Considerations in Planning a Network

Infrastructure
Defining Network Infrastructure

A network can be defined as the grouping of hardware devices and software components which are
necessary to connect devices within the organization, and to connect the organization to other
organizations and the Internet.
Typical hardware components utilized in a networking environment are network interface
cards, computers, routers, hubs, switches, printers, and cabling and phone lines.
Typical software components utilized in a networking environment are the network services
and protocols needed to enable devices to communicate.
Only after the hardware is installed and configured, can operating systems and software be
installed into the network infrastructure. The operating systems which you install on your
computers are considered the main software components within the network infrastructure. This is
due to the operating system containing network communication protocols that enable network
communication to occur. The operating system also typically includes applications and services
that implement security for network communication.
Another concept, namely network infrastructure, is also commonly used to refer to the grouping of
physical hardware and logical components which are needed to provide a number of features for
the network, including these common features:
Connectivity
Routing and switching capabilities
Network security
Access control
The network or network infrastructure has to exist before a number of servers needed to support
applications which are needed by your users can be deployed into your networking environment:
File and print servers
Web and messaging servers
Database servers
Application servers
When you plan your network infrastructure, a number of key elements need to be clarified or
determined:
Determine which physical hardware components are needed for the network infrastructure
which you want to implement.
Determine the software components needed for the network infrastructure.
Determine the following important factors for your hardware and software components:
Specific location of these components
How the components are to be installed.
How the components are to be configured.
When you implement a network infrastructure, you need to perform a number of activities that can
be broadly grouped as follows:
Determine the hardware and software components needed.
Purchase, assemble and install the hardware components.
Install and configure the operating systems, applications and all other software.
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 networks
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

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 networks logical
infrastructure consists of the following:
Software products
Networking protocols/services.
It is therefore the networks 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.

Understanding the OSI Reference Model and TCP/IP Protocol Suite

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) developed the Open Systems
Interconnection (OSI) reference model for computing. The OSI modeldefines how hardware and
software function to enable communication between computers. The OSI model is a conceptual
framework which can be referenced to better comprehend how devices operate on the network. It
is the most widely used guide for a networking infrastructure. When manufacturers design new
products, they reference the OSI models concepts on the manner in which hardware and software
components should function.
The OSI model defines standards for:

How devices communicate between each other.

The means used to inform devices when to send data and when not to transmit data.
The methods which ensure that devices have a correct data flow rate.
The means used to ensure that data is passed to, and received by the intended recipient.
How physical transmission media is arranged and connected.
The OSI model is made up of seven layers which are presented as a stack. Data which is passed
over the network moves through each layer. Each layer of the OSI model has its own unique
functions and protocols. Different protocols operate at the different layers of the OSI model. The
layer of the OSI reference model at which the protocol operates defines its function. Different
protocols can operate together at different layers within a protocol stack. When protocols operate
together, they are referred to as a protocol suite or protocol stack. When protocols support multiple
path LAN-to-LAN communications, they are called routable protocols. The binding order determines
the order in which the operating system runs the protocols.
The seven layers of the OSI reference model, and each layers associated function are listed here:

Physical Layer layer 1: The Physical layer transmits raw bit streams over a physical
medium, and deals with establishing a physical connection between computers to enable
communication. The physical layer is hardware specific; it deals with the actual physical connection
between the computer and the network medium. The medium used is typically a copper cable that
utilizes electric currents for signaling. Other media that are becoming popular are fiber-optic and
wireless media. The specifications of the Physical layer include physical layout of the network, voltage
changes and the timing of voltage changes, data rates, maximum transmission distances, and physical
connectors to transmission mediums. The issues normally clarified at the Physical Layer include:
Whether data is transmitted synchronously or asynchronously.
Whether the analog or digital signaling method is used.
Whether baseband or broadband signalling is used.
Data-Link Layer layer 2: The Data-link layer of the OSI model enables the movement of
data over a link from one device to another, by defining the interface between the network medium
and the software on the computer. The Data-link layer maintains the data link between two computers
to enable communications. The functions of the Data-link layer include packet addressing, media
access control, formatting of the frame used to encapsulate data, error notification on the Physical

layer, and management of error messaging specific to the delivery of packets. The Data-link layer is
divided into the following two sublayers:
The Logical Link Control (LLC) sublayer provides and maintains the logical links
used for communication between the devices.
The Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer controls the transmission of packets from
one network interface card (NIC) to another over a shared media channel. A NIC has a unique MAC
address, or physical address. The MAC sublayer handles media access control which essentially
prevents data collisions. The common media access control methods are:

Token Passing; utlized in Token Ring and FDDI networks

Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD); utilized
in Ethernet networks.

Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA); utilized in

AppleTalk networks.
Network Layer layer 3: The Network layer provides end-to-end communications between
computers that exist on different network. One of the main functions performed at the Network layer is
routing. Routing enables packets to be moved between computers which are more than one link from
one another. Other functions include traffic direction to the end destination, addressing, packet
switching and packet sequence control, end-to-end error detection, congestion control, and Network
layer flow control and error control.
Transport Layer layer 4: The Transport layer deals with transporting data in a sequential
manner, and with no data loss. The Transport layer divides large messages into smaller data packets
so that it can be transmitted to the destination computer. It also reassembles packets into messages
for it to be presented to the Network layer. Functions of the Transport layer include guaranteed data
delivery, name resolution, flow control, and error detection and recovery. The common Transport
protocols utilized at this layer are Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol
(UDP).
Session Layer layer 5: The Session layer enables communication sessions to be
established between processes or applications running on two different computers. A process is a
specific task that is associated with a particular application. Applications can simultaneously run
numerous processes. The Session layer establishes, maintains and terminates communication sessions
between applications. The Session layer utilizes the virtual circuits created by the Transport layer to
establish communication sessions.
Presentation Layer layer 6: The Presentation layer is responsible for translating data
between the formats which the network requires and the formats which the computer is anticipating.
The presentation layer translates the formats of each computer to a common transfer format which
can be interpreted by each computer. Functions include protocol conversion, data translation, data
encryption and decryption, data compression, character set conversion, and interpretation of graphics
commands.
Application Layer layer 7: The Application layer provides the interface between the
network protocol and the software running on the computer. It provides the interface for e-mail, Telnet
and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) applications, and files transfers. This is the location where applications
interrelate with the network.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a network communication protocol
suite that can be utilized as the communications protocol on private networks. TCP/IP is also the
default protocol utilized on the Internet. The majority of network infrastructures are based on
TCP/IP.
As an engineer designing the network infrastructure, you have to provide a TCP/IP design which
can provide the following:
Connect devices in the private internal network to the Internet.
Enable users to access TCP/IP based resources.
Protect confidential company data.
Provide application responses in accordance to the requirements of the organization.
The TCP/IP protocol suite is a four layer model which corresponds to seven layers of the OSI
reference model:

Network Interface layer: The Network Interface layer maps to the Physical Layer (Layer 1)
and the Data-link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI reference model. The Network Interfae layers function is to
move bits (0s and 1s) over the network medium.
Internet layer: The Internet layer is associated with the OSI models Network layer. The
Internet layer handles the packaging, addressing, and routing of data. The main protocols of the TCP/IP
suite that operate at the Internet layer are:
Internet Protocol (IP): IP is a connectionless, routable protocol which performs
addressing and routing functions. IP places data into packets, and removes data from packets.
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP): The protocol is responsible for dealing
with errors associated with undeliverable IP packets, and for indicating network congestion and
timeout conditions.
Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP): The IGMP protocol controls host
membership in groups of devices, called IP multicast groups. The devices in the IP multicast groups
receive traffic which is addressed to a shared multicast IP address. Unicast messages are sent to a
host, while a multicast is sent to each member of an IP multicast group.
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP): The ARP protocol maintains the associations
which map IP addresses to MAC addresses. Because mappings are stored in the ARP Cache, when the
same IP address needs to be mapped again to its associated MAC address, the discovery process is not
performed again. Reverse Address Resolution (RARP) resolves MAC addresses to IP addresses.
Transport layer/ Host-to-Host Transport: This layer is associated with the Transport layer of
the OSI model. The main TCP/IP protocols operating at the Host to Host or Transport layer are:
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): TCP offers greater reliability when it comes to
transporting data than what UDP, the other protocol which works at this level provides. With TCP, the
application which sends the data receives acknowledgement or verification that the data was actually
received. TCP is regarded as a connection-orientated protocol a connection is established before data
is transmitted. A three-part TCP handshake process is performed to establish a host to host
connection. The three-part TCP handshake process establishes a reliable connection over which to
exchange data.
User Datagram Protocol (UDP): UDP does not provide reliable data transport. No
acknowledgements are transmitted. While UDP is faster than TCP, it is less reliable.
Application layer: The Application layer is associated with the Session layer, Presentation
layer, and Application layer of the OSI model. Application layer protocols of the TCP/IP protocol suite
functions at these layers. Application layer protocols enable applications to communicate between
each other, and also provide access to the services of the lower layers.