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Network Architecture
What Is Network Architecture?
Network architecture is a term that describes the physical and logical structure of a computer network, how devices in the network are connected, and the rules or protocols that govern the flow of data between those devices.
Network architects design, implement, maintain, and secure enterprise computer networks according to the unique business needs and circumstances of those organizations.
Why is Network Architecture Important?
1. Maximizing Network Availability
Network architects can incorporate redundant infrastructure and components into the network, removing single points of failure and preventing unplanned service interruptions in case of a hardware or component failure. Automatic failover mechanisms can also be used to ensure continuous operation in the event of a network disruption.
2. Enabling Efficient Data Transfer
Network architects design and configure networks to optimize the flow of data between users and devices on the network. This includes deploying and configuring routers, switchers, content distribution networks (CDNs), and load balancers to optimize the flow of traffic on the network.
3. Securing Enterprise Data and Assets
Network architects are responsible for deploying and managing specialized network security tools that help detect and prevent unauthorized access to secured enterprise networks. These tools include things like:
- Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems
- Role-based Access Controls (RBAC)
- Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
- Encryption
- Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
- Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) software
Security tools like these may be managed and monitored collaboratively through the organization’s network operations center (NOC) and/or security operations center (SOC) teams.
4. Supporting Business Resiliency
Networks can be architected to support an enterprise IT organization’s disaster recovery planning and business continuity objectives.
Network architects can implement features like redundant infrastructure, secondary back-up environments, real-time data replication, and failover/failback mechanisms that reduce unplanned downtime, limit data loss, and streamline the disaster recovery process following an unplanned hardware failure or service outage.
5. Reducing Operational Costs
Enterprise IT organizations optimize their network architectures to reduce operational costs and increase efficiency while ensuring the availability of critical IT services. Network architects can help IT organizations reduce operational costs by:
- Leveraging cost-effective cloud infrastructure and services,
- Investing in scalable solutions that can accommodate growth without the need to upgrade
- Configuring cloud services, network components, and workloads to optimize resource utilization
- Incorporating automation and orchestration technologies to streamline management tasks
- Centralizing and consolidating network resources to simplify management processes and benefit from economies of scale
5 Types of Network Architecture You Should Know
1. Client-Server or Tiered Architectures
In the client/server network architecture model, a powerful centralized computer acts as a “server” while other computers in the network act as “clients”. In client/server networks, all files and directories are managed by the server and requests for data or communication with other users must pass through the server.
The world wide web is an example of a client-server network where individual users can connect to web servers hosted around the world using PCs and mobile phones as client devices.
2. Distributed Peer-to-Peer Architectures
In the peer-to-peer (P2P) network model, computers are linked together and resources are distributed across all nodes in the network without the presence of a single centralized server. Individual nodes or machines in the network can operate as both a client and a server, sharing or requesting resources from other nodes in the network at various times.
The decentralized nature of P2P networks makes them well-suited for applications like file sharing and content distribution.
3. Hybrid Architectures
Hybrid networks combine the architectural features of client/server and P2P networks, leveraging the strengths and covering the weaknesses of both types. Combining centralized servers and distributed networks together in a single architecture can improve resource allocation, enhance fault tolerance, and enable more cost-effective scalability.
Hybrid architectures are most commonly seen in large-scale networks where centralized control and distributed processing are required for different use cases.
4. Cloud-based Network Architectures
A cloud-based network architecture incorporates cloud infrastructure and services, enabling flexible and on-demand access to servers, compute resources, data storage, and virtualization capabilities delivered over the Internet. The most common types of cloud-based architectures include:
- Private Cloud - A private cloud, also called an “internal cloud” or “corporate cloud”, is a single-tenant computing environment, custom-built for and exclusively accessed by a single customer or user group. Private clouds can use converged or hyper converged infrastructure (HCI), and may be deployed in on-prem data centers, or in a third-party data center managed by an MSP like TierPoint.
- Public Cloud - A public cloud is a multi-tenant computing environment where cloud-based infrastructure and resources can be accessed by multiple customers. Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform are examples of public clouds.
- Hybrid Cloud - A hybrid cloud is an enterprise network that incorporates on-premise, private cloud, and public cloud infrastructure and services into a single multifunctional network.
5. Software-defined Architecture
Software-defined network (SDN) architectures use software-based network controllers and APIs to create and control virtual networks or manage physical networks by communicating with underlying hardware infrastructure.
5 Key Components of Network Architecture Design
1. Hardware Devices
Hardware devices are the physical infrastructure of a computer network, including routers, switches, firewalls, servers, access points, and cabling. Network architecture involves choosing the right hardware devices to build the network based on performance requirements, budgetary constraints, and other factors. For cloud-based networks, public cloud vendors or third-party MSPs may be involved in managing the hardware devices that support the network.
2. Communication Protocols
Communication protocols are standardized procedures, mechanisms, and specific data formats that allow devices on a network to communicate with each other. Some of the most common network communication protocols include:
- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) - A communication protocol that converts data into packets that can be sent between client machines and servers on the Internet.
- Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) - A communication protocol for the world wide web, HTTP is used to transmit requests to a web server when accessing a web page.
- Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) - A communication protocol used to access remote email servers over the Internet.
In a cloud-based network architecture, applications and services can communicate with each other via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). APIs use a variety of different protocols, including Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and Representational State Transfer (REST) to enable data transfer between applications on a network.
3. Data Transfer Media
Data transfer media refers to the physical or wireless mediums used to transmit data between devices in a network. In a public or private cloud data center, data transfer media could include ethernet or fiber-optic cabling, USB cabling, and serial or parallel ports. Wireless data transfer options include Wi-fi and mobile data networks like 4G and 5G.
4. Network Topology
Network topology describes the arrangement of nodes and links within a computer network. The eight types of network topologies are:
- Point-to-point - A single link between two network devices.
- Bus - A single central cable known as the backbone with multiple nodes connecting to it.
- Star - A network with one central node (a server) functioning as a hub and multiple nodes connecting to it (clients).
- Daisy Chain - A network where nodes are linked together in sequence to facilitate data transfer between them.
- Ring/Circular - A closed-loop daisy chain.
- Mesh - A network where all nodes are linked to all other nodes in the network.
- Tree - A network topology where devices are linked in a hierarchy.
- Hybrid - A network topology that combines characteristics from two or more other types.
5. Virtualization
Modern enterprise networks often incorporate virtualization technologies that abstract network resources from the underlying hardware, enabling greater flexibility, scalability, and resource utilization. This includes the deployment of virtual LANs, virtual private networks (VPNs), and software-defined networking.
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Our IT experts can help you design and implement a network architecture with operational, security, and disaster recovery capabilities that support your unique business needs and circumstances.
Book an intro call with TierPoint to learn more about our IT, networking, and data center services.
