Top-Down Network Design

Chapter Three
Characterizing the Existing Internetwork

Oppenheimer
Objectives

To judge how to meet expectations for network scalability,

1 performance, and availability

To learn about the topology and physical structure, and

2 assessing the network’s performance

To describe techniques and tools in characterizing an

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incumbent network

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The Existing Network
We now know where we want to go based on the
analysis that was just done
We next need to determine where we are starting
from
If this is an entirely new network, this step does
not need to be done

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Information to Collect
Characterize the existing internetwork in terms
of:
◦ Its infrastructure
Logical structure (modularity, hierarchy, topology)
Physical structure
◦ Addressing and naming
◦ Wiring and media
◦ Architectural and environmental constraints
◦ Health

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 Get a Network Map
Medford Roseburg
Fast Ethernet Fast Ethernet
50 users 30 users
Frame Relay Frame Relay
CIR = 56 Kbps CIR = 56 Kbps
DLCI = 5 DLCI = 4

Gigabit Grants Pass

HQ
Grants Pass Ethernet 16 Mbps
HQ Token Ring
Fast Ethernet
75 users
FEP
(Front End
Processor)
IBM
T1 Mainframe

Web/FTP server
Eugene
Ethernet T1 Internet
20 users

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Get a Network Map: Purpose
Learn the location of major hosts,
interconnection devices, and network segments
for better understanding of traffic flow.
Remember! Your aim at this step is to obtain a
map (or set of maps) of the already-implemented
network.
You are one step ahead if the customers are
already have maps for the new network design
designer have to check the detailed analysis of
business and technical requirements

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Get a Network Map: Information to collect
A network map is the first thing to work on
This map should include
◦ Geographic locations
◦ WAN connections between sites
Labeled with type/speed/protocols/media/service
provider
◦ Buildings and floors where equipment will be
◦ Connections between buildings and floors
Labeled with type/speed/protocols/media

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Get a Network Map: Information to collect
◦ Location of connection points like routers and
switches
◦ Internet connections
◦ Remote access points
A baseline will be needed as this will tell you
where the network is today

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Characterize Addressing and Naming
IP addressing for major devices, client networks,
server networks, and so on
Any addressing oddities, such as discontiguous
subnets?
Any strategies for addressing and naming?
◦ For example, sites may be named using airport codes
San Francisco = SFO, Oakland = OAK

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Characterize the Wiring and Media
Single-mode fiber
Multi-mode fiber
Shielded twisted pair (STP) copper
Unshielded-twisted-pair (UTP) copper
Coaxial cable
Microwave
Laser
Radio
Infra-red

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Campus Network Wiring
Horizontal Work-Area
Wiring Wiring

Wallplate
Telecommunications
Wiring Closet

Vertical
Wiring
(Building
Backbone)

Main Cross-Connect Room Intermediate Cross-Connect Room

(or Main Distribution Frame) (or Intermediate Distribution Frame)

Campus
Building A - Headquarters Backbone
Building B

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Architectural Constraints
Make sure the following are sufficient
◦ Air conditioning
◦ Heating
◦ Ventilation
◦ Power
◦ Protection from electromagnetic interference
◦ Doors that can lock

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Architectural Constraints
Make sure there’s space for:
◦ Cabling conduits
◦ Patch panels
◦ Equipment racks
◦ Work areas for technicians installing and
troubleshooting equipment

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Issues for Wireless Installations
Reflection-Reflection causes the signal to bounce back
on itself.
Absorption-Some of the electromagnetic energy of the
signal can be absorbed by the material in objects through
which it passes, resulting in a reduced signal level.
Refraction-When an RF signal passes from a medium
with one density into a medium with another density, the
signal can be bent, much like light passing through a
prism.
Diffraction-similar to refraction, results when a region
through which the RF signal can pass easily is adjacent to
a region in which reflective obstructions exist.

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Check the Health of the Existing Internetwork

Performance
Availability
Bandwidth utilization
Accuracy
Efficiency
Response time
Status of major routers, switches, and firewalls

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Network Utilization in Minute Intervals
Network Utilization

16:40:00
16:43:00
16:46:00
16:49:00
16:52:00
Time

16:55:00
16:58:00
17:01:00
17:04:00
17:07:00
17:10:00
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Utilization

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Network Utilization in Hour Intervals
Network Utilization

13:00:00

14:00:00
Time

15:00:00

16:00:00

17:00:00

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

Utilization

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Characterize Packet Sizes

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Characterize Response Time

Node A Node B Node C Node D

X
Node A
Node B
X
Node C
Node D X

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Check the Status of Major Routers, Switches,
and Firewalls

show buffers
show environment
show interfaces
show memory
show processes
show running-config
show version

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Tools
Protocol analyzers
Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG)
Remote monitoring (RMON) probes
Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
Cisco IOS NetFlow technology
CiscoWorks
Cisco IOS Service Assurance Agent (SAA)
Cisco Internetwork Performance Monitor (IPM)

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Sample of tables to be used
Table3-1 Building Wiring

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Summary
Characterize the exiting internetwork before
designing enhancements
Helps you verify that a customer’s design goals are
realistic
Helps you locate where new equipment will go
Helps you cover yourself if the new network has
problems due to unresolved problems in the old
network

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Review Questions
What factors will help you decide if the existing
internetwork is in good enough shape to support new
enhancements?
When considering protocol behavior, what is the
difference between relative network utilization and
absolute network utilization?
Why should you characterize the logical structure of an
internetwork and not just the physical structure?
What architectural and environmental factors should
you consider for a new wireless installation?

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