Which layer of the OSI model deals with session management and handling?

The layer of the OSI model responsible for session management and handling is the Session Layer. This layer establishes, manages, and terminates connections between applications. It plays a crucial role in coordinating the communication sessions, ensuring that data can be properly exchanged between devices in a controlled manner.

The Session Layer provides the functionality to maintain sessions over the network, allowing for the initiation of a connection and managing the parameters of how data is sent. This includes tracking the status of the session, maintaining dialogue control, and synchronizing data exchanges by adding checkpoints.

In contrast, the Application Layer is focused on providing network services directly to end-user applications, while the Presentation Layer deals with data translation and formatting, ensuring that data is presented in a readable format for the application layer. The Transport Layer, on the other hand, is responsible for end-to-end communication, reliability, and data flow control but does not manage sessions directly. Therefore, the Session Layer distinctly fulfills the role of managing communication sessions within the OSI model.