Network Deployment and roll out is one of the challenging tasks for any organization with involvement of several stakeholders. We have decades of experience in guiding enterprises in deploying networks and infrastructure. Our strong program and project management skills ensure cost-effective network implementation, which are also faster to the market and we get it right the first time, every single time. Our dedicated professional service team can walk through enterprises in such deployment. We Integrate & deploy Networks under the following environments
- Campus-wide Networks in Educational Campuses, Institutes, Corporates, Govt. & PSU campuses etc.
- Data Centers
- Multi-locational business houses & offices
A campus network is generally the portion of the network infrastructure that provides access to network communication services and resources to end users and devices that spread over a single geographic location. It might be a single floor, a building, or even a group of buildings spread over an extended geographic area.
Common Campus network Hierarchical Design Models
A common hierarchical network design model breaks the complex problem of network design into smaller and more manageable. Each level, or tier in the hierarchy is focused on specific set of roles. This helps the network designer and architect to optimize and select the right network hardware, software and features to perform specific roles for that network layer.
A typical enterprise hierarchical campus network design includes the following three layers:
- The Core layer that provides optimal transport between sites and high-performance routing
- The Distribution layer that provides policy-based connectivity and control boundary between the access and core layers
- The Access layer that provides workgroup/user access to the network
The two proven hierarchical design architectures for campus networks are the three-tier layer and the two-tier layer models
Three-tier layer model
This design model can be used in large campus networks where multiple distribution layer and buildings need to be interconnected
Two-tier layer model
This model can be used in small and medium campus network where core and distribution functions can be collapsed into one layer also known as collapsed core/distribution model
Modular Campus Network Architecture
By applying the hierarchical design model discussed above into multiple blocks within the campus network this will result in a more scalable and modular topology called “building blocks” which allow the network to meet evolving business needs. The modular design makes the network more scalable and manageable by promoting deterministic traffic patterns. Network changes and upgrades can be performed in a controlled and staged manner, allowing greater flexibility in the maintenance and operation of the campus network
Layer 3 Design considerations
In a typical hierarchal campus network, the distribution layer/block is considered as the demarcation point between layer 2 and layer 3 domains where layer 3 uplinks participate in the campus core routing using an interior routing protocol IGP which can help to interconnect multiple campus distribution blocks together for end-to-end campus connectivity. As a result, the selection of the IGP is important to a redundant and reliable IP/routing reachability within the campus taking into consideration scalability and the ability of the network to grow with minimal changes/impact to the network and routing design. Some of the factors that can be considered for selecting an IGP for a campus LAN:
- Size of the network e.g., number of L3 hopes and expected future growth
- Convergence time e.g., OSPF and EIGRP can converge during a link/path failure quicker than RIP
- Authentication support
- Support for variable length subnet mask (VLSM)
- Support of route summarization
Network Virtualization
In a modern Campus network, the demand on having multiple logical groups such as users, services, applications. Etc. to be separated within the campus network for security and other business requirements is increasing. Network virtualization is the most suitable solution for this type of requirements where multiple logical isolated networks can be created over one common physical network.
A typical network virtualization divides the network into three main logical areas:
- Access Control
- Path Isolation
- Service Edge
Campus Network high availability
The need of a highly available network is not a new requirement, however with the increased number of services and communications that utilize the underlying IP network infrastructure systems and network, availability become crucial and one of the main elements of the campus network that need to be considered during planning and design phases. The flowing three major network resiliency requirements as described by many Network Integrators cover most of the common types of failure conditions. Depending on the LAN design tier, the resiliency option appropriate to the role and network service type must be deployed:
- Network resiliency: Provides redundancy during physical link failures, such as fiber cut, bad transceivers, incorrect cabling, and so on.
- Device resiliency: Protects the network during abnormal node failure triggered by hardware or software, such as software crashes, a non-responsive supervisor, and so on.
- Operational resiliency: Enables resiliency capabilities to the next level, providing complete network availability even during planned network outages using In Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) features.
Although redundant components within a single device are valuable, however the best availability ratio can be achieved with completely separate devices and paths
Quality of Service QoS
The primary role of QoS in triple play (data, voice, video) campus networks is not to control latency or jitter (as it is in the WAN/VPN), but to manage packet loss. In GE/10GE campus networks, it takes only a few milliseconds of congestion to cause instantaneous buffer overruns resulting in packet drops. Media applications—particularly HD video applications—are extremely sensitive to packet drops, to the point where even 1 packet dropped in 10,000 is discernible by the end-user.
Classification, marking, policing, queuing, and congestion avoidance are therefore critical QoS functions that are optimally performed within the QoS deployed campus network. Four strategic QoS design principles that apply to campus QoS deployments include:
- Always perform QoS in hardware rather than software when a choice exists.
- Classify and mark applications as close to their sources as technically and administratively feasible.
- Police unwanted traffic flows as close to their sources as possible.
- Enable queuing policies at every node where the potential for congestion exists,
Data Centres
The Data Center is also known as “server farm” can be considered as another block of the campus LAN that uses the same hierarchical design model, however in the data center there are some factors and design requirements that are different from a normal access-distribution switches design such as port capacity, ~0% of oversubscription and more specialised services can be introduced like firewalling and load balancing services. For small and medium data center the collapsed design model (two-Tier) can be used without the need to a dedicated data center core.
Using next generation data center switches one can significantly improve the performance, reliability and redundancy of the data center by providing
- High performance switching and software/hardware redundancy
- Non-blocking end-to-end topology with vPC technology
- Support for network virtualisation
- support of Virtualized Multi-Tenant Data Center Services
- High port density 1G/10G Ethernet. 1 and 10 Gigabit Ethernet Module enables the deployment of high-density, low-latency, scalable data center architectures:
- Support of smart data center interconnect DCI technologies such as OTV that provide the ability to expand layer 2 network over a layer link/cloud
- Ability to provide end to end unified fabric of IP and fiber channel over Ethernet FCoE
- Fabric Extender Technology, that enable fabric extensibility with simplified management enabling the switching access layer to extend and expand all the way to the server hypervisor as the customer’s business grows