Physical infrastructure of the network

The physical infrastructure of the network refers to

the physical design of the network together with the
hardware components.
The physical design of the network is also called the
network’s topology.
When you plan the physical infrastructure of the
network, you are usually limited in your hardware
component selection by the logical infrastructure of the
network.
Logical infrastructure of the network
 The logical infrastructure of the network is made up of all the software

components required to enable connectivity between devices, and to

provide network security.
 The network’s logical infrastructure consists of the following:

 Software products

 Networking protocols/services.

 It is therefore the network’s logical infrastructure that makes it

possible for computers to communicate using the routes defined in

the physical network topology.
The logical components of the network topology

define a number of important elements:

Speed of the network.

Type of switching that occurs.

Media which will be utilized.

Type of connections which can be formed.

 Planning Network Infrastructure
 Planning network infrastructure is a complex task that needs to be
performed so that the network infrastructure needed by the
organization can be designed and created.
 Proper planning is crucial to ensure a highly available network and high
performance network that result in reduced costs and enhances
business procedures for the organization.
 To properly plan your network infrastructure, you have to be
knowledgeable on a number of factors, including the following:
 Requirements of the organization.
 Requirements of users.
 Existing networking technologies.
 Necessary hardware and software components.
 Networking services which should be installed on the user’s
computers so that they can perform their necessary tasks.
A typical network infrastructure planning strategy should include

the following:
 Determine the requirements of the organization and its users,

and then document these requirements.

 Define a performance baseline for all existing hardware devices.

 Define a baseline for network utilization as well.

 Identify the capacity for the physical network installation. This

should encompass the following:

 Server hardware, client hardware.

 Allocation of network bandwidth for the necessary

networking services and applications.

 Allocation of Internet bandwidth
Continued…
Determine which network protocol will be used.

Determine which IP addressing method you will use.

Determine which technologies, such as operating systems

and routing protocols are needed to cater for the

organization’s needs as well as for possible future
expansions.
Determine the security mechanisms which will be
implemented to secure the network and network
communication.
 After planning, the following step would be to implement the

technologies which you have identified.

 Implementation of the network infrastructure involves the

following tasks:
 Installing the operating systems.

 Installing the necessary protocols and software components.

 Deploying DNS or WINS name resolution.

 Designing the DNS namespace.

 Assigning IP addresses and subnet masks to computers.

 Deploying the necessary applications.

 Implementing the required security mechanisms.

 Defining and implementing IPSec policies.

 Determining the network infrastructure maintenance strategy which you

will employ once the network infrastructure is implemented. Network

infrastructure maintenance consists of the following activities:
 Upgrading operating systems.

 Upgrading applications.

 Monitoring network performance, processes and usage.

 Troubleshooting networking issues.

Determining Network Protocols

 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

 Domain Name Service (DNS),

 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP),

 Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)

Hierarchical Network Design
In networking, a hierarchical design is used to group devices into
multiple

networks.

The networks are organized in a layered approach. The hierarchical

design model has three basic layers:

 Core layer: Connects distribution layer devices

 Distribution layer: Interconnects the smaller local networks

 Access layer: Provides connectivity for network hosts and end devices
Sample Network /Internet Infrastructure Physical and
Logical Design
Sample Network /Internet Infrastructure Physical and
Logical Design