User's Manual

Design Guide

Figure 6. Alternative Network Configuration

Data Center Network Architecture

The architecture of the data center infrastructure must address the requirements necessary to

create a highly available, scalable, and secure network. This section describes the basic

architecture necessary to meet these goals. It is a synopsis of the Cisco Data Center Network

Architecture; for details about this architecture, visit:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns340/ns517/ns224/ns304/net_design_guidance0900aecd80

0e4d2e.pdf.

Data Center Network Components

The terms front-end network and back-end network define the devices that comprise the

infrastructure of the data center and their general role. The front-end network is the IP routing and

switching environment. It provides client-to-server, server-to-server, and server-to-storage network

connectivity. The back-end network supports the storage-area-network (SAN) fabric and

connectivity between servers and other storage devices such as storage arrays and tape drives.

The front-end network contains two distinct functional areas called the aggregation and access

layers. Figure 7 depicts the front-end network and the services available at each layer.