Chapter3.The Cloud


Chapter 3. The Cloud

In telecommunications, a public or semi-public space on transmission lines (such as T1 or T3) that exists between the endpoints of a transmission is referred to as the cloud or the network cloud. Data that is transmitted across a wide-area network (WAN) enters the network from one endpoint by using a standard protocol suite. The data then enters the network cloud where it shares space with other data transmissions. Within the cloud, the data can be encapsulated, translated, and transported in different ways, but it emerges in the same format as it entered the cloud. A network cloud represents a packet-switched network (PSN), where no two packets necessarily follow the same physical path .

Another understanding of this term as a troubleshooting engineer is that you have no visibility of the internal structure and procedures over the cloud, which traditionally belongs and is managed by a carrier or a local service provider. The term carrier is a legacy term that comes from voice technology, where channels are carried over multiplexed systems and don't appear in their natural band of 0.3-3.4 kHz until the signal reaches the receiver. Today, the term carrier includes not only legacy, but additional services, which are explained in more detail in the following pages.

Having learned about telecommunication basics, this chapter provides you with fundamental knowledge for when you are dealing with service providers. The focus of this chapter covers the following topics:

  • Carriers , service providers, and how the traffic is carried

  • T-carriers, E-carriers, Signaling System 7 (SS7), and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)

  • Carrier's facilities and switching system

  • Internet service providers (ISPs) and application service providers (ASPs)

  • Future features to be expected from service providers




Troubleshooting Remote Access Networks CCIE Professional Development
Troubleshooting Remote Access Networks (CCIE Professional Development)
ISBN: 1587050765
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 235

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