Chapter 3

Designing Basic Campus and Data Center Networks

This chapter introduces general campus switching and data center design considerations. It
includes the following sections:
 Campus Design Considerations
 Enterprise Campus Design
 Enterprise Data Center Design Considerations
3.1. Campus Design Considerations
An enterprise campus refers to a network in a specific geographic location. It can be within one
building or span multiple buildings near each other. A campus network also includes the Ethernet
LAN portions of a network outside the data center. Large enterprises have multiple campuses
connected by a WAN. Using models to describe the network architecture divides the campus into
several internetworking functional areas, thus simplifying design, implementation, and
troubleshooting.

Moreover, the Enterprise Campus network is the foundation for enabling business applications,
enhancing productivity, and providing a multitude of services to end users. The multilayer
approach to campus network design combines data link layer and multilayer switching to
achieve robust, highly available campus networks.
The following three characteristics should be considered when designing the campus
network:
 Network application characteristics: The organizational requirements, services, and
applications place stringent requirements on a campus network solution—for example, in
terms of bandwidth and delay.
 Bandwidth refers to the information transport capacity of a medium, expressed in units
of frequency (hertz).
 Environmental characteristics: The network’s environment includes its geography and the
transmission media used.
 The physical environment of the building or buildings influences the design, as do the
number of, distribution of, and distance between the network nodes (including end users,
hosts, and network devices). Other factors include space, power, and heating, ventilation,
and air conditioning support for the network devices.

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  Cabling is one of the biggest long-term investments in network deployment. Therefore,
transmission media selection depends not only on the required bandwidth and distances,
but also on the emerging technologies that might be deployed over the same
infrastructure in the future.
 Infrastructure device characteristics: The characteristics of the network devices selected
influence the design (for example, they determine the network’s flexibility) and contribute
to the overall delay.
 Trade-offs between data link layer switching—based on media access control
(MAC) addresses and multilayer switching—based on network layer addresses,
transport layer, and application awareness—need to be considered.
 High availability and high throughput are requirements that might require
consideration throughout the infrastructure.
3.1.1. Network Application Characteristics and Considerations
The network application’s characteristics and requirements influence the design in many ways.
The applications that are critical to the organization, and the network demands of these
applications, determine enterprise traffic patterns inside the Enterprise Campus network, which
influences bandwidth usage, response times, and the selection of the transmission medium.
Different types of application communication result in varying network demands.
The four types of application communication:
A. Peer-peer C. Client–Server Farm
B. Client–local server D. Client–Enterprise Edge server

A. Peer-Peer Applications
With peer-to-peer traffic, the flow is usually bidirectional and symmetric. Communicating
entities transmit approximately equal amounts of information. There is no hierarchy. Each device
is considered as important as each other device, and no device stores substantially more data than
any other device. In small LAN environments, network administrators often set up PCs in a peer-
to-peer configuration so that everyone can access each other’s data and printers. There is no
central file or print server. Each host acts as both a client and server. Recently, peer-to-peer
applications for downloading music, videos, and software have gained popularity. Each user

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publishes music or other material and allows other users on the Internet to download the data.
However, peer-to-peer traffic may cause:
 It can cause an inordinate amount of traffic.
 The published material is often copyrighted by someone other than the person publishing
it.
Figure 3.1 Peer-Peer Applications

Typical peer-peer applications include the following:

 Instant messaging: After the connection is established, the conversation is directly
between two peers.
 IP phone calls: Two peers establish communication with the help of an IP telephony
manager; however, the conversation occurs directly between the two peers when the
connection is established. The network requirements of IP phone calls are strict because
of the need for quality of service (QoS) treatment to minimize delay and variation in
delay (jitter).
 File sharing: Some operating systems and applications require direct access to data on
other workstations.

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  Videoconference systems: Videoconferencing is similar to IP telephony; however, the
network requirements are usually higher, particularly related to bandwidth consumption
and QoS.

B. Client–local server Applications

With increased traffic on the corporate network and a relatively fixed location for users, an
organization might split the network into several isolated segments. Each of these segments has
its own servers, known as local servers, for its application. In this scenario, servers and users are
located in the same VLAN, and department administrators manage and control the servers. The
majority of department traffic occurs in the same segment, but some data exchange (to a different
VLAN) happens over the campus backbone. The bandwidth requirements for traffic passing to
another segment typically are not crucial. For example, traffic to the Internet goes through a
common segment and has lower performance requirements than traffic to the local segment
servers.

Figure 3.2 Client–Local Server Application

C. Client–Server Farm Applications

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Large organizations require their users to have fast, reliable, and controlled access to critical
applications. Because high-performance multilayer switches have an insignificant switch delay,
and because of the reduced cost of network bandwidth, locating the servers centrally rather than
in the workgroup is technically feasible and reduces support costs.
To fulfill these demands and keep administrative costs down, the servers are located in a
common Server Farm, as shown in Figure 4.3.
Using a Server Farm requires a network infrastructure that is highly resilient (providing
security) and redundant (providing high availability) and that provides adequate
throughput. High-end LAN switches with the fastest LAN technologies, such as Gigabit
Ethernet, are typically deployed in such an environment.
In a large organization, application traffic might have to pass across more than one wiring closet,
LAN, or VLAN to reach servers in a Server Farm. Client–Server Farm applications apply the 20/
80 rule, where only 20 percent of the traffic remains on the local LAN segment, and 80 percent
leaves the segment to reach centralized servers, the Internet, and so on. Such applications include
the following:
 Organizational mail servers (such as Microsoft Exchange)
 Common file servers (such as Microsoft and Sun)
 Common database servers for organizational applications (such as Oracle)

Figure 3.3 Client–Server Farm Application

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 D. Client–Enterprise Edge Applications
As shown in Figure 3.4, client–Enterprise Edge applications use servers on the Enterprise Edge
to exchange data between the organization and its public servers. The most important issues
between the Enterprise Campus network and the Enterprise Edge are security and high
availability; data exchange with external entities must be in constant operation. Applications
installed on the Enterprise Edge can be crucial to organizational process flow; therefore, any
outages can increase costs.

Figure 3.4 Client–Enterprise Edge Application

Typical Enterprise Edge applications are based on web technologies.
 Examples of these application types—such as external mail and DNS servers and public
web servers—can be found in any organization.

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Organizations that support their partnerships through e-commerce applications also place their e-
commerce servers into the Enterprise Edge. Communication with these servers is vital because of
the two-way replication of data. As a result, high redundancy and resiliency of the network,
along with security, are the most important requirements for these applications.
Client/Server: refers a distributed-computing network systems in which transaction
responsibilities are divided into two parts: client and server. Clients rely on servers for services
such as file storage, printing, and processing power.
Servers are generally powerful computers dedicated to manage disk storage, printers, or
other network resources.
Clients are PCs or workstations on which users run applications. Clients rely on servers
for access to resources, such as storage, peripherals, application software, and processing
power. Clients send queries and requests to a server. The server responds with data or
permission for the client to send data.
The flow is usually bidirectional and asymmetric. Requests from the client are typically
small frames, except when writing data to the server, in which case they are larger.
Responses from the server range from 64 bytes to 1500 bytes or more, depending on the
maximum frame size allowed for the data link layer in use.
HTTP is the most widely used client/server protocol. Clients use a web browser
application, such as Firefox, to talk to web servers.
Campus: The campus network provides network access to end users and devices located
in a single geographical location. The campus may span several floors in a single
building or multiple buildings for larger enterprises. The campus hosts local data, voice,
and video services. The campus design should allow campus users to securely access data
center and Internet resources from the campus infrastructure.
Data center: The data center hosts servers, applications, and storage devices for use by
internal users. The data center also connects the network infrastructure that these
devices require, including routers, switches, load balancers, content delivery devices, and
application acceleration devices.
 The data center is not directly accessible from the Internet to the general public.
Network Application Requirements

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Table 3.1 lists the types of application communication and compares their requirements with
respect to some important network parameters.
Table 3.1 Network Application Requirements
Parameter Peer-Peer Client-Local Client- Client-
Server Server Farm Enterprise
Edge

Connectivity Shared Switched Switched Switched Switched

Type
Total Low Medium to Medium High Medium
required high
throughput
High Low Low Medium High High
availability
Total Low Low Medium High Medium
network cost
 Distant remote building
a. Intrabuilding Structure
An intrabuilding campus network structure provides connectivity for all end nodes located in the
same building and gives them access to the network resources. The Building Access and
Building Distribution layers are typically located in the same building. User workstations are
usually attached to the Building Access switches in the floor wiring closet with twisted-pair
copper cables. Wireless LANs (WLAN) can also be used to provide intrabuilding connectivity,
enabling users to establish and maintain a wireless network connection throughout—or between
—buildings, without the limitations of wires or cables.
Access layer switches usually connect to the Building Distribution switches over optical fiber,
providing better transmission performance and less sensitivity to environmental disturbances
than copper. Depending on the connectivity requirements to resources in other parts of the
campus, the Building Distribution switches may be connected to Campus Core switches.

Interbuilding Structure
As shown in Figure 3.5, an interbuilding network structure provides connectivity between the
individual campus buildings’ central switches (in the Building Distribution and/or Campus Core
layers). These buildings are usually in close proximity, typically only a few hundred meters to

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a few kilometers apart. Because the nodes in all campus buildings usually share common
devices such as servers, the demand for high-speed connectivity between the buildings is high.

Figure 3. 5 Interbuilding Network Structure

Within a campus, companies might deploy their own physical transmission media. To provide
high throughput without excessive interference from environmental conditions, optical fiber is
the medium of choice between the buildings. Depending on the connectivity requirements to
resources in other parts of the campus, the Building Distribution switches might be connected to
Campus Core switches.
b. Distant Remote Building Structure
When connecting buildings at distances that exceed a few kilometers (but still within a
metropolitan area), the most important factor to consider is the physical media. The speed and
cost of the network infrastructure depend heavily on the media selection. If the bandwidth
requirements are higher than the physical connectivity options can support, the network designer
must identify the organization’s critical applications and then select the equipment that supports
intelligent network services—such as QoS and filtering capabilities—that allow optimal use of

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the bandwidth. Some companies might own their media, such as fiber, microwave, or copper
lines.
However, if the organization does not own physical transmission media to certain remote
locations, the Enterprise Campus must connect through the Enterprise Edge using connectivity
options from public service providers, such as traditional WAN links or Metro Ethernet. The
risk of downtime and the service level agreements available from the service providers must also
be considered. For example, inexpensive but unreliable and slowly repaired fiber is not desirable
for mission-critical applications.
 Transmission Media Considerations
An Enterprise Campus can use various physical media to interconnect devices. The type of cable
is an important consideration when deploying a new network or upgrading an existing one.
Cabling infrastructure represents a long-term investment—it is usually installed to last for ten
years or more. The cost of the medium (including installation costs) and the available budget
must be considered in addition to the technical characteristics such as signal attenuation and
electromagnetic interference.
A network designer must be aware of physical media characteristics, because they influence the
maximum distance permitted between devices and the network’s maximum transmission speed.
Twisted-pair cables (copper), optical cables (fiber), and wireless (satellite, microwave, and
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers [IEEE] 802.11 LANs) are the most common
physical transmission media used in modern networks.
 Copper
Twisted-pair cables consist of four pairs of isolated wires that are wrapped together in plastic
cable. With unshielded twisted-pair (UTP), no additional foil or wire is wrapped around the core
wires. This makes these wires less expensive, but also less immune to external electromagnetic
influences than shielded twisted-pair cables. Twisted-pair cabling is widely used to interconnect
workstations, servers, or other devices from their network interface card (NIC) to the network
connector at a wall outlet.
The characteristics of twisted-pair cable depend on the quality of the material from which they
are made. As a result, twisted-pair cables are sorted into categories. Category 5 or greater is
recommended for speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or higher. Category 6 is
recommended for Gigabit Ethernet. Because of the possibility of signal attenuation in the wires,

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the maximum cable length is usually limited to 100 meters. One reason for this length limitation
is collision detection. If one PC starts to transmit and another PC is more than 100 meters away,
the second PC might not detect the signal on the wire and could therefore start to transmit at the
same time, causing a collision on the wire. One of the main considerations in network cabling
design is electromagnetic interference.
Due to high susceptibility to interference, twisted pair is not suitable for use in environments
with electromagnetic influences. Similarly, twisted pair is not appropriate for environments that
can be affected by the interference created by the cable itself.
NOTE: Some security issues are also associated with electromagnetic interference. Hackers with
access to the cabling infrastructure might eavesdrop on the traffic carried across UTP, because
these cables emit electromagnetic signals that can be detected.
Distances longer than 100 meters may require Long-Reach Ethernet (LRE). LRE is Cisco
proprietary technology that runs on voice-grade copper wires; it allows higher distances than
traditional Ethernet and is used as an access technology in WANs.
 Optical Fiber
Typical requirements that lead to the selection of optical fiber cable as a transmission medium
include distances longer than 100 meters and immunity to electromagnetic interference. Different
types of optical cable exist; the two main types are multimode (MM) and single-mode (SM).
Multimode fiber is optical fiber that carries multiple light waves or modes concurrently, each at a
slightly different reflection angle within the optical fiber core. Because modes tend to disperse
over longer lengths (modal dispersion), MM fiber transmission is used for relatively short
distances.
Typically, LEDs are used with MM fiber. The typical diameter of an MM fiber is 50 or 62.5
micrometers. Single-mode (also known as monomode) fiber is optical fiber that carries a single
wave (or laser) of light. Lasers are typically used with SM fiber. The typical diameter of an SM
fiber core is between 2 and 10 micrometers. Single-mode fiber limits dispersion and loss of light,
and therefore allows for higher transmission speeds, but it is more expensive than multimode
fiber. Both MM and SM cables have lower loss of signal than copper cable. Therefore, optical
cables allow longer distances between devices. Optical fiber cable has precise production and
installation requirements; therefore, it costs more than twisted-pair cable. Optical fiber requires a

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precise technique for cable coupling. Even a small deviation from the ideal position of optical
connectors can result in either a loss of signal or a large number of frame losses.
Careful attention during optical fiber installation is imperative because of the traffic’s high
sensitivity to coupling misalignment. In environments where the cable does not consist of a
single fiber from point to point, coupling is required, and loss of signal can easily occur.
 Wireless
The inherent nature of wireless is that it does not require wires to carry information across
geographic areas that are otherwise prohibitive to connect. WLANs can either replace a
traditional wired network or extend its reach and capabilities. In-building WLAN equipment
includes access points (AP) that perform functions similar to wired networking hubs, and PC
client adapters. APs are distributed throughout a building to expand range and functionality for
wireless clients. Wireless bridges and APs can also be used for interbuilding connectivity and
outdoor wireless client access. Wireless clients supporting IEEE 802.11g allow speeds of up to
54 Mbps in the 2.4-GHz band over a range of about 100 feet. The IEEE 802.11b standard
supports speeds of up to 11 Mbps in the 2.4- GHz band. The IEEE 802.11a standard supports
speeds of up to 54 Mbps in the 5-GHz band.
Characteristics of the transmission media types
Table 3.2 Transmission Media Type Characteristics

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3.3. Infrastructure Device Characteristics and Considerations
Network end-user devices are commonly connected using switched technology rather than using
a shared media segment. Switched technology provides dedicated network bandwidth for each
device on the network. Switched networks can support network infrastructure services, such as
QoS, security, and management; a shared media segment cannot support these features. In the
past, LAN switches were Layer 2–only devices. Data link layer (Layer 2) switching supports
multiple simultaneous frame flows.
Multilayer switching performs packet switching and several functions at Layer 3 and at higher
Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layers and can effectively replace routers in the LAN
switched environment.
Difference between data link layer and multilayer switching
The difference between data link layer and multilayer switching is the type of information used
inside the frame to determine the correct output interface.
Data link layer switching forwards frames based on data link layer information (the MAC
address), whereas multilayer switching forwards frames based on network layer information
(such as IP address). Multilayer switching is hardware-based switching and routing integrated
into a single platform.
When deciding on the type of switch to use and the features to be deployed in a network,
consider the following factors:
 Infrastructure service capabilities: The network services that the organization requires (IP
multicast, QoS, and so on).
 Size of the network segments: How the network is segmented and how many end devices
will be connected, based on traffic characteristics.
 Convergence time: The maximum amount of time the network will be unavailable in the
event of network outages.
 Cost: The budget for the network infrastructure. Note that multilayer switches are
typically more expensive than their Layer 2 counterparts; however, multilayer
functionality can be obtained by adding cards and software to a modular Layer 2 switch.
 Difference between the Campus and Datacenter network
 The Campus is where end-users connect to the network whatever the devices they are using
(laptops, IP phone, printers .. etc.) while the Datacenter is where the servers and another

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 serving devices such as load balance and storage located and connect to the network
 In the Campus has wireless and wired ethernet infrastructure with 1G or 10G range of speed,
but in the Datacenter has only wired infrastructure generally in 10G or higher range of
speed.
 A failure in a campus impact the users only who in the failure area (eg, if an access switch
went down, only the connected users will be affected, and if a distribution switch went down
only the connected access switches will be affected which not cause an interruption or outage
to the rest of the network)
 A failure in a data center can affect all the users who using the network (eg, if a server went
down, all the users in the network will be affected)

The End

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