Cisco 200-310 DESGN - Lesson 01

When the network infrastructure and its functionality are getting bigger, it is essential to use network architecture and methodologies to build and design the networks to the growth of any business to achieve their targets and smooth the network operations. Cisco introduces the PPDIOO phase (Prepare, Plan, Design, Implement, Operate and Optimize) concept of the continuous network lifecycle.  Each of these phases consists of key steps in successful network planning, design, implementation, and operation. Cisco also introduces a simplified Plan, Build, Manage (PBM) network lifecycle that CCDA familiar with. The top-down design can fulfill the requirement of the network application’s need. 

CISCO ARCHITECTURES FOR THE ENTERPRISE

Cisco is updating its enterprise architectures and frameworks due to the evolution of the network. Business drivers which means the key part of a company that helps it thrive can affect the network infrastructure and technology forces which can enhance the efficiency of the business.

Business forces affecting decisions for enterprise networks as follows;

• Return on investment – Companies expect a return (as cost-saving or increase the productivity) on its investment in network infrastructure.
• Regulations – Companies need to meet industry regulations. For example the Health Act for health insurance and the Payment card Act for the credit card industry. 
• Competitiveness – Companies need to use reliable and modern technologies to make them more competitive than other businesses.   

Technology forces affecting decisions for enterprise networks as follows;

• Removal of borders – Traditional network boundaries are removed. From anywhere else, the company network resources can be accessed via any device. 
• Virtualization – Maximize the efficiency by reducing hardware cost, maintain good power consumption, reduce heating and cooling cost, facility space and management effort.
• Growth of application – Customers continue to ask for user-friendly new products and offers. Manage advance security and customization flexibility at a lower cost.

IT optimization areas can be divided into three groups which include its own experts, budgets, and challenges.

• Datacenter
• Network
• Applications

Cisco has created a Cisco enterprise architecture with an interweaving framework to create three architectures for each group. Below mentioned architectures provide for optimization at the individual level and the integration with other areas.

• Borderless network architecture
• Collaboration architecture
• Datacenter and virtualization architecture

Borderless Network Architecture

The next-generation solution to connect anything, anyone from anywhere else at any time. The connection needs to be secure, reliable and seamless. This architecture is not only optimized business operations but also network performance of the company. Cisco borderless network architecture blueprint includes major blocks.

• Policy and control – Policies are applied for all devices and users across the architecture. 
• Network services – Include resiliency and control. Cisco EnergyWise and MediaNet provide capabilities to borderless networks.
• User services – Include mobility, performance, and security. 
• Connection management – Delivers secure access from anywhere at any time regardless of how the network is accessed.

Collaboration and Video Architecture

This is composed of three layers.

• Communication and collaboration applications – This layer consists of conferencing, customer care, enterprise social software, IP communications, messaging, mobile applications, telepresence. 
• Collaboration services – consist of services that support collaboration applications: presence, location, session management, contact management, client framework, tagging, and policy security management. 
• Infrastructure – responsible for allowing collaboration from anywhere on any device at any time including virtual machines, network, and storage.

Data Center and Virtualization Architecture

This architecture consists of a comprehensive set of virtualization technologies and services that bring network, computing, storage, and virtualization platform together. Let’s see what the three major components in this architecture are;

• Unified management – Features automation, orchestration and lifecycle management to simplify deployment and operation of physical/bare metal, virtual and cloud infrastructure. 
• Unified Fabric – Delivers high-performance data and storage networking to simply development, help ensure the quality of experience and reduce operating costs. Cisco's integrated network service provides high-speed connectivity and high availability increases application performance and reduces the security risk in a multitenant environment. 
• Unified Computing – Provides high scalable, system-level computing that integrates computing, access networking, and storage networking. Embedded management capabilities simplify operation across physical, virtual and cloud infrastructure.

 

Benefits of Cisco Network Architectures 

Benefit	Description
Functionality	Supports organization requirements
Salability	Supports growth and expansion of organizational tasks
Availability	Provides services reliability from anywhere at any time
Performance	Provides responsiveness, throughput, and utilization on a per-application basis
Manageability	Provides control, performance monitoring and fault detection
Efficiency	Provides network services and infrastructure with reasonable operational cost and appropriate capital investment