Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

Which component is crucial for ensuring data integrity in a packet-switched network?

1. IP address management

2. Packet labeling

3. Redundant routing

4. Bandwidth allocation

The correct answer is: Packet labeling

The selection of packet labeling as the crucial component for ensuring data integrity in a packet-switched network highlights its critical role in identifying and distinguishing data packets as they traverse the network. Packet labels, or headers, include essential information such as source and destination addresses, sequence numbers, and checksums. This information allows the receiving device to accurately reconstruct the original message from the packets, ensuring that all parts are accounted for and in the correct order. Moreover, the use of checksums within packet labeling helps detect errors in transmission. If a packet arrives with a checksum that does not match the expected value, the receiving system can identify the packet as corrupted and request a retransmission. This error-checking mechanism is vital for maintaining data integrity, as it ensures that the information transmitted across the network is accurate and complete. In contrast, other components such as IP address management, redundant routing, and bandwidth allocation all serve important functions in network operations but do not directly address data integrity in the way that packet labeling does. IP address management is essential for the routing and addressing of packets, while redundant routing enhances reliability but does not inherently ensure the correctness of data. Similarly, bandwidth allocation is important for managing the flow of data but does not influence whether that data remains unchanged and intact