Communication protocols – for short protocols – form the basis for the opera-
tion of computer networks and telecommunication systems. They are behavior
conventions which describe how communication systems interact with each other
in computer networks. Protocols define the temporal order of the interactions and
the formats of the data units exchanged. Communication protocols comprise a
wide range of different functions and mechanisms, such as the sending and receiv-
ing of data units, their coding/decoding, error control mechanisms, timer control,
flow control, and many others.
