network architecture
introduction
The network architecture describes the wet string and baked bean tins that connect computers to each other and to the Internet.
The application architecture uses the network architecture to provide Internet services.
what it is
You could think of the LIC (Larg's Internet Cluster) as two big virtual buckets for holding cluster building blocks. The two buckets are:
- the network container
- the application container
The network container is the core of the network. Everything communicates using the network container. The network container does not usually change no matter how busy the LIC gets.
The application container includes everything that Internet services need to run. It does not include the Internet services themselves. The application container can get bigger if more computer horsepower is needed for applications. Using the office block analogy, the network container is the building and the application container is the furniture and venetian blinds. Think of an application computer as an office desk and you are halfway there. Honest. Trust me.
There are many ways to make a computer network. The network architecture describes which way was chosen. For instance, the LIC contains several star network topologies. According to the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) 7 layer model the LIC network uses ethernet in the lower layers and TCP/IP in the upper layers.
network building blocks
The network building blocks are both hardware and software.
- a DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone)
- a LAN
- a computer
- a host
- an ethernet switch
- a router
- a firewall
- a cluster
- a load balancer
- an SSL accelerator
- a data store
- an administration computer
- an IDS (Intrusion Detection System)
- a health monitor
These building blocks can all connect together thanks to network protocols.
Network building blocks are sold by network equipment vendors. These vendors are huge companies such as
- Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and ZTE Corp. in China,
- Siemens AG and Ericsson AB in Europe and
- Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks in America.
| LIC topology: groups of computers |
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It should not matter which telecom equipment vendor made each piece: they should all work together.
what it isn't
Application architecture. This is an Internet Data Center so the applications are slanted towards running Internet services. The network is configured so these services can be installed and run, but that is only an assumption. The network architecture does not describe where the Internet service applications are or what they do. This network architecture stays the same whether the Internet services exist or not.
where it is
The network architecture covers all of the LIC.
