Difference Between Logical And Physical Design

Difference Between Logical Design and Physical Design

(Graphics Not Available)

Understanding network topology can tell one a great deal about installing or expanding a network. At its basic level, the topology of a network refers to the way in which all its pieces have been connected. That is, it refers to the layout of the computers, printers, and other equipment hooked to the network (TechTarget 2006). Because cables connect computing resources together for a network, network's topology is also a function of the way in which the cabling is organized, whether it is arrayed in three basic physical topologies available to LAN designers:

• Bus- In the bus topology, all workstations on the network are attached to a single cable i.e. Ethernet, and AppleTalk, are more well know examples of bus-based networks. This sharing of the transmission media or cable has several important consequences. Mainly, it means that the transmission media or cable can carry only one message at a time. Each workstation on the network must have the capability of knowing when it can and cannot access the network using this shared medium (TechTarget 2006).

• Ring- Like the bus, a Token Ring network uses a single cable. Unlike the bus, the cable's ends are looped to form a complete logical circle or ring. Unlike the bus, when a workstation needs to transmit data over the network, it must wait until the token is passed to it by its neighboring station. It takes control of the station and then places a data packet on the network.