Planning and Designing a Network
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Planning and Designing a Network
Network planning and designing is a process that involves topological designs, synthesis of networks and the realization of networks. It has an aim which is to ensure that new telecommunication networks and services meet the needs of operators and subscribers. Design and planning are essential factors that should be put into consideration. Planning involves problem solving through generation of plans while designing a network involves problem setting that focuses on learning about the nature of the problem and solving it. Network designers and computer network architects are the people with expertise who design and assess network requirements.
There are various basics that are involved in planning and designing of networks. They include;
1. Overview of the network layout summary.
2. Benefits from the layout design.
3. Methodology used in the layout design.
Overview of the network layout design
Computers and networks provide valuable information that is needed in organizations. They connect people, support various applications and programs and provide access to the resources that are required in various organizations. Networks have become complex in meeting the day to day requirements.
Requirements for various networks
Currently, the internet has established itself to be a strong economy that requires customer service now and then. Individuals are supposed to be smart enough so as to protect themselves against security incidences. The networks must be able to adjust themselves so as to maintain a consistent response to the various applications. Careful planning and design is required in construction of a network that connects to many people.
Steps in building a good network
The hard work of network engineers and engineers is the consequence of good networks. It identifies the network needs and the finest alternatives for people who want to use the network. The steps involved include;
i. Identifying the goals and technical requirements of the network and their verification.
ii. Features and functions of the network describe in step (i) are determined.
iii. An assessment of the network-readiness is done before it is considered ready to use.
iv. A test plan and solution and site acceptance is created.
v. A plan for the project is created.
Once the network needs have been identified and put into consideration, the steps in conceiving strong network are adhered to as the implementation of the project is being done. Users of various networks are required to reason in terms of the nature and complexity of the underlying network. They are to think of the network as a way to access the application they need and the appropriate time when they need it determined.
Network requirements
The following requirements are needed for the network;
i) Even when there are unsuccessful connections and overloading circumstances, the network should remain constantly up.
ii) The network should reliably provide apps from one recipient to another and provide an appropriate answer moment.
iii) The network should secure data that is being transmitted over it and it should store data from the devices that connect to it.
iv) The network should be highly flexible so that it can be easy to modify and adapt to the network growth and general changes.
v) Troubleshooting should be easy when there are network failures. Fixation of problems found should not be time-consuming.
Goals of designing a network
The goals in designing a network are;
i) Scalability of the network. Scalable networks grow easily and can support new applications without interfering with services rendered to the existing users.
ii) The network should be available to deliver consistent and reliable performance throughout without stoppage.
iii) Security in the design of the network should be ensured and the location of the security devices should be planned well. Firewall features should also be used in the network.
iv) The network should be easy to manage by the network staff since a complex network cannot function effectively and efficiently.
Hierarchical design of networks
Hierarchical structure is crucial to group systems into various networks in the construction of networks. The networks are structured in strata and the layout phases and they include;
i) The key layer that links layer equipment and distributes them.
ii) The supply layer that deals with lower local network interconnections.
iii) The communication level that deals with different network servers and end systems.
Hierarchical networks have an advantage over flat network designs and this advantage is; hierarchical networks are easy to manage as they are divided into smaller blocks.
Methodologies in network design
Network projects that are considered to be large are divided into steps.
i) Identification of the requirements of the network.
The network designer works closely with the customer so as to achieve the goals of the project. Goals focus on how the network can benefit its users while technical requirements focus on the implementation of technology within the network.
ii) The existing network should be characterized.
This involves collection and analyzing of information of current network. The functionality of the existing network should be compared with the existing goals of the new project. The designer determines whether existing equipment, infrastructure and protocols can be reused. The designer also identifies what the new equipment and protocols need so that the design of the network can be successful.
iii) Network topology and solutions should be designed.
The top down approach is the best strategy that is involved in network designs. This approach ensures that the new design functions as expected before it is being implemented.
Network requirements that impact the entire network are;
i) Integration of new security measures.
ii) Relocation of services to data centers and server farms.
iii) Addition of new network services such as voice networks.
iv) Addition of new network applications and making major changes to existing applications.
v) Enhance network protocol effectiveness by resolving modifications in the network procedures.
Routers and Switches at the core layer provide high-speed connectivity. In enterprises, LAN is a core layer that provides connection to multiple users in different locations. The core layer has different links that are linked to devices so as to support internet.
References
Pavon-Marino, P., & Izquierdo-Zaragoza, J. L. (2015). Net2plan: an open source network planning tool for bridging the gap between academia and industry. IEEE Network, 29(5), 90-96.
Baker, B., Gupta, O., Naik, N., & Raskar, R. (2016). Designing neural network architectures using reinforcement learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:1611.02167.
