Optical Network Design and Planning †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Optical Network Design and Planning. Answer: Introduction In this report, a range of methods and options have been discussed that can be used to design networks. The network designing will be conducted in the next assessment. This report discusses the options that can be used to complete the network designing management. The aim of the report is written as follows:- To discuss how data flows through the internet To evaluate certain protocols and applications that are used to transfer data management over the internet To discuss and assess the change and evolution of the internet Among IT professionals and businesses, one of the most popular network layout and mapping software is Microsoft Visio. The pro version of the software is priced well and its Ribbon and menu user interface is used in several software packages. The latest version allows the users to comment on diagrams using Sharepoint in a browser or through the software itself. It can also accept messages from Lync or Microsoft Skype ("Visio - Microsoft Store", 2018). It contains over thousands of shapes and 80 templates which are pre-built. From an IT perspective, it contains network routes, appliances, detailed components and Active Directory. For data centres, home networks, enterprises, HVAC layout and help desk, it has pre-built shapes and components and offers several other options (Vaishnavi Kuechler, 2015). It is a serious tool for people who want diagramming capabilities. Microsoft Visio operates in Windows operating system only. It does not exist for Linux, Mac or Android. It has no real time collaboration. It does not run on mobile devices either. The latest pro version of the software is very expensive. It is not justifiable to use it in enterprises while comparing to other similar software such as Lucidchart. Solarwinds Network Topology Mapper Solarwinds Network Topology Mapper is used for measuring and monitoring the performance of large and medium sized infrastructures. The software has an intuitive user interface and is very simple to handle. For example, the dashboards that are present in the software are very highly appreciated (Eberhart, 2014). Due to this, it is very easy for someone to tell the personnel about making it autonomous, not requiring the intervention of an administrator. It has extreme modularity and has a good integration with other companies ("Network Topology Mapper - Topology Mapping Software | SolarWinds", 2018). This is possible due to its Relational Data base that is distributed through SolarWinds module. Solarwinds Network Topology Mapper is also capable of adding polling engines to the managed devices and offers full scalability at all levels of infrastructure. It also has an extra advantage due to its online community called THWACK where users can ask any questions to get direct clarification from the product managers. Solarwinds Network Topology Mapper does not have automatic creation of topological maps during the process of discovery which does not provide a proper visualization of the OSI connection levels between the equipment. It needs an extra component called Network Atlas to address this issue. During complex problems, the simplicity of the user interface can be quite troublesome for the operator. Another disadvantage of this software is due to the extra modularity, it takes a lot of time to go through historical data. The increasing information from the data collection system could have a negative impact on the performance of the application. Designed by Cisco, Cisco packet tracer allows the user to experiment with certain network behaviour such as collaboration capabilities, assessment, authoring, visualization and simulation. It is a network simulator software which helps to design and configure networks. It provides a comprehensive demonstration of configurations ad technologies visually. It provides the user with visual simulations that can get immediate feedback from clients. It has a feature called workspaces where users can make a network by combining, clustering and placing virtual network devices (Cisco Packet Tracer 7.1, 2018). The physical workspace provides a graphical interpretation of the placement of the network devices around the infrastructure. Moreover, it has two modes namely, simulation mode and real time mode. In the real time mode, users can get a real life experience from the devices. In the simulation mode, the time intervals and other data transfer controls of the network can be changed and simula ted. The software is very versatile. It can be carried anywhere, even in a USB module. The software consumes very less amount of energy and has one of the lowest noise levels among other similar products. There is a lack of commands to describe routers that are present in a non-broadcast network. Manual summarisation is not supported. The reference bandwidth cannot be changed from default. The load balancing options cannot be changed from default as well (Simmons, 2014). The debugging hellos and OSPF packets are not supported. Further, Etherchannels which are present in the access layer switches are not supported. Conclusion To conclude the report, it can be stated that for the following assignment of Network designing, Cisco Packet tracer would be a proper choice due to its two modes of operation. The simulation mode negates the need for the user to buy expensive infrastructure for network implementation. Moreover, the software is versatile and can be carried at the place of network designing for intricate information. Therefore, unlike the other two options, choosing Cisco Packet tracer would be a viable option for conducting network designing. References Cisco Packet Tracer 7.1 : Download free labs and tutorials for CCNA certification exam preparation. (2018).Packet Tracer Network. Retrieved 7 April 2018, from https://www.packettracernetwork.com/ Eberhart, R. C. (Ed.). (2014).Neural network PC tools: a practical guide. Academic Press. Network Topology Mapper - Topology Mapping Software | SolarWinds. (2018).Solarwinds.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018, from https://www.solarwinds.com/network-topology-mapper Simmons, J. M. (2014).Optical network design and planning. Springer. Vaishnavi, V. K., Kuechler, W. (2015).Design science research methods and patterns: innovating information and communication technology. Crc Press. Visio - Microsoft Store. (2018).Microsoft Store. Retrieved 6 April 2018, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/collections/visio/pc