ABSTRACT

The Web started with a 1960s U.S. Department of Defense project, ARPANET, to provide a reliable, secure and robust communications network that could still operate even if a part failed. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the network grew as universities not involved in the original project linked onto the network. To overcome system disparities, the network adopted communication protocols. A

protocol

specifies how systems or computers will treat information resources. By adhering to the protocol, diverse computer systems can communicate. These protocols have evolved over time and are now widely used. Several widely used protocols are summarized in Figure 2.1. Other protocols provide for services such as email transmission and group access.