Describes Communications Protocols, LANs, WANs, Network Management

Communications Protocols

Communications protocols determine the format and rules for how the transmitted data are framed and managed from the sending station to the receiving station. Exchanging data and messages between PCs, Macs, mainframes and Unix servers used to mean designing networks for a multiprotocol environment. Today, most enterprises have migrated their proprietary protocols (IBM’s SNA, Apple’s AppleTalk, Novell’s IPX/SPX, Microsoft’s NetBEUI) to the Unix-based TCP/IP protocol, which is the transport of the Internet.

LANs

Transmission from station to station within a LAN is performed by the LAN access method, or data link protocol, which is typically Ethernet. As traffic expands within an organization, higher bandwidth is required, causing organizations to plan for faster Ethernet connections (from 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps to 10,000 Mbps).

Repeaters, bridges, routers, gateways, hubs and switches are the devices used to extend, convert, route and manage traffic in an enterprise network. Increasingly, one device takes on the job of another (a router does bridging, a hub does routing). Over the years, vendor offerings have been dizzying.

Network traffic is becoming as jammed as the Los Angeles freeways. Network administrators have to analyze current network traffic in light of future business plans and increasing use of Web pages, images, sound and video files. They have to determine when to increase network bandwidth while maintaining existing networks, which today have become the technical lifeblood of an enterprise.

WANs

Transmitting data to remote locations requires the use of private lines or public switched services offered by local and long distance carriers and Internet providers.

Connections can be as simple as dialing up via modem or by leasing private lines, such as T1 and T3. Switched 56, frame relay, ISDN, SMDS and ATM offer a variety of switched services in which you pay for the digital traffic you use. With Internet access, you typically pay a fixed amount per month based on the total bandwidth of the connection.

Laptop use has created a tremendous need for remote access to LANs. Network administrators have to design LANs with a combination of remote access and remote control capability to allow mobile workers access to their databases and processing functions.

Network Management

Network management is the monitoring and control of LANs and WANs from a central management console. It requires network management software, such as IBM’s NetView and HP’s OpenView. The Internet’s SNMP has become the de facto standard management protocol, but there are many network management programs and options. For example, there are more than 30 third-party add-ons for HP’s popular OpenView software.