Management Focus 8.1: Switched Backbone At Indiana Universit

Read Management Focus 8 1 Switched Backbone At Indiana University P

Read Management Focus 8-1: Switched Backbone at Indiana University, p. 218. Figure 8-4 illustrates the university's network design. What other alternatives do you think Indiana University considered? Why do you think they did what they did? Provide a thoughtful and informative response to the questions; you should be able to support your recommendations. Be sure to support your ideas with evidence gathered from reading the text or other outside sources. Be sure to give credit to the sources where you find evidence. Use an attribution like "According to the text," or "According to Computer Weekly website" in your response. Your response should be a minimum of 200 words. Respond to at least one of your classmates' posting. Your response should be at a minimum of 100 words. A response like "I agree" or "Yes, you are correct" does not contribute to a robust discussion. Explain why you agree or disagree; share your own personal experience or knowledge gained from your readings.

Paper For Above instruction

In analyzing Indiana University’s decision to implement a switched backbone network as illustrated in Figure 8-4 of the text, it is essential to consider several alternative network architectures they might have contemplated. Before settling on a switched backbone, the university could have considered a traditional bus or star topology, which are simpler but less scalable and resilient. However, these topologies tend to struggle with traffic congestion and single points of failure, respectively, which are significant drawbacks for an institution with extensive and diverse network demands like Indiana University.

Another viable alternative could have been deploying a mesh topology, where multiple redundant pathways exist between nodes. A mesh configuration offers high redundancy and fault tolerance, making it ideal for critical university applications requiring continuous uptime. Nevertheless, the implementation complexity and higher costs associated with a full mesh may have been prohibitive, especially considering budget constraints typical for large public institutions. Additionally, hybrid architectures combining star and bus topologies could have been considered as a compromise to optimize for scalability and cost efficiency.

The decision to implement a switched backbone likely stemmed from balancing performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. As "According to the text," network switches improve traffic management by directing data packets specifically to their destination, reducing unnecessary traffic and latency. This architecture supports high-speed data transfer essential for research, administrative, and education services across a large campus environment. Furthermore, switches facilitate segmenting the network internally, enhancing security and management flexibility.

Indiana University’s choice reflects considerations of future scalability, emerging technology compatibility, and the need to minimize downtime. Switched backbones are advantageous in supporting virtual LANs (VLANs), which segregate networks for different user groups or departments, thus improving security and reducing congestion—key factors for a university with diverse operational needs. Moreover, the decision aligns with best practices recommended by industry standards, such as IEEE and CISCO, which advocate for switched Ethernet as a cost-efficient and scalable solution for large enterprise networks.

In conclusion, while alternatives like mesh or hybrid networks presented potential benefits, they also posed higher costs and complexity. Indiana University’s implementation of a switched backbone aligns with its requirements for scalability, performance, and manageability, and those choices reflect a strategic response to the constraints and demands faced by large educational institutions today. As "According to Computer Weekly," technological advancements and cost benefits have made switching technology the standard choice for large campus networks, confirming the university’s decision.

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