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In small networks, the web of router links is not complex, and paths to individual destinations are easily deduced. However, in large networks, the resulting web is highly complex, and the number of potential paths to each destination is large. Select one (1) local business in your community with which you are familiar and decide if its network would be considered large or small. Specify the primary reasons for your decision. After implementing OSPF, a network administrator should verify proper deployment on each router. Determine the verification task that you believe is the most important part of the process, and defend your selection.

Paper For Above instruction

Understanding the complexity of network topology in small and large networks is crucial for effective network management and security. This paper analyzes a local business network's size classification and the importance of verification processes after deploying OSPF (Open Shortest Path First), a dominant interior gateway protocol used in IP networks.

Assessing the Business Network Size

Choosing a local coffee shop, "Central Brew Café," as the subject for this analysis, we observe that its network comprises a few interconnected routers managing point-of-sale terminals, inventory systems, wireless access points, and administrative offices. The network employs a basic star topology with a central router connecting to various network segments. Due to the limited number of routers and interconnected devices, Central Brew Café's network qualifies as a small network.

The primary reasons for classifying this network as small are:

1. Limited Number of Devices: The network manages fewer than 50 devices, including Wi-Fi access points, POS terminals, and administrative workstations (Sham et al., 2018).

2. Simple Topology: It employs a straightforward star topology, which simplifies routing and management.

3. Limited Geographic Spread: The business is confined to a single location, reducing complexity associated with multiple sites.

4. Minimal Path Diversity: The network has direct, uncomplicated routes between devices, minimizing potential paths.

In contrast, a large business, such as a university campus network or a multinational corporation, often contains numerous routers, automated route redundancy, multiple geographic locations, and complex topology structures, classifying these as large networks with high path diversity (Liu & Yang, 2020).

Verification of OSPF Deployment

After implementing OSPF across a network, verification ensures that the protocol functions correctly, and data routes are optimized. Several tasks are critical for thorough verification, including checking neighbor adjacencies, route advertisements, and network convergence.

The most vital verification task is confirming neighbor adjacency between routers. Proper neighbor adjacency is essential because OSPF’s operation depends on establishing and maintaining accurate link-state databases (Mishra & Patel, 2019). If routers fail to form adjacencies, the entire routing process can be compromised, leading to unreachable networks or suboptimal routing paths.

Defending the Importance of Neighbor Verification

Verifying neighbor adjacencies is paramount because it directly impacts the integrity of the entire OSPF operation. Establishing neighbor relationships involves routers discovering each other through multicast hello packets (Zhao et al., 2019). Failures at this stage may occur due to misconfigurations, mismatched timers, or network issues, which, if undetected, could cause routers to operate on outdated or incomplete link-state information.

Ensuring correct adjacency involves confirming that all routers have successfully discovered each other, are exchanging hello packets regularly, and form adjacencies only with intended neighbors. This process can be verified through command-line tools like `show ip ospf neighbor` on Cisco routers, which display neighbor states and adjacency details (Schaeffer & Rogers, 2021).

Addressing adjacency issues promptly by verifying and correcting configurations prevents network segmentation, routing loops, or black holes, which is especially critical in networks that support business operations, customer transactions, and sensitive data.

Conclusion

In summary, classifying a business network as small or large hinges on device count, topology complexity, and geographic span. For the example of Central Brew Café, its network is definitively small, characterized by limited devices and straightforward topology. Post-OSPF deployment, verifying neighbor adjacencies is the most critical task because it lays the foundation for accurate routing. Proper verification at this stage ensures network reliability, efficiency, and security, ultimately supporting the business's operational goals.

References

Liu, Y., & Yang, Z. (2020). Network topology and scalability in large enterprise networks. Journal of Computer Networks, 175, 105249.

Mishra, A., & Patel, R. (2019). Link-State Routing Protocols: In-depth analysis and best practices. International Journal of Networking and Communication Engineering, 13(4), 251-259.

Sham, S., Nguyen, T., & Lee, H. (2018). Small business network management: Challenges and solutions. Journal of Business Technology, 12(2), 112-119.

Schaeffer, J., & Rogers, K. (2021). Practical guide to verify OSPF in enterprise networks. Cisco Press.

Zhao, L., Chen, Y., & Li, J. (2019). Neighbor discovery and adjacency formation in OSPF networks. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 21(3), 2502-2519.

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