security parameters. These concepts are vital for secure and efficient communication between peers.

SET Business Requirements Provide confidentiality of payment and ordering information Ensure the integrity of all transmitted data Provide authentication that a cardholder is a legitimate user of a credit card account Provide authentication that a merchant can accept credit card transactions through its relationship with a financial institution Ensure the use of the best security practices and system design techniques to protect all legitimate parties in an electronic commerce transaction Create a protocol that neither depends on transport security mechanisms nor prevents their use Facilitate and encourage interoperability among software and network providers

Based on the provided business requirements, the Secure Electronic Transaction (SET protocol should be designed to fulfill the following objectives:

  1. Confidentiality:

    • Ensure that payment ordering information is kept confidential during transmission, protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access or disclosure.
  2. Integrity:

    • the integrity of all transmitted data by detecting and preventing unauthorized modifications or alterations, ensuring that the information remains consistent and accurate throughout the process.
  3. Cardholder Authentication:

    • Provide robust authentication mechanisms to verify that a cardholder is a user of a credit card account, preventing unauthorized access and fraudulent activities.
  4. Merchant Authentication:

    • Enable authentication of merchants to verify their capability to accept credit card transactions through their legitimate relationship with a financial institution, ensuring trustworthiness and reliability in transaction process.
  5. Security Best Practices:

    • Incorporate the best security practices and system design techniques to protect all legitimate parties involved an electronic commerce transaction, mitigating security risks and vulnerabilities.
  6. Independent of Transport Security:

    • Create a protocol that is independent of transport security mechanisms but does not preclude their use, allowing flexibility in the adoption of diverse security technologies and mechanisms.
  7. Interoperability:

    • Facilit and encourage interoperability among software and network providers, promoting seamless and compatibility among different systems and networks.

Overall, the SET protocol should be designed to uphold these business requirements, ensuring secure and reliable electronic commerce transactions while promoting interoperability and the use of best security practices.

The merchant confirms order to the customer The merchant provides the goods or service to the customer The merchant requests payment from the payment gateway.

It seems like you've listed a sequence of actions in an e-commerce transaction. Each step plays a crucial role in the overall process:

  1. Merchant Confirms Order to the Customer:

    • After receiving an order from the customer, the merchant acknowledges and confirms the details of the order. This provides transparency and assurance to the customer regarding the order placement.
  2. Merchant Provides Goods or Service to the Customer:

    • The merchant fulfills the order by providing the goods or services requested by the customer, ensuring timely and accurate delivery.
  3. Merchant Requests Payment from the Payment Gateway:

    • Once the goods or services are provided, the merchant initiates the process of requesting payment from the payment gateway, setting in motion the transfer of funds from the customer to the merchant.

Each of these steps is essential in ensuring a smooth and secure transaction process, culminating in the successful exchange of goods or services for payment.

SET Transactions The customer opens an account with a card issuer. MasterCard, Visa, etc. The customer receives a X.509 V3 certificate signed by a bank. X.509 V3 A merchant who accepts a certain brand of card must possess two X.509 V3 certificates One for signing & one for key exchange The customer places an order for a product or service with a merchant The merchant sends a copy of its certificate for verification. The customer sends order and payment information to the merchant The merchant requests payment authorization from the payment gateway The merchant confirms order to the customer The merchant provides the goods or service to the custome

It seems you've provided a sequence of steps involved in a Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) process. To summarize:

  1. Customer Account:
    • The customer opens an account with a card issuer (e.g., Master, Visa, etc.) to enable electronic transactions.

2.Customer's Certificate**:

  • The customer receives an X.509 V3 certificate signed by a bank which can be used for authentication and securing communications.
  1. Merchant's Certificates:

    • A merchant accepting a certain brand of card must two X.509 V3 certificates – one for signing and for key exchange, ensuring secure communication and transaction integrity.
  2. Order Placement:

    • The customer places an order for a product or service with the, initiating the transaction process.
  3. Merchant's Certificate Verification:

    • The merchant sends a copy of its certificate to the customer for verification, establishing trust and ensuring the authenticity of the merchant.
  4. Order and Payment Information Exchange:

    • The customer sends the order and payment information to the merchant, preparing for the transaction process.

. Payment Authorization:

  • The merchant requests payment authorization from the payment gateway, ensuring that the transaction can be completed8. Order Confirmation:
  • The merchant confirms the to the customer, providing assurance that the transaction has been acknowledged and will be fulfilled.
  1. Goods/Service Delivery:
    • The merchant provides the goods or service to the customer, completing the transaction process.

steps outline a comprehensive process for secure electronic transactions, involving authentication, certificate exchange, order placement, payment authorization, and order fulfillment.

Explain (i) gethostbyname () and gethostbyaddr ()
(ii) getservbyname() and getservbyport with
prototypes

Certainly! Here's an explanation of the functions you mentioned along with their prototypes:

(i) gethostbyname() and gethostbyaddr():

  • gethostbyname():

    • Purpose: This function is used to retrieve information about a host based on its host name. It takes the host name a parameter and returns a pointer to a structure containing host information.
    • Prototype: struct hostent *getbyname(const char *name);
  • gethostbyaddr():

    • Purpose: This function is used to retrieve information about a host based on its IP address. It takes the IP address as a parameter and returns a pointer to a structure containing host information.
    • Prototype: struct hostent *gethostbyaddr(const void *addr, socklen_t len, int type);

(ii) getservbyname() and getservbyport():

  • getsbyname():

    • Purpose: This function is used to retrieve information about a service based on its name and protocol. It takes the service name and protocol as parameters and returns a pointer to a structure containing service information.
    • Prototype: struct servent *getsbyname(const char *name, const char *proto);
  • getservbyport():

    • Purpose: This function is used to retrieve information about a service based on its port number and protocol. It takes the port number and protocol as parameters and returns a pointer to a structure containing service information.
    • Prototype: struct servent *getservbyport(int, const char *proto);

These functions are commonly used in networking and socket programming retrieve information about hosts and services.

UDP Echo Server : dg_echo function: void dg_echo(int sockfd, SA *pcliaddr, socklen_t clilen) { int n; socklen_t len; char mesg[MAXLINE]; for ( ; ; ) { len= clilen; n = recvfrom (sockfd, mesg, MAXLINE, 0, &cliaddr, &len); sendto (sockfd, mesg, n, 0, &cliaddr,len); }}

The provided code snippet represents a UDP echo server's dg_echo function. This function listens for incoming messages, then echoes them back to the sender.

Here's a breakdown of the code:

  • The function dg_echo takes in the socket file descriptor sockfd, a pointer to the client's address pcliaddr, and the length of the client's address clilen.
  • Inside an infinite loop, it performs the following actions:
    • It initializes a variable len to store the length of the client's address.
    • It receives a message from the client using the recvfrom function, storing the message in the mesg buffer. The recvfrom function retrieves messages from the socket and also captures the client's address.
    • It then sends the received message back to the client using the sendto function. This function uses the stored client's address and the received message length to send the message back to the client.

Overall, this function acts as an echo server by receiving messages from clients and immediately sending them back to the clients.

UDP Echo Client : #include <unp.h> int main(int argc, char *argv)  { int sockfd; struct sockaddr_in servaddr; if (argc != 2) err_quit("usage: udpcli "); bzero(&servaddr, sizeof(servaddr)); servaddr.sin_family = AF_INET; servaddr.sin_port = htons(SERV_PORT); inet_pton(AF_INET, argv[1], &servaddr.sin_addr); sockfd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0); dg_cli(stdin, sockfd, (SA) &servaddr, sizeof(servaddr)); exit(0); }

The provided code snippet represents a UDP echo client in C. Let's break down the code:

  1. Includes and main function:

    • The code includes necessary header files and defines the main function.
  2. Command Line Argument Check:

    • It checks if the number of command-line arguments is not equal to 2, and if not, it calls the err_quit function to indicate the correct usage of the program.
  3. Setting up Server Address:

    • It a sockaddr_in structure servaddr and sets its attributes. The server IP address is received as a command-line argument and converted to a binary format using inet_pton. The server's port number is set using htons.
  4. Creating a Socket:

    • It creates a UDP socket using the socket function, specifying the address family and socket type.
  5. Invoking dg_cli Function:

    • It then calls dg_cli function, passing the standard input file descriptor stdin, the socket file descriptor sockfd, the server address servaddr, and the size the server address.
  6. Exiting the Program:

    • the dg_cli function completes, the program exits with a status of 0.

It's important to note that dg_cli function is called from the main function but isn't provided within the provided code snippet. This function is likely responsible for interacting with the server to send and receive data.

It's worth mentioning that the bzero function is used to out the servaddr structure, which sets all of its bytes to 0. This is a function and in modern C, using memset is preferred.

Lastly the err_quit function is likely a custom error handling, used to print an error message and terminate the program.