Designing Switch Routers

This book examines the fundamental concepts and design methods associated with switch/routers. It discusses the main factors that are driving the changing network landscape and propelling the continuous growth in demand for bandwidth and high-performance network devices. Designing Switch/Routers: Fundamental Concepts and Design Methods focuses on the essential concepts that underlie the design of switch/routers in general. This book considers the switch/router as a generic Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding device without placing an emphasis on any particular manufacturer’s device. The underlying concepts and design methods are not only positioned to be applicable to generic switch/routers but also to the typical switch/routers seen in the industry. The discussion provides a better insight into the protocols, methods, processes, and tools involved in designing switch/routers. The author discusses the design goals and features switch/router manufacturers consider when designing their products as well as the advanced and value-added features, along with the steps, used to build practical switch/routers. The last two chapters discuss real-world 6 switch/router architectures that employ the concepts and design methods described in the previous chapters. This book provides an introductory level discussion of switch/routers and is written in a style accessible to undergraduate and graduate students, engineers, and researchers in the networking and telecoms industry as well as academics and other industry professionals. The material and discussion are structured to serve as standalone teaching material for networking and telecom courses and/or supplementary material for such courses.

This book focuses on the design goals (i.e., key features), architectures, and practical applications of switch/routers in IP networks. The discussion includes some practical design examples to illustrate how switch/routers are designed and how the key features are implemented. Designing Switch/Routers: Architectures and Applications explains the design and architectural considerations as well as the typical processes and steps used to build practical switch/routers. The author describes the components of a switch/router that are used to configure, manage, and monitor it. This book discusses the advantages of using Ethernet in today’s networks and why Ethernet continues to play a large role in Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), and Wide Area Network (WAN) design. The author also explains typical networking applications of switch/routers, particularly in enterprise and internet service provider (ISP) networks. This book provides a discussion of the design of switch/routers and is written to appeal to undergraduate and graduate students, engineers, and researchers in the networking and telecom industry as well as academics and other industry professionals. The material and discussion are structured to serve as standalone teaching material for networking and telecom courses and/or supplementary material for such courses.

Crossbar switch fabrics offer many benefits when designing switch/routers. This book discusses switch/router architectures using design examples and case studies of well-known systems that employ crossbar switch fabric as their internal interconnects. This book looks to explain the design of switch/routers from a practicing engineer’s perspective. It uses a broad range of design examples to illustrate switch/router designs and provides case studies to enhance readers comprehension of switch/router architectures. The book goes on to discuss industry best practices in switch/router design and explains the key features and differences between unicast and multicast packet forwarding architectures. This book will be of benefit to telecoms/networking industry professionals and engineers as well as researchers and academics looking for more practical and efficient approaches for designing non-blocking crossbar switch fabrics.

As Internet traffic grows and demands for quality of service become stringent, researchers and engineers can turn to this go-to guide for tested and proven solutions. This text presents the latest developments in high performance switches and routers, coupled with step-by-step design guidance and more than 550 figures and examples to enable readers to grasp all the theories and algorithms used for design and implementation.

This book covers the design of multilayer switches starting from the basic concepts, and continues with the basic architectures. It then delves into router and switch systems. It is written to appeal to a broad audience from students to experienced researchers and engineers. The book describes the evolution and design of networking devices, helping those interested in knowing the bigger picture understand how these devices are made, their various advances, and how these devices will continue to play a major role in interworking for the foreseeable future. All discussions are done taking into consideration applicable examples, cases, and illustrations.

A practicing engineer's inclusive review of communication systems based on shared-bus and shared-memory switch/router architectures This book delves into the inner workings of router and switch design in a comprehensive manner that is accessible to a broad audience. It begins by describing the role of switch/routers in a network, then moves on to the functional composition of a switch/router. A comparison of centralized versus distributed design of the architecture is also presented. The author discusses use of bus versus shared-memory for communication within a design, and also covers Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms and configuration tools. Written in a simple style and language to allow readers to easily understand and appreciate the material presented, Switch/Router Architectures: Shared-Bus and Shared-Memory Based Systems discusses the design of multilayer switches—starting with the basic concepts and on to the basic architectures. It describes the evolution of multilayer switch designs and highlights the major performance issues affecting each design. It addresses the need to build faster multilayer switches and examines the architectural constraints imposed by the various multilayer switch designs. The book also discusses design issues including performance, implementation complexity, and scalability to higher speeds. This resource also: Summarizes principles of operation and explores the most common installed routers Covers the design of example architectures (shared bus and memory based architectures), starting from early software based designs Provides case studies to enhance reader comprehension Switch/Router Architectures: Shared-Bus and Shared-Memory Based Systems is an excellent guide for advanced undergraduate and graduate level students, as well for engineers and researchers working in the field.

This is the eBook version of the printed book. If the print book includes a CD-ROM, this content is not included within the eBook version. The most complete guide to Cisco Catalyst(r) switch network design, operation, and configuration Master key foundation topics such as high-speed LAN technologies, LAN segmentation, bridging, the Catalyst command-line environment, and VLANs Improve the performance of your campus network by utilizing effective Cisco Catalyst design, configuration, and troubleshooting techniques Benefit from the most comprehensive coverage of Spanning-Tree Protocol, including invaluable information on troubleshooting common Spanning Tree problems Master trunking concepts and applications, including ISL, 802.1Q, LANE, and MPOA Understand when and how to utilize Layer 3 switching techniques for maximum effect Understand Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching configuration with the Catalyst 6000 family, including coverage of the powerful MSFC Native IOS Mode Cisco LAN Switchingprovides the most comprehensive coverage of the best methods for designing, utilizing, and deploying LAN switching devices and technologies in a modern campus network. Divided into six parts, this book takes you beyond basic switching concepts by providing an array of proven design models, practical implementation solutions, and troubleshooting strategies. Part I discusses important foundation issues that provide a context for the rest of the book, including Fast and Gigabit Ethernet, routing versus switching, the types of Layer 2 switching, the Catalyst command-line environment, and VLANs. Part II presents the most detailed discussion of Spanning-Tree Protocol in print, including common problems, troubleshooting, and enhancements, such as PortFast, UplinkFast, BackboneFast, and PVST+. Part III examines the critical issue of trunk connections, the links used to carry multiple VLANs through campus networks. Entire chapters are dedicated to LANE and MPOA. Part IV addresses advanced features, such as Layer 3 switching, VTP, and CGMP and IGMP. Part V covers real-world campus design and implementation issues, allowing you to benefit from the collective advice of many LAN switching experts. Part VI discusses issues specific to the Catalyst 6000/6500 family of switches, including the powerful Native IOS Mode of Layer 3 switching. Several features in Cisco LAN Switchingare designed to reinforce concepts covered in the book and to help you prepare for the CCIE exam. In addition to the practical discussion of advanced switching issues, this book also contains case studies that highlight real-world design, implementation, and management issues, as well as chapter-ending review questions and exercises. This book is part of the Cisco CCIE Professional Development Series from Cisco Press, which offers expert-level instruction on network design, deployment, and support methodologies to help networking professionals manage complex networks and prepare for CCIE exams.