Brief introduction of computer network:
Computer network refers to a computer system that connects multiple computers with independent functions and their external devices located in different geographical locations through communication lines and communication equipment under the management and coordination of network operating system, network management software and network communication protocol to realize resource sharing and information transmission.
Computer network is mainly composed of some general and programmable hardware interconnected. These programmable hardware can be used to transmit many different types of data, and can support a wide range of and growing applications.
Define classification:
Computer network is also called computer communication network. The simplest definition of computer network is: a collection of interconnected and autonomous computers for the purpose of enjoying resources. According to this definition, the early terminal-oriented network was not a computer network, but an online system (because many terminals were not autonomous computers at that time).
However, with the decline of hardware price, many terminals have some intelligence, so the strict boundary between "terminal" and "autonomous computer" is gradually lost. If a microcomputer is used as a terminal, the early terminal-oriented network can also be called a computer network according to the above definition.
Birth stage:
Before the mid-1960s, the first generation computer network was a remote online system centered on a single computer. The typical application program is an airplane reservation system consisting of a computer and more than 2,000 terminals in the United States. Terminal is the peripheral equipment of computer, including display and keyboard, without CPU and memory.
With the increase of remote terminals, FEP is added in front of the host. At that time, people defined the computer network as "a system connected for the purpose of transmitting information, realizing remote information processing or further enjoying resources", and such a communication system already had the embryonic form of the network.