CHAPTER 1 : ANALYZING GOALS AND COSTRAINTS

TOP- DOWN NETWORK TOP- DOWN NETWORK DESIGN

DESIGN
• Should be a complete process that matches business needs
• LAN : it is more than just buying a few devices
• WAN : More than just calling the phone company
TOP
1. Analyze business and technical goals first
2. Explore divisional and group structures to find out who is the network server and where they reside
3. Determine and identify what applications will run on the network and how those applications behave
on a network
4. Need to focus on layer 7(application) and above first

Comparison of two Top-down Bottom-up

design approaches Benefits -Incorporates organizational -Allows a quick response to a
requirements design request
-Give big picture to organization -Facilitates design based on
and designer previous experience
Disadvantages -Requires more time up front -Implement solution wit little or no
before creating network design notion of actual organizational
-it is not an approach that is requirement
familiar to many designer -May resulting in inappropriate
network design
Structured design Focus placed on :
- Understanding data flow, data types
- Processes that access or change the data
- Understanding the location needs of user communities that change or access data and process
- Several techniques and models can be used to characterize the existing system, new user
requirements, and a structure for the future system
- -A logical model is developed before the physical model
System Development Analyze requirements (F1) -Analyze business goals and constraints
Life Cycles -Analyze technical goals and tradeoffs
-Characterize the existing network
Top down network -Characterize network traffic
design steps
Logical Network Design (F2) -Design a network topology
-Design models for addressing and naming
-Select switching and routing protocols
-Develop network security strategies
-Develop network management strategies
Physical network design (F3) -Selecting technologies and devices for campus
network
-Select technologies and devices for enterprise
networks
Testing, optimizing, and documenting the network -Test the network design
design (F4) -Optimize the network design
-Document the network design
PDIOO Network Life
Cycle

Business Goals -Increase revenue

-Reduce operating cost
-Improve communication
-Shorten product development
-Expand into worldwide markets
-Build partnership with other companies
-Offer better customer support or new customer
service
Business Priorities -Mobility
-Secuity
-Resiliency (fault tolerance)
-Business continuity after a disaster
-Network projects must be prioritized based on
fiscal goals
-networks must offer the low delay required for real-
time applications such as VoIP
Business Constraints -Budget
-Staffinf
-Schedule
-Politics and policies
Collect information before the 1st meeting Collect some basic business-related information
- Products produced
- Financial vialibility
- Customers, suppliers, competitors
- Competitive advantage
Meet with the customer Concise statement of the goals of the project
- What problem are they trying to solve
- How will new technology help them be
more successful in their business
- What must happen for the project to
succeed
Discover and biases (Talk to the technical and
management staff)
- Will they only use certain company’s
products
- Do they avoid certain technologies
- Do the data people look down on the voice
people or vice versa
 Get a copy of the organizational chart
- Will show the general structure of the
organization
- Will suggest users to account
- Suggest geographical locations to account

Get a copy of security policy

- How does the policy affect the new design
Is the policy strict ?

Remember Small scope : allow sales people to access network via a VPN
Large scope : An entire redesign of an enterprise network

-Use the OSI Model to clarify the scope

-Does the scope fut the budget, capabilities of staff and consultant