Network Design

5-10 Creating a Manageable Plan

Creating a Manageable Plan
A well thought-out and carefully designed network is still difficult to
troubleshoot if no one else knows how it is organized. There may come a time
when the designer of the network is not available, for whatever reason, and
troubleshooting or re-configuration needs to be done. It may also become
necessary to expand the network to accommodate a growing use of workstations
or increases in personnel. It is at these times that a properly thought-out,
implemented, and recorded network plan becomes a life saver.
The network plan is the “concept” behind the entire network. It deals with
everything from where devices will be located and where the cables will be run to
the advanced or future technologies that the network may incorporate as it grows
or changes.
A good network plan can go a long way to eliminating headaches during the
configuration and implementation stages. Have an overall design in mind when
you begin planning individual configurations, and the network will be much
easier to see as a whole. The network plan, in the design stages of networking, can
point out areas that need additional work, help you locate possible trouble spots,
and allow you to make the network more capable, more reliable, and more
expandable than a haphazardly-assembled collection of cables and hardware.

Logical Layout

Component Location
The actual locations of the networking hardware is an important aspect of logical
layout. As a network designer, you should determine how you want to treat the
placement of devices and hold to that decision whenever possible.
Some of the commonly considered aspects of logical layout are as follows:
• Workgroup Location - If a workgroup is centered in a particular area of a
facility, you may wish to locate the networking hardware directly related to
that workgroup in the same physical area as the workgroup.
• Security - This is related to Centralization and Control (see below). In some
cases, for security reasons, you may wish to place networking hardware in
locations where they are not easily accessed by unqualified personnel. The
usual course of action for security is to place networking equipment in an
enclosed equipment cabinet or a locked wiring closet.