Chapter One

Applying a Methodology to Network Design

Let we see the concepts and detail declaration of Network and it Design
 What Is Design?
Network design refers to the planning of the implementation
of a computer network infrastructure
 Network design is generally performed by network designers,
engineers, IT administrators and other related staff
It is done before the implementation of a network infrastructure
Network design is a category of systems design that deals
with data transport mechanisms
The distance between physical connections often dictates the type
of technology that must be used to facilitate data transmission
 Network
Designing…..
Designing large-scale networks to meet today’s dynamic
business and IT needs and trends is a complex assignment,
whether it is an enterprise or service provider type of network.
This is especially true when the network was designed for
technologies and requirements relevant years ago and the
business decides to adopt new IT technologies to facilitate the
achievement of its goals but the business’s existing network
was not designed to address these new technologies’
requirements
Therefore, to achieve the desired goal of a given design, the
network designer must adopt an approach that tackles the
design in a structured manner
• Figure 1-1. When Designing an Addition to a House, an
Architect Needs to Have Knowledge of the Existing
Structure and the Requirements for the Addition along
with Skills and Creativity.

To determine the requirements for the addition, a good

architect should ask probing questions.
Determining the actual requirements, rather than your
perceived solutions, is a key skill for a good architect.
 Cont…
• Good design also requires creativity and skills. For
a residential architect, these traits come from both
training and experience.
• A network design is no different. Understanding
the requirements for the network, as well as
knowing how the existing network is structured
and used, is key to understanding how the new or
updated network should function and which
features should be included.
Organization Size
Network Size
• The network needed by most organizations is therefore
fairly small.
• A single broadcast domain can work just fine with
several hundred active users.
 cont…

When discussing network design, it is useful to categorize

networks based on the number of devices serviced:
 Small network: Provides services for up to 200 devices.
 Medium-size network: Provides services for 200 to 1,000
devices.
 Large network: Provides services for 1,000+ devices.
Network designs vary depending on the size and
requirements of the organizations.
For example, the networking infrastructure needs of a
small organization with fewer devices will be less complex
than the infrastructure of a large organization with a
significant number of devices and connections.
SOHO
SMB
Large
 Approach to Network Design
• The approach in this presentation will be on the necessity
to account for all seven layers of the OSI model when
creating a design for a network
• Network design must be a complete process that matches
business needs to the available technology to deliver a
system that will maximize the organization.
Approaches of Network Design
There are two common approaches to analyze and design
networks:
The top-down approach: approach simplifies the design
process by splitting the design tasks to make it more focused on
the design scope and performed in a more controlled manner,
which can ultimately help network designers to view network
design solutions from a business-driven approach.
The bottom-up approach: In contrast, the bottom-up
approach focuses on selecting network technologies and design
models first.
This can impose a high potential for design failures, because the
network will not meet the business or applications’
requirements
 Cont…
• The first consideration is what will the network be
sharing and with whom.
• Whatever needs to be shared and with whom, will
determine the type and scope of the network.
 15

Lifecycle Approach to Network Design

Network design is divided into four major phases that are

carried out in a cyclical fashion:
Analyze requirements: In this phase, the network analyst
interviews users and technical personnel to gain an
understanding of the business and technical goals for a
new or enhanced system.
The task of characterizing the existing network, including
the logical and physical topology and network performance
 The last step in this phase is to analyze current and future
network traffic, including traffic flow and load, protocol
behavior, and quality of service (QoS) requirements.
 16

Con…
Develop the logical design: This phase deals with a logical
topology for the new or enhanced network, network layer
addressing, naming, and switching and routing protocols.
 Logical design also includes security planning, network
management design, and the initial investigation into which
service providers can meet WAN and remote access
requirements.
Develop the physical design: During the physical design
phase, specific technologies and products that realize the
logical design are selected.
Also, the investigation into service providers, which began
during the logical design phase, must be completed during
this phase.
 17

Con…
Test, optimize, and document the design: The
final steps in top-down network design are to write
and implement a test plan, build a prototype or
pilot, optimize the network design, and document
your work with a network design proposal
Network Requirements
• Most businesses actually have only a few requirements for
their network:
■ The network should stay up all the time, even in the event of
failed links, equipment failure, and overloaded conditions.
■ The network should reliably deliver applications and provide
reasonable response times from any host to any host.
■ The network should be secure. It should protect the data that
is transmitted over it and data stored on the devices that
connect to it.
Cont…
■ The network should be easy to modify to adapt to
network growth and general business changes.
■ Because failures occasionally occur, troubleshooting
should be easy. Finding and fixing a problem should not
be too time-consuming.
Fundamental Design Goals

• When examined carefully, these requirements translate

into four fundamental network design goals:
■ Scalability: Scalable network designs can grow to
include new user groups and remote sites and can support
new applications without impacting the level of service
delivered to existing users.
■ Availability: A network designed for availability is one
that delivers consistent, reliable performance,24 hours a
day, 7 days a week.
In addition, the failure of a single link or piece of
equipment should not significantly impact network
performance.
Cont…
■ Security: Security is a feature that must be designed
into the network, not added on after the network is
complete.
Planning the location of security devices, filters, and
firewall features is critical to safeguarding network
resources.
■ Manageability: No matter how good the initial network
design is, the available network staff must be able to
manage and support the network.
A network that is too complex or difficult to maintain
cannot function effectively and efficiently.
Design Methodology
Methodology is a documented, systematic way of doing something.
• It ensures that no step is missed when the process is
followed.
• It provides a framework for the design process
deliverables.
• It encourages consistency in the creative process,
enabling network designers to set appropriate deadlines
and maintain customer and manager satisfaction.
• It allows customers and managers to validate that the
designers have thought about how to meet their
requirements.
Network Design Methodologies
• Large network design projects are normally divided into
three distinct steps:
Step 1. Identify the network requirements.
Step 2. Characterize the existing network.
Step 3. Design the network topology and solutions
 Cont….
Step 1: Identifying Network Requirements
• The network designer works closely with the customer to
document the goals of the project.
• Figure 1-5 depicts a meeting between the designer and
the business owner.
• Goals are usually separated into two categories:
■ Business goals: Focus on how the network can make the
business more successful
■ Technical requirements: Focus on how the technology is
implemented within the network
.
 Cont….
Step 2: Characterizing the Existing Network
• Information about the current network and services is
gathered and analyzed.
• It is necessary to compare the functionality of the existing
network with the defined goals of the new project.
• The designer determines whether any existing
equipment, infrastructure, and protocols can be reused,
and what new equipment and protocols are needed to
complete the design.
 Cont….
Step 3: Designing the Network Topology
• A common strategy for network design is to take a top-
down approach.
• In this approach, the network applications and service
requirements are identified, and then the network is
designed to support them.
• When the design is complete, a prototype or proof-of-
concept test is performed.
• This approach ensures that the new design functions as
expected before it is implemented.
Determining the Scope of the Project
• A common mistake made by network designers is the failure
to correctly determine the scope of the network design
project.
• While gathering requirements, the designer identifies the
issues that affect the entire network and those that affect
only specific portions.
• By creating a topology similar to Figure 1-6, the designer can
isolate areas of concern and identify the scope of the project.
• Failure to understand the impact of a particular requirement
often causes a project scope to expand beyond the
original estimate.
• This oversight can greatly increase the cost and time
required to implement the new design.
Figure 1-6 Enterprise
Campus
Design Principles
• Cisco has developed the Plan-Design-Implement-Operate-
Optimize (PDIOO) network life cycle to describe the multiple
phases through which a network passes.
• This life cycle is illustrated in Figure 1-2, and the phases are
briefly described as follows:
▫ Plan phase The detailed network requirements are identified,
and the existing network is reviewed.
▫ Design phase The network is designed according to the initial
requirements and additional data gathered during analysis of
the existing network.
▫ The design is refined with the client.
▫ Implement phase The network is built according to the
approved design.
Cont…
▫ Operate phase The network is operational and is being
monitored. This phase is the ultimate test of the design.
▫ Optimize phase During this phase, issues are detected
and corrected, either before problems arise or, if no
problems are found, after a failure has occurred.
▫ Redesign might be required if too many problems exist.
▫ Retirement phase Although not part of the PDIOO
acronym, this phase is necessary when part of the network
is outdated or is no longer required.
Network design should include the following tasks, as
illustrated in Figure 1-3:
Step 1:Determine requirements
Step 2:Analyze the existing network, if one exists
Step 3:Prepare the preliminary design
Step 4:Complete the final design development
Step 5:Deploy the network
Step 6:Monitor, and redesign if necessary
Step 7:Maintain documentation (as a part of all the other
tasks)
Cont…
Determining Requirements
• Many types of requirements must be considered, including those
that are related to technical and business issues.
• Any factors that might restrict the design must also be identified.
• In the case where an existing network is in place, these
constraints can be related to what is already there and how the
new network must be phased in to allow continuous operation.
• Technical requirements and restraints can include the following
items:
Applications that are to run on the network
Internet connections required
Addressing restrictions, for example, the use of private Internet
Protocol (IP) version 4 (IPv4) addresses
Support for IP version 6 (IPv6) addresses
Other protocols that are to run on the network (for example, routing
protocols)
Cabling requirements
Redundancy requirements
Use of proprietary equipment and protocols
Existing equipment that must be supported
Network services required, including quality of service (QoS) and
wireless
How security is to be integrated into the network
Network solutions required (for example, voice traffic, content
networking, and storage networking)
Support for existing applications while new ones are being phased in
Bandwidth availability
 Analyzing the Existing Network
• Analyzing the existing network is typically done during the
Optimize phase of the existing network; it could also be
considered as part of the Plan phase for the new network.
• You should analyze the network to determine both what is
good and what should be changed.
• For example, the network might include virtual private
network (VPN) connections so that employees can access
corporate files through the Internet
Preparing the Preliminary Design
• Preliminary design involves considering all the network
requirements and constraints (including the budget), and
determining viable alternative solutions.
• The network owner is then consulted, and together an
optimal solution is chosen; this solution is later developed
into the final design.
• Both the preliminary design and final design are done
during the PDIOO Design phase.
Completing the Final Design Development
• Developing the final design involves producing detailed
drawings, configuration specifications, costing, addressing
plans, and any other information required for
implementation
Deploying the Network
• Deployment of the network must start with a plan and a
schedule. Deployment planning starts in the PDIOO
Design phase and continues into the Implement phase.
• The deployment plan must include details of what is to
be done and how it is to be done.
• For example, if new cabling is required, the procedure to
run the cable and the location where it is needed must be
fully documented
Monitoring and Redesigning

• After the network is operating, baseline operational

statistics should be gathered so that values for a working
network are known.
• The network should then be monitored for anomalies and
problems.
• If problems that require redesign occur, or if requirements
change or are added, the appropriate design changes
must be made and the entire design process should be
repeated for that portion of the network.
• Monitoring and redesign take place in the PDIOO Operate
and Optimize phases, and can lead back into the Plan and
Design phases
Maintaining Design Documentation

The design should be documented throughout the process.

Documentation should include the following items:
All the agreed-to requirements and constraints
The state of the existing network, if any
Preliminary design options and a brief review of why the
final design was chosen
Final design details
Results of any pilot or prototype testing
Deployment plans, schedules, and other implementation
details
Monitoring requirements
Oppenheimer Steps(top-down network design)
Step 1:Identifying Customer Needs/Goals
Analyzing Business Goals and Constraints
Analyzing Technical Goals and Tradeoffs
Characterizing the Existing Network
Characterizing Network Traffic
Step 2:Logical Network Design
Designing a Network Topology
Designing Models for Addressing and Naming
Selecting Switching and Routing Protocols
Developing Network Security Strategies
Developing Network Management Strategies
Step 3: Physical Network Design
Selecting Technologies and Devices for Campus
Networks
Selecting Technologies and Devices for Enterprise
Networks
Step 4: Testing Optimizing Documenting
Testing the Network Design
Optimizing the Network Design
Documenting the Network Design
 Quiz 5%
1.What we mean by Network Design?
2.Define and declare the main objective of network design.
3.List the basic procedure/methodology we must follow while
designing network.