Faculty of Business Management & Globalization Faculty of Information & Communication Technology

BTECH2413 NETWORKS DESIGN & MANAGEMENT

Department Program Name Semester Credits Commence Date Deadline Date Lecturer Contact Number E-mail : : : : : : : : : Faculty of Information & Communication Technology B Sc (Hons) in Information & Communication Technology 4 3 Week 3 Week 7 Noris Ismail 03-8317 8833 ext. 8404 noris@limkokwing.edu.my

Notes 1

FAQ on Logical vs. Physical Design in a network.

The Logical Design would be the IP structure of your network. Will you be using a Class A, B or C address scheme? Will you be subnetting your environment? You will need to figure out how many computers you need and what locations they will be in. Then you can design your IP structure based upon the needs of your design. If it is a simple design such as 10 users you can keep it simple. The Physical design will be the topology you will be using. Will you be using Ethernet, fiber, ISDN, etc. Will you we using a star or linear design? This deals with the physical cabling, switches, routers, etc that you will need for implementing your logical design.

Definition of physical and logical design in a network.

A physical layout of the network shows the physical location of and the connections between devices participating on the network. In such diagrams, workstations are usually represented with small computer icons, servers with full tower cases, and switches and other similar devices are displayed as small rectangular boxes with their RJ-45 ports in the front (sometimes, switches are displayed without ports, depending on the angle at which we are viewing the network on the page). A logical layout shows all logical aspects of the network. This includes logical networks, assigned IP addresses to various hosts and devices, routing tables and a lot more. In logical diagrams, there is very little interest in the actual interfaces and physical cables, so these details are usually omitted. So why do we need all the above? Simple - for security, troubleshooting and management reasons. When a problem arises, I.E. a link is down, by simply looking at the physical layout, we are able to quickly identify where the problem is located, allowing us to quickly resolve it. Having a visual view of a logical and physical network also helps identify possible security problems. When an unwanted visitor tries to obtain access to highly sensitive information, in most cases he or she will create a map of the network to better understand where each security checkpoint (firewall or similar device) is installed and what access can be obtained. The above reason is also why these 'maps' are restricted to Administrators and Engineers who are responsible for the network. If they fall into the hands of 'enemy,' they can prove to be the most effective weapon against you!

Another definition of physical and logical design in a network Physical design is the HARDWARE layout, where cables are routed, where routers, servers, and
workstations are located within a building. It has to include all the hardware needed. Patch panels end connections switch location, router location, server placement, etc. Logical design is "SOFTWARE setup" or how the system functions using each workstation, server, router based on the "usage" of each device within the system.
Page 1 of 1