Specifications

3/11/98 12:26 Introduction 6-1
Chapter 6
Token Ring Design
Considerations
6.1 Introduction
The planning of a new Token Ring LAN, or the extension of an existing LAN,
must take into consideration a number of objectives including:
•
Which organizational expectations should be fulfilled by the LAN.
•
What types of functions are required by the end users.
•
The geographic extent of the network and the number of users.
•
The LAN environment's special requirements with regards to reliability,
security, noise immunity, indoor/outdoor connections, etc.
•
Manageability, in terms of day-to-day maintenance of the network and
cabling system, fault diagnosis and recovery.
Once the basic requirements of the token ring have been established, the
actual design can start. In general, the basic topology of the LAN is
determined by the special requirements of your system. After the system
requirements have been determined, you must implement a LAN that
interconnects a specified number of users and servers located at
predetermined locations.
Therefore, you should begin with a predetermined network configuration
and analyze this configuration to determine whether it is technically feasible.
The goal is to design a network that will continue to provide service even
when a single fault occurs.
If problems are found, network design is refined by adding repeaters, using
cable with lower attenuation, segmenting rings into smaller rings and similar
solutions.
After several iterations, a reliable, cost-efficient design is obtained.