Freddy Duarte

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Definition

Backbone networks are high speed networks linking an organization’s LANs. Besides providing connections to other backbones using high speed circuits, backbones also make information transfer possible between departments.

Backbones are also known as Enterprise Networks and Campus-wide Networks.

Backbone Network: Components

Network Cable works in the same way as in LANs, but optical fiber is more commonly chosen since it provides higher data rates.

Hardware Devices

Hierarchical Backbone Architecture

Backbone Architectures

• Hierarchical Backbone (aka Routed Backbone)
• Flat Backbone
• Collapsed Backbone
• Virtual LANs

Routed Backbones

This type of network moves packets using network layer addresses and is commonly used at the core layer. LANs can use different data link layer protocols. Refer to the OSI Model if you’re not familiar with the data link layer.

Collapsed Backbones

The whole purpose of this architecture is to replace the many routers used in previous designs. With this architecture, there are clearly more cables needed, but less devices are used. This design improves performance by 200-600% due to simultaneous access of switched operations, and is much easier to manage (again, due to less devices). There is, however, one main disadvantage: Since everything is connected to ONE central switch, if for some reason this switch fails, the whole network suffers.

Rack-based Collapsed Backbones

With this design, all network switch equipment is physically stored in one “rack” room (aka Main Distribution Facility, MDF, or Central Distro Facility, CDF). This allows for even easier maintenance and upgrade. With this model, it is very easy to move computers among LANs.

Virtual LANS (VLANs)

VLANs are the newest type of backbone architecture. It provides the fastest and most flexible network management, but it is also complex to manage. It is used for larger networks. One great advantage of Virtual networks is that say for example you work for the Accounting department of one firm. You are connected to that department’s VLAN and everything is nice and dandy. One day, you get promoted and you are required to move to another department in the firm. Well, ideally, with the VLAN architecture in place, you can just move your computer to wherever you want as long you are inside that firm’s network. You can always plug in to your same VLAN from anywhere inside that network (Yes, without having to reconfigure anything).

And that sums it up for the basics of Backbone Networks! Hope you enjoyed this short blog, please comment!

Sources

Backbone Networks (PPT)

Tech

Metal videos and the corresponding lyrics

FreddyDuarte.blogspot.com I’ve just created a new blog so I can publish a bunch of metal videos and the corresponding lyrics. Metal can sometimes be hard to understand (there’s a joke in there, somewhere…), so hopefully this site will gain some fans out there. I’d like to have more people writing to this blog, so talk-to-me if you’re interested in being a co-author (or just plain give me a list of ideas to post or whatever).

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