Network Design - Logical VS Physical
Planning and implementing a network involves many different methods and steps to be taken. Two of the pieces of this process are the logical and physical network designs. Generally speaking, the logical network is designed and mapped out before any attempt is made at planning and implementing the physical network. There are key differences between these two designs that make each unique but still part of the same plan.
Logical Network Design
The logical network involves deals more with gathering of information on business requirement and translating that into a model. There are several factors to consider when gathering the business requirements for the logical design. One should identify who the client is and what the clients’ actual needs are. From there, one needs to determine where the information came from in regard to client needs and how reliable the information is. Additionally, one will need to determine what kinds of services are going to be offered on the network and what there scope is. Also, determining who will need access to the network both internally and externally is an integral piece of information. Will the network need internet access? Will this require firewalls? What other services need to be provided? Printing, storage, web services etc, all these questions and more will need to be answered before one can design a logical diagram of the network. Other consideration to be made could include the overall budget for the network, implementation deadlines, security requirements needed for the network, and the impact of downtime and network drag on the users. The degree of reliability of the network should also be considered. Will the network need redundancies to guard against downtime and/or data loss? What topologies are best suited to your business needs and how will you maintain the network once it is implemented. Will maintenance be done in-house or will it be outsourced to and outside vendor?...