Designing Wide Area Networks and Internetworks: A Practical Guide

11. Creating a Preliminary Backbone Topological Design

This chapter explains how to develop a topological design for an internetwork backbone. Historically, most work in this area focused on cost optimization for partial-mesh leased line networks, the most complex class of networks. Although these networks continue to be significant, many internetworks today are constructed by using fast packet services, most notably Frame Relay, provided by the carriers. Over time, similar networks operating over carrier-provided ATM, or a mixture of Frame Relay and ATM, may enjoy comparable popularity. From an internetworking protocol perspective, classic partial-mesh leased line networks and Frame Relay/ATM–based networks are largely equivalent; however, they ...