Introduction to Cisco Borderless Network
With the rising demands of the converged network, recent developments in network design include the Cisco Borderless Network. The Cisco Borderless Network is a network design that allows organizations to support a borderless network that can connect any person, everywhere on any device, very securely and consistently. This design addresses IT and business challenges.
The Cisco Borderless Network structure merges wired and wireless access, access control, policy and performance management of different device types. The hierarchical infrastructure of hardware is also scalable and flexible.
The figure below illustrates the Cisco Borderless Network, which provides two primary sets of services: network services and endpoint services, all managed by an integrated management solution. This design enables different network elements to work mutually and also allows access to resources from any place at any time, providing optimization, scalability, and security.
Hierarchy in the Cisco Borderless Network
The Cisco borderless switched network’s primary needs are availability, flexibility, security, and manageability. The borderless switched network should also deliver current and future needs. The basic principles of the Borderless switched network are the following:
- Hierarchical network design
- Modularity
- Resiliency
- Flexibility
Understanding the principle to fit in a different situation is very important. The hierarchical borderless switched network provides a base for the network designer to cover security, mobility, and unified communication features. Cisco designs three-tier and two-tier hierarchical networks for a campus.
The figure below illustrates the Cisco hierarchical network design. The three tiers of this design are the access, distribution, and core layers. Every layer of this design can be seen as a clear, structured module with particular roles and functions in the campus network.
The campus hierarchical network design, which contains modularity, also provides critical network services that are resilient and flexible. Modulacity also assists in increasing and changing changes that occur over time.
Access, Distribution, and Core Layers
Access Layer
The access layer is where traffic enters or exits the campus network. It is also the edge of the campus network. Usually, the main function of an access layer is to give network connectivity and access to end-users. The switches of the access layer connect to the switches of the distribution layer. The switches in the distribution layer apply network foundation technologies such as routing, QoS, and security.
To meet user needs and network applications, the next-generation switching platforms now present extra converged integrated and quick services to different types of endpoints at the edge of the network. Creating intelligence into the switches of an access layer allows applications to act on the network more capable and securely.
Distribution Layer
The distribution layer provides connectivity between the access layer and core layer, including many important functions. This layer provides intelligent switching and routing. The distribution layer provides network access policy functions to access the network as well as differentiated services to different classes of service applications at the edge of the network.
This layer also provides ease of use throughout the redundant distribution layer switches to the end-user and equal-cost paths to the core layer. The distribution layer also aggregates large-scale wiring closet networks and aggregates Layer 2 broadcast domains and Layer 3 routing boundaries.
Core Layer
This layer is the backbone of the Cisco borderless network. The core layer connects several layers of the campus network, works as the aggregator for all the other campus blocks, and interconnects the campus with each other inside the network. The core layer’s main function is speedy fault isolation and high-speed backbone connectivity.
Collapsed Core Network
A three-tier campus network is usually planned for organizations where access, distribution, and core are required as separate layers. This is required because of a basic, cost-effective, scalable, and efficient physical layout design for the large-scale network where many campuses exist. The best practice is to make an extended-star physical topology from the main campus to all other campuses.
A campus with fewer users accessing the network or a single-building campus usually does not require separate core and distribution layers. The network structure required in this situation is called a collapsed network.
It is also called a two-tier campus network. In a collapsed network, the role of the core switches moves to the distribution switches, merging the core and distribution layers. The figure below illustrates the collapsed campus network example.
Network Redundancy » Networkustad
October 16, 2019 @ 2:48 pm
[…] three-tier hierarchical network attempts to eliminate a single point of failure on the network. Multiple cabled connections between […]
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July 7, 2021 @ 10:09 am
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