Network LANscape

Servers & Equipment FoundIn a Typical Local Area Network

(LAN)

By George SquillaceNew Horizons of Michigan

MCT, MCSE, MCDBAMCITP – Database Administration

MCITP – Enterprise Messaging

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Building Blocks of a Typical LAN

Application Servers

Infrastructure Servers

Infrastructure Equipment

Infrastructure Equipment – Part I of III

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Switches• Switches replace Hubs

• Hubs receive a transmission in one port and retransmit out all other ports

• Connect Local Machines on the same “street”

• Many available brands• Cisco is a popular brand

• Can vary in size and complexity• Small• Large, Enterprise Hubs

• The elaborate switches require programming, which requires training

• Switches use hardware, or physical addresses

• Switches still forward broadcast transmissions out every port!

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Routers

• Comparison:• Switches connect machines on the same “street”• Routers connect segments (think one “street” to another)

• Manufacturers• Cisco• Windows• Many Other Vendors

• Routers can be very complex and require programming, which requires training

• Enterprise Hubs can combine routing and switching

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Firewall (Routers)

• A device (specialty router) that selectively permits traffic across its connected networks

• Many available brands• Cisco PIX• Microsoft ISA Server 2006• CheckPoint• Watchguard• SonicWall

• Can be very elaborate and successful implementation often requires training

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WAN Connections

• Provides a connection to a distant, external network

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ISP Connections

• Provides a connection to an Internet Service Provider

• Other services often are added beyond merely providing a pathway to the Internet, such as mail services

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Network Diagram

ISP & the Internet

Private Connection

to Branch Office

Switch

Firewall & VPN Srvr

Switch

Switch

Mail Srvr DatabaseSrvr

File SrvrDirectory

Srvr

NetworkPrinter

Router

Router

Web Srvr/SharePoint

BlackberrySrvr

DHCPDNSWINS

Application ServersInfrastructure Servers

CRMand/orERP

Infrastructure Servers – Part II of III

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Protocol & TCP/IP Basics

• Before network entities can communicate they require a common network protocol suite

• Virtually the only LAN protocol suite today is the TCP/IP suite (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)

• TCP/IP is a complex protocol family and requires a fair amount of knowledge to implement successfully

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DHCP Servers (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)

• A service that provides IP Addresses to machines as they connect to the network

• No machine on a TCP/IP network can communicate with other machines unless it has a unique IP Address

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Directory Servers (a.k.a. Authentication Servers)

• Servers must exist in the network that validate identity of users, computers, and services

• For Microsoft networks, Active Directory Domain Controllers

• For NetWare networks, eDirectory Servers• In Unix, NIS Server (Network Information System)

• Multiple Directory Servers may exist in the network to provide redundancy

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Name Resolution Servers

• On TCP/IP networks computers use IP Addresses to connect to other computers and devices

• But humans use friendly names to refer to computers (see example below)Used to point friendly names to IP Addresses

• Examples of Name servers• DNS

(Domain Name System)• WINS

(Windows Internet Name Service)

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Remote Access Servers

• Use for connecting someone on the outside of a corporate network to enable access of internal resources such as File Servers and electronic mail

• Examples• Most firewalls also provide this capability

• RRAS (Microsoft Routing & Remote Access)

• Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) extend remote access and encrypt the pathway between the client machine and the remote access server

• Providers of remote virtual desktops, which is an alternae or additional remote access technology• Terminal Services

• Citrix Server

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File Servers

• Use to store corporate/organization documents and work

• Must be secured

• Must be organized and maintained• New folders created• Permissions changed• Old data removed or migrated

Application Servers – Part III of III

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Mail Servers

• Exchange

• GroupWise

• Internet Service Providers may provide:• SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol)

{outbound} + POP3 (Post Office Protocol) {inbound}

• SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) {outbound} + IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol) {inbound}

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Database Servers

• Microsoft SQL Server

• Oracle

• DB2 (IBM)

• Informix

• Sybase

• OpenSource options• MySQL• PostgreSQL

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Web (HTTP) Servers

• Apache

• Windows (IIS)

• NetWare

• SharePoint is a specialty web server/portal

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Telephony Servers

• PBX Integration

• Unified Messaging

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FAX Servers

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Instant Messaging Servers

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Network Diagram

ISP & the Internet

Private Connection

to Branch Office

Switch

Firewall & VPN Srvr

Switch

Switch

Mail Srvr DatabaseSrvr

File SrvrDirectory

Srvr

NetworkPrinter

Router

Router

Web Srvr/SharePoint

BlackberrySrvr

DHCPDNSWINS

Application ServersInfrastructure Servers

CRMand/orERP

Network LANscapePart II

Courses Applicable to Typical Infrastructure Servers & Application Servers

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PrimaryInfrastructure Equipment {mostly Cisco} Courses

• INTRO to Cisco Networking Technologies• ICND, Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices• BSCI, Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks• BCMSN, Building Cisco Multi-Layer Switched Networks• SNPA, Securing Networks with PIX Firewall and ASA• Microsoft Course 2824B (for ISA Server 2004)

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PrimaryWindows Server Courses for Infrastructure Servers

• 2274, Managing a Windows Server 2003 Environment• Directory Services management• File Server Services

• 2275, Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment• 2276, Implementing a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure:

Network Hosts• TCP/IP Networking

• 2277, Implementing a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure: Network Services• DCHP• DNS• WINS• Remote Access

• 2279, Planning, Implementing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure• Directory Services installation

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PrimaryMicrosoft Application Server Courses

• Exchange• 2400C Administration (for Exchange 2003)

• SQL Server• 2780B Database Administration• 2779B Database Implementation• BI and many, many other courses

• SharePoint• 2014• 2552• 2553• Several others

• SMS• 2596

• BizTalk

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Resources

• Microsoft Learning website

• e-Squillace.com website• e-Squillace.com TechReference home• e-Squillace.com Diagrams

• Diagram, How Do Computers Find Services on the Network?