Big Switch Network Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Big Switch Network Design - Assignment Example All the above require completion of very complex tasks; these are information gathering, planning as a task, designing and modeling. While building a network, the designer focuses more on three layers of the OSI model. Although there are many technologies available for network construction, it is extremely important to be aware of the implications of selecting a technology over the other, the network devices or equipment to use, and in which layer the device can function, and lastly have knowledge on the functionality of the device by conforming to the network architecture requirements. Implementation of VLAN segments in a network (Keith, 2011) VLAN is Virtual Local Area Network. VLAN is a logical LAN segment that pair different physical LANs by creation of logical subnets. In VLAN, we involve different physical LAN segment to enable communications between them. This infrastructure enables functional separation of the departments, for example, separating the HR department from the pr oduction department by two different LANs without a router. Creation of workgroups enables communication of two different VLANs even though there are in different buildings physically. VLAN improves performance increasing available bandwidth according to how many VLANs are created to share the bandwidth being consumed. This infrastructure eases network maintenance; this can involve removal, changing and addition of network users and equipments. In LANs, a designer needs to re-configure the routers, servers and the work stations if a user moves, and this leads to reconfigure the switch, hub and arrangement of the cables. This can be avoided in a VLAN on the work station and the involved router however; they bring additional administrative complexity which in the other hand increases security by management of virtual workgroups by the administration. Generally, this type of networking reduces every type of cost from implementation cost to maintenance cost by minimizing the network adm inistration (Krzysztof, 2008). We can also use multiple VLANs per switch port. This is using of shared hub off of the switch ports. Also, the designer can introduce a wireless VLAN. In implementing this, the designer introduces a wireless access point that can be located by more units from one administration centre so that we avoid a lot of cabling and use of routers. At each access point contain mapped SSIDs of a maximum of 16 membership units. Then the access points is assigned a 802.11 standard called a primary SSID, broadcasting with beacons to all wireless clients on that segment. Membership is assigned for each wireless client on the VLAN by considering the specific company department, the security rights and which servers are most accessed. Then VLAN 1 is considered as the default native VLAN, so it does not tag traffic. This native VLAN number given must then watch all the attached access points assigned VLAN on that network segment. To filter traffic and enable secure manag ement VLAN traffic, this company will implement access control lists on every network switch. The introduction of the RADIUS SSID control will require wireless clients with an authenticated configuration of 802.1x, to have a RADIUS server that is already configured with mapped SSIDs on every wireless client. The list is sent to the access point where the client is a member by the server. Here, the employee cannot be a member of just any wired VLAN except to the assigned specific VLAN, and all this is done during authentication. The VLAN defines its own policy group filters, so all infrastructure devices are denied membership to a