Network Design Scope Assessment

• Network growth causes increased dependency on the network and its applications
• Network availability is crucial for accessing organizational data and mission-critical applications
• Designing a network requires identifying customer needs, organizational/technical goals, and any constraints

Assessing Network Design Scope:

• Consider if the design is for a new network or modifying an existing one
• Determine if the design covers an entire enterprise network, a subset, or a single segment
• Assess if the design impacts a single function or the network's entire functionality

Network Design Scope Assessment Examples:

• Entire network redesign involves redesigning the central office backbone and upgrading branch office LANs to Fast Ethernet
• Network layer improvements require a new IP addressing plan, segmenting certain LANs, and redesigning routing for reliability
• Data link layer enhancements include redundant equipment/links for the central office backbone and a campus RF site survey

Identifying Required Information

• Determine requirements by extracting customer requests and refining them with organizational data
• Initial design requirements come from Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Information (RFI) documents
• An RFP is a formal vendor request for proposals meeting specific requirements
• An RFI is an informal document for soliciting information from vendors about a project
• The initial design process involves pre-documenting requirements and reviewing them with the customer
• An iterative approach includes pre-documenting, reviewing with customer, and incorporating feedback

Gathering Network Requirements

• Gathering requirements involves five steps
• The designer must discuss with the customer's staff to determine/gather data; including documentation
• Refer to figure 2 as it has the process for gathering requirements in a flowchart
  • Identify Applications and Network Services
  • Define Organizational Goals
  • Determine Organizational Constraints
  • Define Technical Goals
  • List Technical Constraints

Steps for Gathering Design Requirements:

• Step 1: Identify planned network applications and services
• Step 2: Determine organizational goals
• Step 3: Determine possible organizational constraints
• Step 4: Determine technical goals
• Step 5: Determine technical constraints

Planned Applications and Network Services:

• The designer must determine the applications the customer plans to use and their importance
• Planned application types: e-mail, groupware (collaboration tools), voice networking, web browsing, VoD etc
• Applications: Specific programs, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Cisco Unified Meeting Place, etc
• Importance level: Categorize applications by how critical, important, or unimportant they are
• Comments: Include any additional notes taken during data collection

Planned Applications & Sample Data

• E-mail (Microsoft Office Outlook) is important
• Groupware (Cisco Unified Meeting Place) is important because need to be able to share presentations and applications during remote meetings
• Web browsing (Microsoft Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Opera) is important
• Video on demand (Cisco Digital Media System) is Critical
• Database (Oracle) is critical because all data storage is based on it
• Customer support applications (Custom applications) is Critical

Infrastructure Services to consider

• Infrastructure services include security, QoS, network management, high availability, and IP multicast
• Other services: Software distribution, backup, directory services, host naming, user authentication/authorization
• Security includes firewall technology to protect internal networks, virus scanning, and intrusion detection
• Quality of Service Implementation prioritizes delay-sensitive traffic like voice and database traffic over other traffic
• Network management: Centralized tools like HP Open View with Cisco Works for efficient network management
• High availability: use of redundant paths and terminate connections on different network devices to eliminate single points of failure
• IP multicast is needed for the introduction of videoconferencing and E-learning solutions
• The company wants to migrate to IP telephony
• They need mobility for employees and guest access for clients

Organizational goals

• Every design project should start by determining organizational goals, criteria for success, and consequences of failure
• Network designers need to consider organizational goals and constraints before technical goals

Sample questions to determine organizational goals:

• What is the objective of this project
• What are the business challenges
• What are the consequences of not resolving these issues
• What is driving the change
• What technology projects will affect operations in the next 2-5 years
• What skills do the technical staff possess
• What is the goal for ROI

Typical organizational goals

• Increase revenue and profitability by influencing revenues and profits through segments and customers
• Improve data availability and communications to shorten development cycles/enhance productivity
• Enhance customer support/satisfaction by expediting reaction to customer needs
• Open information infrastructure and build relationships to stakeholders and improving accessibility to them

Sample Organizational Goals

• Goal: Increase competitiveness
  • Current situation: Corporation Y better products, Corporation Z reduced costs
• Goal: Reduce cost
  • Current situation: Repeating tasks, point easy-to-learn, data applications exchange
• Goal: Improve Customer Support
  • Current situation: Order tracking & Technical support are done by individuals

Organizational Constraints

• Analyze organizational constraints when assessing goals
• Consider what works well and what doesn't
• Identify labor-intensive processes

Questions to ask for constraints:

• What are the barriers for implementation in the organization
• What are your biggest concerns with implementation of a new solution
• What projects already have budget approval
• Are other technology projects compatible with your current infrastructure and technology solutions

Typical Organizational Constraints

• Budget: Limited resources may force compromise
• Personnel: Lack of trained personnel
• Policies: Conflicting organizational policies
• Schedule: Imposed deadlines

Sample Organizational information

• Budget
  • $650,000 expandable to $78,000
• Personnel
  • Two Degreed Engineers with CCNA Certifications and One has Cisco Certified Network Professional
• Policy
  • Prefers Single Vendors and Standardized Protocols
• Schedule
  • Plans to deploy multiple new applications, but will introduce a Videoconferencing Groupware and IP Telephony application very soon

Technical Goals

• Technical goals must be determined before you start designing
• Consider infrastructure issues related to application rollouts
• Consider what skills will be needed from your technical staff once the rollouts are complete
• Does your network have performance issues
• Which network portions are critical

Common Technical Goals List

• Improving network performance is critical
• Reducing Downtime & Expenses is also very important
• Modernize Outdated Technologies when appropriate, but be conscious of the costs
• Scalability: Improve the ability to scale on the current network for future growth
• Simplify network: Create solutions that are easy to use and manage to reduce time overhead

Sample Data

• Performance
  • Goal: 20% improvement, important in central site, less important in branches
• Security -Goal: 15%, Critical Data Transactions Must be Secured
• Availability
  • Goal: 25%, it Should Be 99.9%
• Adaptability (to New Technologies
  • Goal: 10%
• Scalability
  • Goal: 25%, The Network Must Be Scalable
• Manageability
  • Goal:5%

Design constraints

• Network designers have various technical constraints
• What processes currently govern technology priorities
• Do you have a formalized tech refresh program
• What problems require immediate resolution
• Do you have personnel available for the implementation, and for staff technical development

Trade Offs

• Does the application require special network features or protocols
• Existing older equipment, consider co-existing with newer equipment
• Bandwidth: if not sufficient, consider how to increase it
• Application Compatibility: ensure compatibility with older applications
• Lack of qualified personnel: ensure there's a budget for the correct training

Technology Constraints Sample Data

• Existing equipment
  • Currently using: Coaxial Cable -Goal: Replace with twisted cable to the desktop. Fiberoptics for uplinks and core.
• Bandwidth Availability
  • Currently using: 64-kbps WAN Link -Goal: Upgrade bandwidth because current provider cannot deliver

Security

• Key wireless security elements include:
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
  • Strong Passwords
  • Data Encryption
  • Disabling SSID Broadcast
  • Using MAC Filtering
  • Enabling WPA3 Security
  • Using a VPN
  • Disabling Remote Administration
  • Changing the default password
  • Using a Firewall
  • Disabling UPnP
  • Disabling Unnecessary Services

Wireless Requirements

• Define what the Wireless network must do
• Requirements include coverage for voice over IP (VOIP)
• Do not include technical details

Types of Requirements

• Applications
• Environment
• Coverage Areas
• End Users
• Existing infrastructure
• Client Devices
• Security
• Funding
• Schedule

Technical requirement examples

• Wireless network support user applications
• Wireless network include specific hardware
• Accessibility is an important element to remember

Selecting appropriate location criteria for access points (WAP)

• Conduct Site-Surveys
• Use ceiling-mounted WAPs
• Place WAPs in center of coverage area and avoid physical obstructions
• Use multiple WAPs (when applicable) and Power Over Ethernet
• Utilize Wireless planning tools

Access Point Installation

• Install Access Points with the Following Methods: -Where WiFi will be used most -Ensure there's precise access -Avoid Coverage overlap -Keep them away from electronic devices -Ensure building materials aren't blocking signals

Wireless Cabling

• Wireless Cabling has the transmission information without cables or wries
• Wireless communication requires power

Sample Device Requirements

• Routers require continuous power to transmit signals
• Access Points are devices that provide Wireless
• Wireless Security and Batteries will provide portabitily