1. Networking Systems:
1.1. Networking system’s constraints and benefits:
- LAN aka Local Area Network: A network that is isolated in its nature and it usually built within a physical location such as home and office. Under this system, the computers are linked with a server that is small and also to a wide area network or in other words internet. They are usually utilized and are helpful in sharing data such as small to big documents, files, games and others.
- MAN aka Metropolitan Area Network: MAN or the Metropolitan Area Network is usually a computer network large in its size that are linked or connected with each other from various geographical or distant locations. It has a similar structure with the LAN network, and the only dissimilarity it has with it is the area it is covered, since MAN covers typically larger area than LAN does, for example, a college campus and sometimes an entire city.
- WAN aka WIDE Area Network: Similar to that of Local Area Network or LAN, however in this case there more devices that are interlinked within each other by means of telephone, satellites or optic cables.
Networking Topologies:
- Bus: A set of links made by every device towards other devices individually. Although the entire system is simple in nature, various errors or troubleshooting occurs in it. Data redundancy issue is one of the primary examples, and also if one device cease to work, it effects the device which is connected with it too.
- Ring: Almost similar to that of the bus network. Unlike bus topologies, ring does not have termination. Ring topologies is considered to have no end, and this mainly because the entire linkage in a circular form. Adding or linking new network might sometimes challenging due to this circular nature of connection.
- Star: Under this topology, each node is linked towards an individual switch. And it is at this switch all other nodes are also linked. Therefore a direct connection is made from switch to node. The disadvantage of this system is that a large amount of wire is required for the connection.
- Mesh: In this topology, every other node is used to connect each other. Mostly this topology is used in developing wireless network. The main disadvantage of this topology is that it requires extensive management as well as the overhead is usually high.
- Hybrid: This when more than one topology’s are used to connect with each other. Star and ring topology is used under this networking.
It is to be assumed that it would take more than usual time to access files from a remote server using a thin client. All the processing is done within the server, especially in one specific implementation of the thin client. However, the modern LAN technology would come for aid at this moment, which causes fewer problems. When it comes to LAN, Gigabit Ethernet could offer 10-100 GB/sec data rate.
It is also a noticeable factor that the hard-disk technology as well as processors is evolving at an immense rate. With this the memory capacity and the performance are also enhancing tremendously. Higher access speed and enhanced capacity is required for the server in the current context, since most of the clients are using central server for the storage of their data. On the other side, the technology is also becoming cheaper in the course of time. All these factors are contributing to the evolution and development of computer network concept.
- OSPF: A routing protocol used in large, single and also in group network. It was Internet Engineering Task Force that developed it. It can be also utilized in Gateway protocol.
- FTP: FTP aka File Transfer Protocol is typically a standard protocol, utilized for transferring data from one server to another, or from one client to another host. In order to upload any file to the website, the admin or the user requires username, password and the host id as well.
- SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol aka SMTP is used in the exchange of email. This would work in align with POP3 service.
- TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol are nothing but a stack of protocol. Considered to be different in nature, however, it is has its similarity with HTTP, SMTP and FTP.
It is indeed a fact that diskless workstation and the network computers has the capacity to transfer maximum data to and fro within the servers than from a ordinary PC workstation. For this reason the traffic will be increased and the user or the client could access the server at any given time. This scenario would eventually lead to collision, in which it triggers numerous retry from the client, since this would increase the traffic of the network and contribute to the immense growth in the traffic rate. For this reason there is a requirement of multiple access protocol for the effective utilization of network computer’s actual capacity, within the network. TCP/IP protocol stack would contribute to a effective multiple access technology within the data link layer.
Three of the pivotal physical layer protocol that enables the rapid communication between the network computers is fast Ethernet, GB Ethernet and Ethernet. Network protocol would assure the use of different networks systems.
- OSI model layer tow handles the logical as well as physical linkage to the packet’s destination through the utilization of a NIC aka Network Interface Card
- Layer 3 Protocol aka Network Layer Protocol is used for routing as well exchange of datagrams from a one to another network. IP protocol usually assesses bigger datagrams and recognizes the host with a 32-bit Ip address.
- TCP, UDP are level 4 protocols. TCP aka Transmission Control Protocol assures the linkage between multiple hosts, especially two, within the network through socket, in which it is later determined by the port number as well as the IP address. It would also assure lower level of overhead in the transmission service; however, the error assessment is usually lower in this.
2. Software and hardware:
- Application Sharing: Uses the same platform for the connection and management of the computer. The network cost can be reduced by the use of network share application software platform.
- Hardware Sharing: Hardware such as phone, fax and printer can be used for the sharing. If a printer is linked with the server, and server with the computers, the user could use the printer by using any of the computers connected.
- Security and Management: Most of the Network software offers basic security as well as backup of the valuable files. It can also monitor and report the efficiency as well as usage of the computer.
- Operating System: Linux or Windows operation system.
2. When it comes to hardware there are many, and this includes;
- Gateway
- Modems
- Routers
- Hub
- Network Interface Cards aka NIC
- Bridges
- Server
- Proxy server
- Web server
- Mail server
- FTP server
- SMTP server
Server: Structured and designed to receive as well as to process request from other devices and also to deliver or to process the data towards other devices within a wide area or a local network.There are many servers that is operating in the current times, hence here few of the common server types.
- Proxy Servers: Acting just like middle between the real server and the user. The client mentioned here is usually a web-browser. Usually when a query is made by the user towards the browser, initially the browser would try to provide a solution, or it would forward the request towards a real server. Through this time consumption is reduced. On the other side proxy servers are also used in the filtration of the requests.
- Mail Server: Used for the deliverance of email within a network. The servers receives the email from other servers and send it to the right client.
- Web Servers: Used for hosting websites. Delivers the webpage to the requested client. Image or HTML documents are used in all of the web content.
- Application Server aka App Server: Used for the management of application between the user and the server.
- FTP Server: Also known as File Transfer Protocol is a standard protocol used for the exchange of data from one client server to another or a client to host.
A new network always requires the selection of server type. Despite the location, the selection process is usually intricate.
1. Sever Hardware: To Setup a Strong Foundation. Severs are in most of the places today, from corporate servers that linked with printers, to the storage servers attached with the network used in the backing up of files. Although they are not much powerful than a normal desktop computer, it is designed in such a way that multiple people could access it at one time. In order for the website to work, a good enough server is required to handle multiple connections at a time, and could do the operation without error or interruption.
2. Server Scaling: During the selection of a server, there are mainly three components that could determine the most suitable package, and they are;
- Processors: Considered as the central nervous system of the server. Today most of the servers available have multi-core processors, which could solve many of the challenging computing in a greater precision and speed. More efficient and faster the processor, faster will be its efficiency to solve the computing as well as for the application to run smoothly.
- RAM: Another pivotal component is the Memory of the server, since this would allow the information to flow without any force to read or write operations into the storage drives of the server. Even for a simple blog page requires a adequate amount of memory. 4 GB is the minimum, one should look for.
- Hard Drive Space: The most important part of the server, since it is here all the storage of the data and the information occurs.
3. Redundancy and Support: Speed as well as power is a pivotal part of server, since this would increase the ease of accessibility. On the other side, the built in hardware and software should be taken into consideration for the protection of data and failover. For example, most of the servers backup the files from the main hard drives; hence no data loss would happen if one hard drive fails in the process. However for this to be success, multiple hard drives are required.
4. Peak traffic: it is important to consider peak traffic as important, as it is the number of people trying to access the webpage that would in turn provide it publicity and popularity. When it comes to corporate websites, usually peak traffic occurs when a newsletter on any of their new launch would happen, and on the other side personal website gets its traffic whenever they get popularity through secondary sources.
5. Dangers being Unprepared: If the website is incapable of handling high traffic, it would either lags or it would go offline. Since this is dire disadvantage for the site owners, for they could lose the peak traffic in these instances. This situation would also allow mirror WebPages to take over and take advantage of the situation, if the original webpage fails to open.
6. Selection of the host for handling Peak Traffic: There is plenty of third party content delivery system available currently to support the websites during its peak traffic or viral success.
2.4. Inter Dependence of Workstation Hardware with Network Components
When it comes to diskless workstations they have their own operating system within the server. If there is a requirement for the workstation to use any of the network components such as server or printer, it has to establish its communication with the network component; or in other words behalf of diskless workstation, the server has to communicate. Because of this, there is a high possibility of increase in the traffic and eventually congestion. Also the workstation or the client hardware has to wait, while the network computers are utilizing the hard disk (CPU, Memory etc). Therefore by the deployment of network computers or the diskless workstation, the interdependency of the workstation station would increase. For this reason it is pivotal to install reliable software as well as hardware within the server, and also allow backup and redundancy techniques as well for the server.
