BARBOSA, ROGELYN L.

Mabanglo

Engr.

CEIT-05-1001E

COM543

I.

Julius

F.

What present communications technologies have solved the following

problems?
1. LAN performance above 100 mbit/s
ANSWER: GIGABIT ETHERNET
While 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet might provide enough bandwidth for your
campus network today, a Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) upgrade on the network
edge may prepare the local area network for the coming convergence.
Weigh the factors in moving forward or staying put to make the right
decision on the next technology refresh.
Gigabit Ethernet, a transmission technology based on the Ethernet frame
format and protocol used in local area networks (LANs), provides a data
rate of 1 billion bits per second (one gigabit). Gigabit Ethernet is defined in
the IEEE 802.3 standard and is currently being used as the backbone in
many enterprise networks. Gigabit Ethernet is carried primarily on optical
fiber (with very short distances possible on copper media). Existing
Ethernet LANs with 10 and 100 Mbps cards can feed into a Gigabit
Ethernet backbone. An alternative technology that competes with Gigabit
Ethernet is ATM. A newer standard, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, is also becoming
available.Despite the relative maturity of GbE, it still holds a significant
price premium over 100 Mbps. GbE ports can cost four times the price per
port of Fast Ethernet, according to IDC. The price gap between Fast
Ethernet and GbE switches may be the most obvious factor for most
network engineers considering the network upgrade. However, the issue is
far more complex.The migration from 100 Mbps to GbE involves more than
the replacement of switches in the wiring closet. Many mid-range models
of VoIP phones offer a 10/100 Ethernet pass-through that allows a phone
and desktop PC to share a network connection. Migrating that desktop to
GbE would require a gigabit VoIP phone or a second network drop to the
users desk, both which would add to the expense to the project. A GbE
upgrade will also require a rip and replace of any pre-standard Power over
Ethernet (PoE) and legacy CAT3 cabling.
Network administrators however, need to weigh their current bandwidth
needs on the local area network against projected network demands over
the next five years. VoIP and telephony has already migrated onto

Ethernet in most enterprises, leading to increased bandwidth

requirements. Video is the next form of media to drive up bandwidth
demand, with desktop video conferencing and IP video security cameras
being deployed in many enterprises. Broader use of wireless devices,
including laptops, smartphones and tablets, will increase traffic on
wireless LAN infrastructure, which in turn will impact the wired backhaul
network. Network capacity planning should account for all of these
disparate systems converging on Ethernet, along with the general growth
of the organization.
REFERENCE:http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/feature/Time-toupgrade-from-100-Mbps-to-Gigabit-Ethernet-on-the-network-edge
2. Scalable WAN bandwidth
ANSWER: 10 GIGABIT ETHERNET
10-Gigabit Ethernet is basically the faster-speed version of Ethernet. It will
support the data rate of 10 Gb/s. It will offer similar benefits to those of
the preceding Ethernet standard. However, it will not support the halfduplex operation mode. The potential applications and markets for 10Gigabit Ethernet are enormous. There are broad groups of users who
demand 10-Gigabit Ethernet, for example, enterprise users, universities,
telecommunication carriers, and Internet service providers. Each market
typically has different requirements for link span and cost.
One of the main benefits of 10-Gigabit standard is that it offers a low-cost
solution to solve the demands for bandwidth. Not only the cost of
installation is low, but the cost of network maintenance and management
is minimal as well. Management and maintenance for 10-Gigabit Ethernet
may be done by local network administrators. In addition to the cost
reduction benefit, 10-Gigabit Ethernet may allow faster switching. Since
10-Gigabit Ethernet uses the same Ethernet format, it allows seamless
integration of LAN, MAN, and WAN. There is no need for packet
fragmentation, reassembling, or address translation, eliminating the need
for routers that are much slower than switches. 10-Gigabit Ethernet also
offers straightforward scalability (10/100/1000/10000 Mb/s). Upgrading to
10-Gigabit Ethernet should be simple since the upgrade paths are similar
to those of 1-Gigabit Ethernet which should be well familiar by the time
10-Gigabit Ethernet standard is released. The main issues are that 10Gigabit Ethernet is optimized for data and that it does not provide built-in
quality of services. However, the quality of services may be provided in
the higher layers.
REFERENCE: http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cis788-99/ftp/10gbe/#sec2
3. Integration of voice, video and data

ANSWER: VOICE OVER IP (VoIP)

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the enabling technology for this
service integration. In short, 64Kbps voice is converted into data
packets and transferred over the data backbone. The savings of voice
and data over a single corporate network can be considerable and the
technology exists. But where does a company begin? This article
reviews the enabling technologies and presents a viable private
network evolution strategy that takes advantage of current
technologies and standards. Savings are realized almost immediately.
So, the technology, standards, and products exist to migrate voice onto
the corporate data network. But where does a company begin in order
to minimize network risk and optimize savings? There are two major
areas for network cost savings in a voice network: PBX private service
(single location and multi-location) and public service (local and long
distance). There is also another category representing value-added
services that are enabled due to the voice, data, and video integration.
These value-added services offer potential for companies to reengineer
existing services such as automatic call distribution (ACD) services and
build new services such as click-to-dial, where an Internet user can
access a companys operator through the Web.
REFERENCE: http://www.ittoday.info/AIMS/DCM/52-30-15.pdf
4. Network Management and Logistics
ANSWER: VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATOR
A virtual network operator (VNO) is a management services provider
and a network services reseller of other telecommunication service
providers. VNOs do not possess a telecom network infrastructure;
however, they provide telecom services by acquiring the required
capacity from other telecom carriers. These network providers are
classified as virtual because they offer network services to clients
without possessing the actual network. VNOs usually lease bandwidth
at agreed wholesale rates from different telecom providers and then
offer solutions to their direct customers.
Various telecom carriers are now expanding their services by leasing
out their established infrastructures to VNOs. However, the VNO model
is comparatively new to the North American market as opposed to the
Asian and European markets. The VNO concept lets service providers
optimize the utilization of their networks by serving as mobile WiMAX
wholesalers rather than by selling directly to prospective customers.
Fully virtual VNOs do not include any technical support or technical
facilities; instead, they depend on infrastructure providers for technical
or support-related matters. The VNO business model has got a great
deal of traction in the wireless sector as the infrastructure

expenditures are substantial. The recent pressure on margins

prompted various wireline operators to consider using the successful
VNO business model to minimize capital expenses as well as staffing
demands.
As the universal networks are becoming more professional and
advanced, a growing field of telecommunications logistics providers
has evolved. These organizations help in managing large networks that
span over a wide range of carriers similar to what VNOs have.
However, this new breed of service providers has been eager to set up
their own infrastructure and unique networks.
REFERENCE:https://www.techopedia.com/definition/30383/virtual-networkoperator-vno
5. Uniform architecture in LANs, MANs, and WANs.
ANSWER: OSI REFERENCE MODEL
The ISO Open Systems Interconnections (OSI) reference model deals with
connecting open networked systems. The key principles of the OSI are:

layers are created when different levels of abstraction are needed

the layer should perform a well defined function

the layer function should be chosen with international standards in mind

layer boundaries should be chosen to minimize information flow between

layers

the number of layers should be: large enough to prevent distinct functions
being thrown together, but small enough to prevent the whole
architecture being unwieldy
REFERENCE: http://www.pling.org.uk/cs/nds.html
6. Bandwidth on demand (pay for use)
ANSWER: SOFTWARE-DEFINED NETWORKING (SDN)
Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is an emerging architecture that is
dynamic, manageable, cost-effective, and adaptable, making it ideal
for the high-bandwidth, dynamic nature of today's applications. This
architecture decouples the network control and forwarding functions
enabling the network control to become directly programmable and

the underlying infrastructure to be abstracted for applications and

network services. The OpenFlow protocol is a foundational element
for building SDN solutions. The SDN architecture is:
Directly programmable: Network control is directly programmable
because it is decoupled from forwarding functions.
Agile: Abstracting control from forwarding lets administrators dynamically
adjust network-wide traffic flow to meet changing needs.
Centrally managed: Network intelligence is (logically) centralized in
software-based SDN controllers that maintain a global view of the network,
which appears to applications and policy engines as a single, logical switch.
Programmatically configured: SDN lets network managers configure,
manage, secure, and optimize network resources very quickly via dynamic,
automated SDN programs, which they can write themselves because the
programs do not depend on proprietary software.
Open standards-based and vendor-neutral: When implemented through
open standards, SDN simplifies network design and operation because
instructions are provided by SDN controllers instead of multiple, vendorspecific devices and protocols.

REFERENCE:
definition

https://www.opennetworking.org/sdn-resources/sdn-

7. Network complexity
ANSWER: HYBRID CLOUD

o
o
o

A hybrid cloud is an integrated cloud service utilising both private and

public clouds to perform distinct functions within the same
organisation. All cloud computing services should offer certain
efficiencies to differing degrees but public cloud services are likely to
be more cost efficient and scalable than private clouds. Therefore, an
organisation can maximise their efficiencies by employing public cloud
services for all non-sensitive operations, only relying on a private cloud
where they require it and ensuring that all of their platforms are
seamlessly integrated.
Hybrid cloud models can be implemented in a number of ways:
Separate cloud providers team up to provide both private and public
services as an integrated service
Individual cloud providers offer a complete hybrid package
Organisations who manage their private clouds themselves sign up to
a public cloud service which they then integrate into their
infrastructure

In practice, an enterprise could implement hybrid cloud hosting to host

their e-commerce website within a private cloud, where it is secure and
scalable, but their brochure site in a public cloud, where it is more cost
effective (and security is less of a concern). Alternatively, an
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering, for example, could follow the
hybrid cloud model and provide a financial business with storage for
client data within a private cloud, but then allow collaboration on
project planning documents in the public cloud - where they can be
accessed by multiple users from any convenient location.
REFERENCE:
cloud

http://www.interoute.com/cloud-article/what-hybrid-

8. Support for multicast operations

ANSWER: IP MULTICAST

IP multicast is a bandwidth-conserving technology that reduces traffic

by simultaneously delivering a single stream of information to
potentially thousands of corporate recipients and homes. Applications
that take advantage of multicast include video conferencing, corporate
communications, distance learning, and distribution of software, stock
quotes, and news.
IP multicast delivers application source traffic to multiple receivers
without burdening the source or the receivers while using a minimum
of network bandwidth. Multicast packets are replicated in the network
at the point where paths diverge by Cisco routers enabled with Protocol
Independent Multicast (PIM) and other supporting multicast protocols,
resulting in the most efficient delivery of data to multiple receivers.
Many alternatives to IP multicast require the source to send more than
one copy of the data. Some, such as application-level multicast,
require the source to send an individual copy to each receiver. Even
low-bandwidth applications can benefit from using Cisco IP multicast
when there are thousands of receivers. High-bandwidth applications,
such as MPEG video, may require a large portion of the available
network bandwidth for a single stream. In these applications, IP
multicast is the only way to send to more than one receiver
simultaneously.

REFERENCE:http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios/solutions_do
cs/ip_multicast/White_papers/mcst_ovr.html
9. Integration of multiple data applications
ANSWER: ENTERPRISE APPLICATION INTEGRATION

Enterprise application integration is an integration framework

composed of a collection of technologies and services which form
a middleware or "middleware framework" to enable integration of
systems and applications across an enterprise.
Many
types
of
business
software
such
as supply
chain
management applications, ERP systems, CRM applications
for
managing
customers, business
intelligence applications, payroll and human
resources systems
typically cannot communicate with one another in order to share data
or business rules. For this reason, such applications are sometimes
referred to as islands of automation or information silos. This lack of
communication leads to inefficiencies, wherein identical data are
stored in multiple locations, or straightforward processes are unable to
be automated.
Enterprise application integration is the process of linking such
applications within a single organization together in order to simplify
and automate business processes to the greatest extent possible,
while at the same time avoiding having to make sweeping changes to
the existing applications or data structures. Applications can be linked
either at the back-end via APIs or (seldomly) the front-end (GUI).[1]
In the words of the Gartner Group, EAI is the "unrestricted sharing of
data and business processes among any connected application or data
sources in the enterprise."[2]
The various systems that need to be linked together may reside on
different operating
systems,
use
different database solutions
or computer languages, or different date and time formats, or may
be legacy systems that are no longer supported by the vendor who
originally created them. In some cases, such systems are dubbed
"stovepipe systems" because they consist of components that have
been jammed together in a way that makes it very hard to modify
them in any way.

REFERENCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_application_integration
10.Support for synchronous applications

ANSWER: HIGH LEVEL DATA LINK CONTROL

HDLC Short
for High-level
Data
Link
Control,
a transmission protocol used at the data link layer (layer 2) of
the OSI seven layer model for data communications. The HDLC
protocol embeds information in a data frame that allows devices
to control data flow and correct errors. HDLC is an ISO standard
developed from the Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC)
standard proposed by IBM in the 1970's. HDLC NRM (also
known as SDLC). HDLC is a bit oriented protocol that supports both
half-duplex and full-duplex communication over point to point &
multipoint link.
For any HDLC communications session, one station is designated
primary and the other secondary. A session can use one of the
following connection modes, which determine how the primary and
secondary stations interact.

Normal unbalanced: The secondary station responds only to the

primary station.
Asynchronous: The secondary station can initiate a message.

Asynchronous balanced: Both stations send and receive over its part
of a duplex line.
This mode is used for X.25 packet-switching networks.
The Link Access Procedure-Balanced (LAP-B) and Link Access
Procedure D-channel (LAP-D) protocols are subsets of HDLC.
LAPB is a bit-oriented synchronous protocol that provides
complete
data
transparency
in
a full-duplex
point-topoint operation. It supports a peer-to-peer link in that neither end of
the link plays the role of the permanent master station. HDLC NRM, on
the other hand, has a permanent primary station with one or more
secondary stations.
HDLC LAPB is a very efficient protocol, which requires a minimum of
overhead to ensure flow control, error detection and recovery. If data
is flowing in both directions (full duplex), the data frames

themselves carry all the information required to ensure data

integrity.
The concept of a frame window is used to send multiple
frames before receiving confirmation that the first frame has
been correctly been received. This means that data can continue to
flow in situations where there may be long "turn-around" time lags
without stopping to wait for an acknowledgement. This kind of
situation occurs, for instance in satellite communication.
REFERENCE:
http://ecomputernotes.com/computernetworkingnotes/routing/
hdlc-high-level-data-link-control
II.

Will DSL work over FTTx implementations?

ANSWER: Yes, through the use of Fiber to the Curb technology.
Fiber to the curb brings fiber to the curb, or just down the street, close
enough for the copper wiring already connecting the home to carry DSL
(digital
subscriber line, or fast digital signals on copper.)
FTTC bandwidth depends on DSL performance where the bandwidth
declines over long lengths from the node to the home. There are many
types of DSL (ADSL, HDSL, RADSL, VDSL, UDSL, etc. - over 22 varieties)
that offer varying performance over length, including some which "bond"
more
pairs
of
wires
to
improve
the
bandwidth.
Newer homes that have good copper and are near where the DSL switch is
located can expect good service up to about 20Mb/s. Homes with older
copper or longer distances away will have less available bandwidth.
FTTC is less expensive than FTTH when first installed, but since
performance depends on the quality of the copper wiring currently
installed to the home and the length to reach from the node to the home,
the level of service may be obsoleted quickly by customer demands. In
older areas where the copper wires are of poorer quality or have degraded
over time, DSL is difficult or impossible to implement and very expensive
to maintain. The good news is that FTTC is ready to upgrade to FTTH.
NOTE: xDSL service will not work over fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC)
implementations. FTTC is the installation of optical fiber to within a
thousand feet of the home or office. Fiber-to-thehome (FTTH) is the
installation of optical fiber from the carrier directly into the home or office.
REFERENCE:
http://web.thu.edu.tw/hsyu/www/courses/adv_network/readings/D
SL_CABLEMODEM_ch7.pdf