Network Architecture Blueprint

This blueprint is written for those who are involved in the planning and design of a computer network infrastructure. Consultants, system architects, and information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for the planning stages of application or infrastructure development across multiple projects will benefit from the information in this blueprint; others who would likely benefit include:

In This Blueprint

MCS and partner consultants who need knowledge transfer tools for enterprise customers and partners. It is important to understand that there are many ways to design even the simplest of network architectures; it is not a precise art. The information presented in this blueprint is designed to provide insights and examples to help you complete a network architecture design that fits your needs. The introduction of the simple Wingtip Toys scenario provided fictional data to illustrate the process that was followed in the network architecture design; the entire process was then followed by the design team to develop the CDC and SBO scenarios in the test labs. The design processes are documented in the "CDC Network Architecture Design" and “SBO Network Architecture Design” sections of this blueprint, which also discuss the detailed design decisions by including samples of the data generated in the actual CDC and SBO design processes. All data generated by the design team is provided in the Implementation Guides; the reason for this separation is that this data will usually be unique to each instantiation and therefore only relevant in the context of a specific implementation. The design is based on a combination of the specific requirements, environment, budgets, and preferences of the organization’s design team. There is no single "right" answer, only one that meets an organization’s requirements in a timely and affordable manner. Once the architectural design is in place, there are many device-specific factors that can affect the selection of physical devices to fulfill the network architecture requirements. These factors and the corresponding design decisions are covered in detail in the Network Devices Planning Guide, Firewall Services Planning Guide, and Remote Access Services Planning Guide for the design that was implemented in the test labs.