The document discusses the 7-layer OSI model, which characterizes and standardizes communication functions across different systems to enable interoperability. It describes each of the 7 layers - physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application layer - and their respective roles and functions in managing the flow of data from one application to another. Each layer provides services to the layer above and receives services from the layer below, with layers 1-4 relating to communications technologies and layers 5-7 relating to user applications.