What Is Network Design?.
When a company needs to design a network, it’s important they bring in the experts. Appropriate network equipment isn’t available from local computer hardware stores but instead requires the expertise and understanding of a network design professional. Good network design involves understanding specific devices, their growth limitations, licensing, as well as the scaling of features. A particular appliance may be fine working with a certain amount of traffic only to fail as a company grows. Effective implementation of network architecture foresees these factors and integrates them into the network design.
The actual design phase cannot be conducted in a piecemeal fashion, but instead formulated around a converged network design. It’s not unusual to see mistakes made from in-house network design projects—often lacking in reliability and considerations of scale. Any network design project needs to ascertain what type of network is going to be ideal to accomplish what the business needs. Firewall installation, what data is being carried by the network, and whether the business requires wireless router configuration are just some of the considerations to be made. Additionally, by analyzing the power and cooling factors of the location of the network equipment, including power supply for fans, power for phones and IP cameras, network architecture can be installed efficiently and correctly.
Generally, enterprise class equipment is not plug-and-go and instead requires expert installation, including router configuration. Once the network equipment has been installed, businesses also need to consider the life cycle of their network. Having a detailed plan in place on how long equipment is expected to last and when it will be decommissioned will position a business better in the long run. Further, decision-makers need to be aware of the service and network support provided for this equipment over time. By planning contingencies based on the failure or redundancy of network devices, businesses can make cost effective decisions related to their network administration.
