Network Design: Management and Technical Perspectives

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Summary: I am one of the co-authors of this book.
Review: Network design and planning is a challenging and formidable task. To do it effectively, requires in-depth knowledge, creativity, and imagination in envisioning ways to pieces together a multitude of often conflicting options, and the right organizational and technological tools to support the process. This book is designed to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of this process using numerous real-life case studies. Building on this knowledge, we also describe how to integrate the various components into seamless networks that are cost-efficient, scaleable, easy to upgrade, and compatible across various vendors. We also discuss ways to achieve a balance between technical innovations, migration strategies, and systems integration solutions. This involves thorough analysis of internetworking topologies, utilizations, traffic loads and flows, networking and performance trends, disaster recovery plans, and network impact statements. These technical considerations are also coupled with financial cost analysis, RFI/RFP development, and implementation/planning tools, templates, and checklists. In this book, we emphasize basic network design principles and analytical approaches that will survive the test of time, independent of a specific implementation of technology. However, to illustrate how basic principles can be applied in the context of realistic network design problems, we also present specific implementations of numerous technologies (such as packet switching, frame relay, ISDN, SMDS, SONET, ATM, Ethernet, Token ring, voice and data networking options, etc.) through the use of case studies. In the case studies, both management and technical considerations are discussed. This approach is used to demystify the design process, which traditionally -- on anything other than an ad-hoc basis -- has been limited to the purview of highly trained and specialized professionals. By describing the lingua franca of both managers and design engineers in common terms, it is hoped that each will gain a better understanding of the total network design process. The material for this book is based on our experiences both as industry consultants and as professors teaching graduate network design and management courses. In each of these roles, we have to deal with network managers and with hands-on network designers. We frequently observe sub-optimal communication between these two groups of professionals. For example, network managers frequently express a lack of confidence in evaluating whether or not organizational objectives will be satisfied by the recommendations proposed by design engineers. Design engineers, on the other hand, voice concerns that "management does not have any idea of what I'm doing and what is involved," and thus lack confidence that the goals established by management are realistic. Network managers have told us that they need to understand the technical jargon and basic approaches that network designers use so they can evaluate vendor offerings and staff recommendations. Managers want this perspective without getting too immersed in technical details. Network implementers have told us that they need and want practical advice on how to apply sound design principles in the context of a realistic design scenario, where organizational, budgetary, political, and other considerations must enter into the design process. Thus, this book is intended to help management and design professionals work together towards achieving their respective goals in the network design process.