Characterizing the Existing

Internetwork

Chapter Three

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Whats the Starting Point?

According to Abraham Lincoln:

If we could first know where we are and
whither we are tending, we could better judge
what to do and how to do it.

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Characterizing Large Internetworks

Developing a single network map might not

be possible for large internetworks.

There are many approaches to solving this

problem, including simply developing many
maps.

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Characterizing Large
Internetworks
for each location. Another approach is to
apply a top-down method. Start with a map
or set of maps that shows the following
high-level information:
Geographical information, such as countries,
states or provinces, cities, and campuses
WAN connections between countries, states, and
cities
WAN and LAN connections between buildings and
between campuses

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Characterizing Large
Internetworks
For each campus network, you can develop
more precise maps that show the following
more detailed information:
Buildings and floors, and possibly rooms or
cubicles
The location of major servers or server farms
The location of routers and switches

Compiled By: Miss Kiran Ayub

Characterizing Large
Internetworks

The location of firewalls, Network Address

Translation (NAT) devices, intrusion detection
systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems
(IPS)
The location of mainframes
The location of major network-management
stations
The location and reach of virtual LANs (VLAN)
Some indication of where workstations reside,
although not necessarily the explicit location of
each workstation
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Where Are We?

Characterize the existing internetwork in

terms of:
Its infrastructure
Logical structure (modularity, hierarchy,
topology)
Physical structure

Addressing and naming

Wiring and media
Architectural and environmental constraints
Health

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Get a Network Map

Medford
Fast Ethernet
50 users

Roseburg
Fast Ethernet
30 users

Frame Relay
CIR = 56 Kbps
DLCI = 5

Frame Relay
CIR = 56 Kbps
DLCI = 4

Grants Pass
HQ
Gigabit
Ethernet

Gigabit
Ethernet
Grants Pass
HQ
Fast Ethernet
75 users

FEP
(Front End
Processor)
IBM
Mainframe

T1
Web/FTP server
Eugene
Ethernet
20 users

T1

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Internet

Get a Network Map: Information

to collect

A network map is the first thing to work on

This map should include:
Geographical locations
WAN connections between sites
Labeled with type /speed/protocols/media/service
provider

Buildings and floor where equipment will be

Connections between Buildings and floors
Location of connection points like routers and
switches
Internet connections
Remote access Points
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Characterize Addressing and

Naming
IP addressing for major devices, client
networks, server networks, and so on
Any strategies for addressing and
naming?

For example, sites may be named using airport

codes
San Francisco = SFO, Oakland = OAK

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Characterize the Wiring and Media

To help you meet scalability and availability

goals for your new network design, it is
important to understand the cabling design
and wiring of the existing network.

Documenting the existing cabling design and

types of cabling as well as cable distances.

Distance information is important if a

customer plan to upgrade from copper to
fiber cabling.
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Characterize the Wiring and Media

Within buildings, try to locate

telecommunications wiring closets, crossconnect rooms, and any laboratories or
computer rooms.

If possible, determine the type of cabling

that is installed between
telecommunications closets and in work
areas.

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Characterize the Wiring and

Media

Single-mode fiber:
Multi-mode fiber
Shielded twisted pair (STP) copper
Unshielded-twisted-pair (UTP) copper
Coaxial cable
Microwave
Laser
Radio
Infra-red

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Characterize the Wiring and

Media

Single-mode fiber:is optical fiber that is designed

for the transmission of a single ray or mode of light as a
carrier and is used for long-distance signal transmission.

Multi-mode fiber:mostly used for communication

over short distances, such as within a building or on a
campus

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Campus Network Wiring

Horizontal
Wiring

Work-Area
Wiring
Wallplate

Telecommunications
Wiring Closet

Vertical
Wiring
(Building
Backbone)

Main Cross-Connect Room

(or Main Distribution Frame)

Building A - Headquarters

Intermediate Cross-Connect Room

(or Intermediate Distribution Frame)

Campus
Backbone

Building B

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Architectural Constraints

Make sure the following are sufficient

Air conditioning
Heating
Ventilation
Power
Protection from electromagnetic interference
Doors that can lock

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Architectural Constraints

Make sure theres space for:

Cabling conduits
Patch panels
Equipment racks
Work areas for technicians installing and
troubleshooting equipment

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Issues for Wireless Installations

Reflection
Absorption
Refraction
Diffraction

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Reflection :

Reflection causes the signal to bounce back on itself.

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Absorption

Some of the electromagnetic energy of the signal can be

absorbed by the material in objects through which it passes,
resulting in a reduced signal level

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Refraction

When an RF signal passes from a medium with one density

into a medium with another density, the signal can be bent,
much like light passing through a prism

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Diffraction

Diffraction is similar to refraction, results when a region

through which the RF signal can pass easily is adjacent to a
region in which reflective obstructions exist.

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Check the Health of the Existing

Internetwork
Performance
Availability
Bandwidth utilization
Accuracy
Efficiency
Response time
Status of major routers, switches, and
firewalls

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Check the Status of Major

Routers, Switches, and Firewalls
show
show
show
show
show
show
show

buffers
environment
interfaces
memory
processes
running-config
version

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