What is the purpose of the OSI model?

The OSI model, or Open Systems Interconnection model, serves as a conceptual framework that standardizes the functions of a telecommunication or computing system into seven distinct layers. The primary purpose of the OSI model is to facilitate communication between various systems and applications over a network. Each layer of the OSI model handles specific aspects of the communication process, enabling interoperability among diverse networking protocols and applications.

By providing this layered architecture, the OSI model allows different networked systems to communicate effectively, regardless of their underlying hardware and software architectures. This structure not only aids developers in creating applications and ensuring they can interact seamlessly over a network but also helps in troubleshooting network issues by isolating the problem to a particular layer of the model.

Thus, the focus on providing a framework for application communication captures the essence of what the OSI model aims to achieve in the networking landscape, highlighting its importance in ensuring that data can flow smoothly from one application to another across various network environments.