《电子信息工程专业英语导论》PART 4 unit16.pptVIP

UNIT 16 Introduction to Computer Networks New words and Technical Terms peripheral congestion topology dismally mainframe bus dart muscle Ethernet terminal circularly bidirectional token Text During the 1950s, most computers were similar in one respect. They had a main memory, a central processing unit (CPU), and peripherals. The memory and CPU were central to the system. Since then a new generation of computing has emerged in which computation and data storage need not be centralized. A user may retrieve a program from one place, run it on any of a variety of processors, and send the result to a third location. A system connecting different devices such as PCs, printers, and disk drives is a network. Typically, each device in a network serves a specific purpose for one or more individuals. For example, a PC may sit on your desk providing access to information or software you need. A PC may also be devoted to managing a disk drive containing shared files. We call it a file server. Often a network covers a small geographic area and connects devices in a single building or group of buildings. Such a network is a local area network (LAN). A network that covers a larger area such as a municipality, state, country, or the world is called a wide area network (WAN). Generally speaking, most networks may involve many people using many PCs, each of which can access any of many printers or servers. With all these people accessing information, their requests inevitably will conflict[1]. Consequently, the devices must be connected in a way that permits an orderly transfer of information for all concerned. A good analogy is a street layout in a large city. With only one person driving it matters little where the streets are, which ones are one-way, where the traffic signals are, or how they are synchronized. But with thou