Chapter 1: The Campus Network

The CCNP Exam Topics Covered in This Chapter Include the Following:

  • Identify the correct Cisco Systems product solution given a set of network switching requirements

  • Describe the Enterprise Composite Model (Campus Infrastructure, Server Farm, Enterprise Edge, Network Management) used for designing networks

  • Identify enterprise network needs for performance, scalability, and availability

  • Understand the physical, data-link, and network layer technologies used in a multi-layer switched network

  • Describe the Enterprise Composite Model components and explain how switches fit into these roles.

The definition of a campus network has never been straightforward, but the common description is a group of LAN segments within a building or group of buildings that connect to form one network. Typically, one company owns the entire network, including the wiring between buildings. This local area network (LAN) typically uses Ethernet, Token Ring, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technologies. The size of the campus network is not defined, as it may be inside a single large building or spread across something as large as a distributed university campus. In fact, with the advent of Metro Ethernet, it may even be dispersed across different towns.

Note 

An Enterprise network connects all shared services and data within an enterprise. Some enterprises are global, and some are very self-contained. An Enterprise network may consist of several campus networks as well as possible WAN cores-that really depends on the size of the enterprise.

The main challenge for network administrators is to make the campus network run efficiently and effectively. To do this, they must understand current campus networks as well as the new emerging campus networks. Therefore, in this chapter, you will learn about current and future requirements of campus internetworks (the connecting of several campuses). We'll explain the limitations of traditional campus networks as well as the benefits of the emerging campus designs. You will learn how to choose from among the new generation of Cisco switches to maximize the performance of your networks. Understanding how to design for the emerging campus networks is not only critical to your success on the Switching exam, it's also critical for implementing production networks.

As part of the instruction in network design, we'll discuss the specifics of technologies, including how to implement Ethernet and the differences between layer 2, layer 3, and layer 4 switching technologies. In particular, you will learn how to implement FastEthernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Fast EtherChannel, and Multi-Layer Switching (MLS) in the emerging campus designs. This will help you learn how to design, implement, and maintain an efficient and effective internetwork.

You will learn about the Cisco hierarchical model, which is covered in all the Cisco courses. In particular, you will learn which Catalyst switches can-and should-be implemented at each layer of the Cisco model. You will also learn how to design networks based on switch and core blocks. Finally, you will learn about SAFE, the Cisco secure blueprint for enterprise networks, including a description of the network in terms of modules and how they are constructed and interact.

This chapter provides you with a thorough overview of campus network design (past, present, and future) and teaches you how, as a network administrator, to choose the most appropriate technology for particular network needs. This will enable you to configure and design your network now, with the future in mind.



CCNP. Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks Study Guide (642-811)
CCNP: Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks Study Guide (642-811)
ISBN: 078214294X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 174
Authors: Terry Jack

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