Chapter 1

LAN Design
Hierarchical Network Model

 Used for successfully building a LAN.

–Divides the network into three

layers , each has it’s specific functions .

–Network design becomes modular,

scalable and at high performance.

– Network will be also easier to be

managed and problems are solved
more quickly.

 The typical three layers are :

–Access
–Distribution
–Core
The 3 Layers Hierarchical Network Model

 The Access Layer .

– Interface devices to access the

network , i.e. “PCs, printers, IP
phones”.

– Can include routers, switches, bridges,

hubs, or wireless access points.

– Permit or deny connecting devices to

the network by implementing port
security.
The 3 Layers Hierarchical Network Model

 The Distribution layer.

• Usually high-performance , high – available

redundant switches to ensure reliability.

• Aggregates access layer switches data

before it is transmitted to the core layer for
routing to its final destination.

• Controls network traffic using policies.

• Delineates broadcast domains by

performing routing functions between
(VLANs) defined at the access layer.

• VLANs allow you to segment the traffic on

a switch into separate subnetworks.
i.e. According to faculty, students, and guests.
The 3 Layers Hierarchical Network Model

 The Core layer

• The backbone of the internetwork that

forwards large amounts of data
aggregated from the distribution layer at a
very high-speed.

• As it connects distribution layer devices, it

should be high available and redundant.

• It also connects the network to Internet

resources.

In smaller networks, distribution layer and

core layer might be combined into one
layer.
Design can be viewed by either logical or physical topology.
The logical representation
makes it easy to see which
switches perform which
function.
Logical
Layout The physical representation
shows the actual
connectivity and location of
network devices

Physical
Layout
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

• Benefits:

• Scalability
• Redundancy
• Performance
• Security
• Manageability
• Maintainability
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

Scalability

Hierarchical Networks can be expanded easily.

Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

 Scalability

– Add more access layer switches until you reach the limit distribution layer switches
can handle before additional distribution layer switches are needed in the network
topology.

– For more distribution layer switches , add additional core layer switches to handle
the additional load on the core.
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

Redundancy

Redundancy at the core and distribution layers ensure

availability.
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

 Redundancy ( increasing availability)

– Connect access layer switches to two different distribution layer switches to

ensure path redundancy.

– If one of the distribution layer switches fails, the access layer switch can
switch to the other distribution layer switch.

– Connect distribution layer switches to two or more core layer switches to

ensure path availability if a core switch fails.

– Access layer redundancy is limited (end node devices, such as PCs, printers,
and IP phones, do not have the ability to connect to multiple access layer
switches ).

– If an access layer switch fails, just the devices connected to that one switch
would be affected by the outage. The rest of the network would continue to
function unaffected.
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

 Performance

– Performance issues might occur at the access layer if transmitting data through
low-performing intermediary switches (10 Mbps switch interfaces) is not avoided.

– Data is sent from the access layer to the distribution layer at near wire speed
( No problem).

– Core and distribution layers perform their operations at very high speeds . (No
bandwidth problems also here..)
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

 Security

– Apply port security on access layer entry devices to control which devices are
allowed to connect to the network. I.e. ( Configuring switches to detect MAC
addresses).

– Use security policies at the distribution layer by Appling access control

policies that define which communication protocols are permitted to pass
through. (Example : Access control lists that blocks http.) on layer 3
switches or upper layer devices (Routers , Firewalls , etc.).

– Avoid implementing security on the core layer where very high switching
speed is required.
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

 Manageability

– Consistency between the switches at same layer level allows rapid troubleshooting.

– Manageability allows adding or changing access layer switch functionality by

repeating changes across all access layer switches with very few modifications.

– Hence , all different configurations should be all documented to be able to compare

them before deployment.
Benefits of a Hierarchical Network

 Maintainability

–Use high-performance switches to achieve maximum performance.

–Use the full mesh network topology to avoid bottlenecks .
–Select the correct switch at each layer that achieve it’s function.
–Save money by using less expensive access layer switches at the lowest
layer . Spend more on the distribution and core layer switches to achieve high
performance on the network.
Principles of Hierarchical Network Design

Just because a network is hierarchical, it doesn’t mean it’s well designed.

• Network Diameter:

 The number of devices that a packet has to cross before it reaches its
destination.

• Bandwidth Aggregation:

 After the bandwidth requirements of the network are known, links

between specific switches can be aggregated or combined to provide
higher bandwidth.

• Redundancy:

 The practice of providing multiple paths to a destination or multiple

instances of a device creates a high available network .
Network Diameter

 Network Diameter : The number of devices a packet has to cross before it

reaches its destination. The lower the network diameter
the more you have predictable latency between devices.

Network diameter = 6
Network Diameter

 Device latency is the time spent by a device as it processes a packet or frame.

 Latency occurs because each switch has to ( Determine the destination MAC
address of the frame, check its MAC address table, and forward the frame out the
appropriate port ).
 There could be up to six interconnected switches between PC1 and PC3. (Each
device add more latency) ( Network diameter=6).
 Having a three-layer hierarchical model always have a predictable number of hops
between the source and destination devices.
Bandwidth aggregation “Link aggregation”

 Combining multiple physical links “switch ports” between switches to achieve the
required bandwidth between switches.

 Implement Link aggregation at any of the three layers , link aggregation technology
is a Cisco propriety called EtherChannel.

 Aggregated links are represented by dotted line/s with an oval tying them together.

 Switches S1, S3, and S5 require increased bandwidth.

Redundancy

 Redundancy : Creating a highly available network in any of many ways:

 Double up the network connections between devices, or double the devices
themselves.

 Redundant links can be expensive.

• Connecting a switch to every switch at the next layer.

• Implement redundancy at the access layer is unlikely because of the cost
and limited features in the end devices.
Redundancy

 In case of the failure of one of the redundant distribution switches , the access
layer switch S1, S3, S4, and S6 adjusts its transmission path and forwards the
traffic through the other distribution switch.
Start your design

 Document the design requirements ( Redundancy , Performance , etc. ).

 Select the equipment and infrastructure to implement the design.
 The number of end devices on the network determine the number of the access
layer switches you need.
 The number of access layer switches determine how many distribution layer
switches are required .
 The number of distribution layer switches, identify how many core switches are
required.
What is a Converged Network?

Combining voice and video communications on one data

network.

 It is possible as most telephone companies have made the

transition from analog phones lines to digital-based switches.

 Advanced Technology

• It might be difficult to apply if business already

invested in separate voice, video, and data
networks.

• One benefit of a converged network is that there is

just one network to manage. Saving cabling of three
different networks is also another advantage.

• A high-end “VoIP phone and switch” combination

suitable for a medium-sized business of 250-400
employees
New Converged Network options

 Tie voice and video communications directly into an

employee's personal computer system.

• No need for an expensive handset phone or

videoconferencing equipment.

• Use a special software Softphones integrated in the

P.C. such as the Cisco IP Communicator to have a
lot of flexibility for businesses.

• This will save the expense in purchasing “ IP phones

and the switches” needed to power the phones.

• You might need additional webcams so that

videoconferencing can be added to a softphone.
Legacy “ Separate “ versus converged networks

 Voice , video and data networks

• Isolated phone lines running to a PBX switch allow phone connectivity to the
PSTN.

• As a new phone added, a new line has to run back to the PBX switch located
in a Telco wiring closet . This voice line is separate from the data and video
wiring closets.

• Videoconferencing is better to be separate as it consumes significant

bandwidth of the network and as it should operate at full speed .
• Data network interconnects the workstations and servers on a network to
facilitate resource sharing.

• Now that properly designed hierarchical networks can accommodate the

bandwidth requirements of voice, video, and data communications at the
same time, it makes sense to converge them all onto a single hierarchical
network Using an implemented QoS policies that prioritize voice and video
and data with little to no impact on video and audio quality.
Considerations for Hierarchical Network Switches

 Traffic Flow Analysis

–Measure bandwidth usage and analyze the data on a network .

–Needed to plan capacity , tune performance and make hardware

improvement decisions.

–i.e. Select the appropriate switch for a layer based on traffic flows, user
communities and the existence of data storage servers.

–Analyzing traffic sources allows you to more accurately tune and upgrade the
network to achieve the best possible performance.
Traffic Flow Analysis
 Analysis Tools

–Automatically record traffic flow data to a database and perform a trend

analysis.

–The figure displays sample output from Solarwinds Orion 8.1 NetFlow
Analysis, which monitors traffic flow on a network.
–A good one to try as well is PRTG Traffic Grapher
http://www.paessler.com/prtg/
Considerations for Hierarchical Network Switches
 User Communities Analysis
 Identifying groupings of users and their impact on network performance.

• End users are normally grouped according to their job function as they require
similar access to resources and applications.

• If you were to select an appropriate access layer switch to accommodate a 20

P.C. in the HR department, you would probably choose a 24 port switch, which
has enough ports to accommodate the 20 workstations and the uplinks to the
distribution layer switches.
Considerations for Hierarchical Network Switches
 User Communities Analysis
 It might be better to select a location for a specific user community near data
stores and servers. “ Reduce traffic by reducing network diameter”.

• One complication of analyzing is that usage is not always bound by department or

physical location.
Considerations for Hierarchical Network Switches
 Future Growth
 Include personnel growth rate over the past five years in the network plan to
be able to anticipate the future growth.

• Plan should ensure enough open switch ports that can utilized before the next
planned upgrade to the network.
Analyzing network traffic
“Data Stores and Data Servers Analysis”
 When analyzing traffic , consider servers and data stores location.

• Include both client-server and server-server traffic for analysis.

• Data stores can be servers, storage area networks (SANs), network-

attached storage (NAS), tape backup units, or any other device .
Data Stores and Data Servers Analysis

 Client-server traffic is generated when a client device accesses data from

a data stores.

–As this traffic traverses multiple switches to reach its destination.

Bandwidth aggregation and switch forwarding rates are important
factors to consider to eliminate bottlenecks for this type of traffic.

 Server-server traffic is generated between data storage devices on the

network.

–Traffic volume between data stores and other servers might be

very high for some applications.

–Servers needing frequent access to certain resources should be

located in close proximity to each other in order not to affect the
performance of the rest of the network.
 Topology Diagrams

 A topology diagram is a graphical representation of a network infrastructure.

• Shows switches and connections to other switches and devices.

• Displays redundant paths or aggregated ports .
• Number of switches and identifies their configuration.
• Can also include device densities and user communities.
• Allows you to visually identify potential bottlenecks in network traffic so that
you can focus your traffic analysis data collection on areas where
improvements can have the most significant impact on performance.

 A network topology would be easier represented by a person who is a part of

the design process.

• Network cables in the wiring closets disappear into the floors and ceilings,
making it difficult to trace their destinations.
• And because devices are spread throughout the building, it is difficult to know
how all of the pieces are connected together.
• With patience, you can determine just how everything is interconnected and
then document the network infrastructure in a topology diagram.
Topology Diagrams
Switch Features

 Switch Form Factors

–When you select a switch, you need to

decide between

• Fixed configuration.
• Modular configuration.
• Stackable.
• Non-stackable
• The thickness of the switch expressed in
number of rack units.

• For example, the Fixed Configuration

Switches shown in the figure are all 1U.
Switch Features
 Fixed Configuration Switches

–You cannot add features or additional ports to these switches beyond those
originally came with the switch.

–Accordingly , many configuration choices that depend on ports types might be

also limited.

 Modular Switches - switches with flexible characteristics

–Come with different sized chassis that allow installation of different numbers
of modular cards “ports”.
–The larger the chassis, the more modules it can support.
–There can be many different chassis sizes to choose from. If you bought a
modular switch with a 24-port line card, you could easily add an additional 24
port line card, to bring the total number of ports up to 48.
Switch Features
-Stackable Switches

Stackable switches can be

interconnected one atop of the other using
a special backplane cable that provides
high-bandwidth throughput between the
switches.

 Compared to general inline ports, stack

is a very high speed special port for
connecting switches connected in a daisy
chain fashion.

Cisco introduced StackWise technology in

one of its switch product lines.

The stacked switches effectively operate

as a single larger switch .

Stackable switches are desirable where

bandwidth availability are critical and a
modular switch is too costly to implement.

Using cross-connected connections, the

network can recover quickly if a single
switch fails.
Switch Features-
Performance

To select an access, distribution, or core layer switch, consider the ability of
the switch to support the

• port density.
• forwarding rates.
• bandwidth aggregation.
Switch Features
Port Density
 Port density is the number of ports available on a single switch.

• Fixed configuration switches typically support up to 48 ports on a single

switch.

–If you have two switches that each contain 24 ports, you would be
able to support up to 46 devices, because you lose at least one port
per switch to connect each switch to the rest of the network.

• Modular switches are needed by large enterprises to support very high port
densities through the addition of multiple switch port line cards .

–Catalyst 6500 switch can support in excess of 1,000 switch ports

on a single device , this will also save power outlets.

• You must also address the issue of uplink bottlenecks on fixed switches
that needs bandwidth aggregation by wasting additional ports.

–Modular switch backplane of the chassis can provide the necessary

bandwidth to accommodate the devices connected to the switch port
line cards without any problem.
Switch Features-
Forwarding Rates
 Defines the processing capabilities “ data the switch can process per second “.

• The switch forwarding rate should be high to accommodate full wire-speed

communication across all of its switch ports.

–A 48-port gigabit switch operating at full wire speed generates 48

Gb/s of traffic. If the switch forwarding rate is 32 Gb/s, it cannot run at
full wire speed across all ports simultaneously.

• Access layer switches typically do not need to operate at full wire speed
because they are physically limited by their uplinks to the distribution layer.
–Thus , use less expensive, lower performing switches at the access
layer, and use the more expensive, higher performing switches at the
distribution and core layers, where the forwarding rate makes a bigger
difference.
Switch Features-Link aggregation
 Determine if there are enough ports on a switch to aggregate to support the
required bandwidth.

• If you have a 24-Giga port switch, you could generate up to 24 Gb/s of

network traffic.
–If the switch is connected to the rest of the network by a single cable
with 1 Gb/s , that results in 1/24th wire speed available to each of the
24 devices connected to the switch.

• Link aggregation reduce bottlenecks of traffic by allowing up to 8 switch

ports to be bound together providing up to 8 Gb/s of data throughput when
Gigabit Ethernet ports are used.

–Cisco uses the term EtherChannel when describing aggregated switch

ports.

–As you can see in the figure, four separate ports on switches C1 and
D1 are used to create a 4-port EtherChannel.
Switch Features – POE & Layer 3 functions
 Power over Ethernet (PoE) , allows the switch
to deliver power to a device over the existing
Ethernet cabling.

• POE is a flexible solution to install

wireless A.P. and IP phones anywhere
you can run an Ethernet cable without
considering running ordinary power to
the device.
• A switch that supports POE should be
selected to take the advantage of the
feature, because it adds considerable
cost to the switch.

 Layer 3 Functions of switches are able to route

layer 3 IP address traffic .

• Also known as multilayer switches.

• Typically, switches operate at Layer 2 of
the OSI model and deal with the MAC
addresses of devices connected to
switch ports.
• Configuring communication between
VLAN implemented switched also need a
layer 3 switch or a router.
Access Layer Switch Features

It connects the end node devices to the network and

provided with the following optional features :

• Port security: Specify numbers and addresses of devices

allowed to connect to the switch , “first line of defense” .

• VLANs: Distribute and classify hosts to different

networks , It also allows applying QOS to prioritize voice
and video traffic.

• Port speed: Fast Ethernet 100 Mb/s ports is adequate for

IP telephony and data traffic . Gigabit Ethernet enables
users to be more productive.

• POE: Considered only when IP phones or wireless access

points are being implemented and power is difficult or
expensive to connect.

• Link aggregation: Access layer switches supports link

aggregation.

• QoS: Access layer switches should support QoS to

prioritize traffic in converged networks.
Distribution Layer Switch Features

 Collect and forward data from access layer switches to core

layer switches and need to support features such as
• Support Layer 3 functions: To allow inter-VLAN
communication and routing functions .

• Security Policies: Distribution layer should be capable to

Control traffic flows using ACL . Core layer security
should be avoided to process data quickly.
• Quality of Service: Support QoS to prioritize QOS traffic
coming from the access layer switches .
• Redundancy: Distribution layer switches should support
redundancy for adequate availability because all access
layer traffic passes through the distribution layer
switches.
• Link aggregation: Multiple links ensure adequate
bandwidth and provide fault tolerance in case a link is
lost.

–Distribution layer switches need to be able to

forward traffic as fast as possible to the core layer
switches .
–Distribution layer switches also need high-
bandwidth aggregated links back to the core layer
switches.
Core Layer Switch Features

 It is the high-speed backbone of the network

that handle very high forwarding rates. Core
switches need to support features such as:

• Link Aggregation: Support receiving

aggregated data from distribution
switches and should also support
aggregating 10GbE connections, which is
currently the fastest available Ethernet
connectivity option.

• Redundancy:

–Core layer switches should be also

able to support Layer 3 functions.
–Should also have redundant power
supplies that can be swapped while
the switch continues to operate.

• QoS : Core switches should be also able

to prioritize traffic.
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)
 Cisco has seven switch product lines each with different characteristics and features.

 Find the right switch to meet the functional requirements of your network.

 The Cisco switch product lines are:

–Catalyst Express 500

–Catalyst 2960
–Catalyst 3560
–Catalyst 3750
–Catalyst 4500
–Catalyst 4900
–Catalyst 6500
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Catalyst Express 500

 The Cisco's entry-layer switch.

 Low port density .

 Can be configured for security and

QOS.
 Only Web-based management ( NO console
CLI)

 Up to 24 10/100 ports with optional PoE or

12 10/100/1000 ports

 The Cisco Network Assistant or the

new Cisco Configuration Manager
developed specifically for the Catalyst
Express 500 series switches.
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Catalyst 2960 Switches

 Provide enhanced LAN services for entry-

layer medium-sized enterprise.

 Used in access layer implementations where

access to power and space is limited.

 Supports QOS , ACL’s and multilayered

switching

 Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet

connectivity

 Up to 48 10/100 ports or 10/100/1000 ports

with additional dual purpose gigabit uplinks

 Do not support PoE.

 Supports CLI , web management interface,

and Cisco Network Assistant.
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Catalyst 3560

 Enterprise-class switches that supports

POE, QOS, and advanced security
features such as ACLs.

 Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet

connectivity Up to 48 10/100/1000 ports,
plus four small form-factor pluggable (SFP)
ports.

 Optional Integrated PoE up to 24 ports with

15.4 watts or 48 ports with 7.3 watts
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Catalyst 3750

 Ideal for access layer switches in

enterprise branch offices.

 Supports Cisco StackWise technology

which allows you to interconnect up
to nine physical Catalyst 3750
switches into one logical switch.
 Up to 48 10/100/1000 ports, plus four SFP
ports .

 Optional Integrated PoE , up to 24 ports

with 15.4 watts or 48 ports with 7.3 watts
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)
Catalyst 4500

 The first midrange modular switching platform

offering multilayer switching for enterprises, and
service providers.

 Forwarding rates up to 136 Gb/s.

 Capable of managing traffic at the distribution

layer.

 The modular capability that allows for very high

port densities , up to 384 Fast or Gigabit
Ethernet ports available in copper or fiber with
10 Gigabit uplinks

 Offers multilayer QOS ,sophisticated routing

functions , and POE.

 Dual, hot-swappable internal AC or DC power supplies.

For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Catalyst 4900

 very high forwarding rates designed for server

switching .

 Designed for data centers where many servers may

exist in close proximity.

 Dual redundant power supplies and fans that can be

swapped out while the switch is still running.

 Support advanced QOS features and stackWise feature

of the Catalyst 3750 series nor do they support PoE
 Up to 48 10/100/1000 ports with four SFP ports or 48
10/100/1000 ports with two 10GbE ports.
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Catalyst 6500

 Ideal for very large enterprise and service

providers.

 Advanced hardware-assisted IP routing

capabilities

 Optimized for security and convergence.

 Manage distribution and core layers traffic.

 Highest forwarding rates up to 720 Gb/s.

 Modular switch and POE support , Up to

1152 10/100 ports, 577 10/100/1000
ports, 410 SFP Gigabit Ethernet ports, or
64 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
 Dual, hot-swappable internal AC or DC
power supplies.
For Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)