8-Step Design Process

Link to my previous post of "Network Design" where i talk about the first 3-stpes and promise was done about the 4th-stpe where i will talk about the 8-stpe design process.

1. Recognize Customer Needs
2. Describe the Existing Network
3. Design Networking & Topology Solution
4. Plan the Network Implementation
5. Construct a Prototype Network
6. Fully Document the Design
7. Implement the Design
8. Verify, Monitor & Modify as Needed

1. Recognize Customer Needs
1.1 Scope Assessment
1.2Gathering the Necessary Data
1.3 Identifying Organizational Goals
1.4 Identifying Organizational Limits
1.5 Identifying Application & Services
1.6 Reaching Technical Goals
1.7 Identifying Technical Constraints

a) Scope
New v/s Existing
Entire or Subnet Modular
LAN, WAN, VoIP, Security
OSI, NAT, IP Addressing

b) Gathering the Necessary Data
Mostly we do from existing documents, anyhow we either ask for RFP or RFI.
RFP (Request for Proposal) – We normally request from vendor, companies etc while RFI (Request for Information) – When we want to install new product & we ask vendor for it. Meanwhile we can also use RFI and RFP to query for customer existing, draft documents.

c) Identifying Organizational Goals
Organizational long term, short term goals
Define Success
Lower expenses and more services
Gain competitive edge
Flexible & Reliable
Utilizing, Reducing, Increasing, Improve, Enhancing, Boosting and Broadening (Information for Stockholders)

d) Identifying Organizational Limits
Budget & Training, License, everything, Different Areas
People & Trained People Experts, If need additional Training – Contractor or Outsourcing
Policies – Vendor Policies used, Procedures
Time – You have good PM, Experience, time to meat, deadline etc

e) Identifying Application & Services
Application category, Application choice, Level etc
Like E-mail, Productivity, Voice, Web, DB, Customer Services, Security, QoS, IP Multicasting, Management etc

f) Reaching Technical Goals
Maximum Performance & Productivity
Enhance Security
Achieve Reliability for Critical Core Application
Reduce Downtime
Update Obsolete: Hardware &/or Software
Boost Network Scalability
Simple Network Management

g) Identifying Technical Constraints
Limitation of Existing Equipment
Availability of existing equipment
Compatibility of Application
Adequacy of Trained Personnel

2. Existing Network Topology
L-3 Topology & L-2 Topology - Check everywhere and documents this
Network Services – NAT, ACL, Protocol, Frame Relay/ATM, Backup Path, IP etc
Network Application – Web, FTP, Mail, Chat/IM, IP Telephony etc
Modular Map – Network Management, Internet Module, WAN, Internal Server Farm, Backbone etc
Collect Audit Report like Router Model, CPU Memory, Utilization, IOS Version, Router-Config, Routing Table, Module/slots, report etc. We can use below command, which will generate output of many commands almost:
Router # show tech-support

3. Designed Network & Topology Solution



4. Plan the Network Implementation
Have a step-by-step Procedure
Well documented & detailed
Include other staff and consultant
Consider Possible Pitfalls
Test at every step in the process
Break down complex procedure into chunks

5. Construct a Prototype Network
Pilot or Prototype - Pilot (From Scratch) & Prototype (Test, Verify and re-design)
Prototype is preferable
Bottom-Line: Test the Design
Two possible result: Success or Failure

6. Fully Document Outline

7. 8-Step Design Method

8. For Implementation, verify, monitor, & Modify - Further study at Routing and Switching (CCNP-CCIE) Level

I Hope this will be informative for you :)

Network Design

Designing Network involves different steps, procedure and methods. I will talk about the first two section in this post, see other following post for the renaming:

1. Organizational Policies & Procedures
2. Essential of a Flexible Network
3. Network Design Method (PDIOO)
4. Design Process – 8 Steps

Organization Policy Cycle

An organizational policy and procedure is a collection of specific guidelines and rules in written form that are understood, implemented and maintained at every level of the organization for the purpose of reaching well-defined goals.



Guidelines for Organizational Model

Logical – Mirror the ecosystem.
Incremental – start small but think big
Horizontal – Get constant input from stakeholders
Manageable – Implement Control and access mechanism
Critical – Implement core application first
Exceptional – look for cutting edge solution


Network Infrastructure Essential

1. Availability: This means there should be Resiliency in your network, Redundant and 24/7 available
2. Efficiency: Best equipment, Services, Software, AAA, Queuing etc
3. Functionality: Like .net – so we have sufficient bandwidth for the application
4. Manageability: e.g. SNMP, Maintain performance, Security etc
5. Performance: you get what needed
6. Scalability: Future expansion

Designing: Access Layer – Distribution Layer & Campus Backbone

While preparing for my CCDA and CCDP, I came across with these information. I hope it will help you :)

Access Layer

1. Current & future needs for users or node ports
2. Can your company or client afford modular Cisco units
3. Is the existing cabling UTP adequate?
4. Can you afford to move to MM fiber?
5. Performance and Bandwidth requirement
6. Redundancy? & up to which level it is needed &/or Required
7. VLAN, VTP, STP or RSTP support requirement?
8. Layer-2 traffic pattern, Multicasting & QoS?

Distribution Layer

1. Layer-2 switch adequate? A Layer-3 switch?
2. Total user do you support? Or have to?
3. Do you need high availability?
4. Do you need distribution switches, modular & scalable?
5. What type of intelligence service like QoS, Security, IP Multicasting etc
6. Are you prepare for manageability and configurability
7. Are advance features need to be implemented like RSTP, MSTP, Backbone fast or Uplink fast.

Campus Backbone

1. Do you have three or more building connected through enterprise campus infrastructure?
2. Is your solution L2, L2/L3 or L3 throughout the network?
3. Are you read for high performance, multilayer switching?
4. Does your customer want to simplify and lower the number of links between distribution layer switches and server farm/edge distribution modules?
5. What are the performance needs?
6. How many high capacity links/ports do you need?
7. What are the high availability/redundancy needs?

I Hope this will be informative for you :)