Assignment 6 Ted Talks

TED Talks ( http://www.ted.com/talks ) are great presentations on a variety of topics. Select and watch a TED Talk. Review the presentation. What was the topic and argument of the presentation? How were visual or other props used in the presentation? Was it effective? Were questions asked? Humor used? How was the pacing? Was there a ‘path’ through the presentation? Were you engaged or inspired? 


 I watched the TED Talk where Laurel Braitman Talked about mental disorders in animals and how it relates to humans. I selected this talk because I believe my own cats may have some mental disorders and I was hoping for some answers. My oldest cat, Bah, likes to chew plastic bags or other thin plastics and is as excited as a dog when I come home. Ralphie likes to "bury" things and is very into smells. If I leave a bowl of Chinese food unattended I will come back to him "burying" the food. He also goes in the litter box after Bah to make sure she properly buried. I believe the presentation was good at explaining that yes animals can have mental disorders and gave examples of different animals being diagnosed and treated. She used pictures of the animals she was talking about and some youtube videos that showed the habits of animals with disorders. She used some humor but didn't ask/answer questions. Her pacing was good except for a few times she paused for an odd amount of time.

Chapter 1: Hierarchical Network Designs Part 3

Evolving Network Architectures

Technology is always changing so network architecture needs to change with it. Current challenges are Bring your own device (BYOD) which allows workers to use their own phones and laptops/tablets at work, online collaboration, video collaboration, and cloud computing. These require more and different security practices along with faster network speeds to handle video streaming.

Cisco has developed three new network architectures to accommodate the new technologies.

Cisco Borderless Networks

Allows clients to connect securely, reliably, and seamlessly to the corporate network in a BYOD environment. This solution is not set but must continue changing to handle the shifting borders/changing technologies.

This architecture offers two sets of service:

• Borderless end-point/ user services allow the user to connect on any device, wires/wireless, and get the same reliable/ secure connection. Cisco recommends that smart phones and tablets should use the Cisco AnyConnect app to establish a secure, persistent, policy-based connection for a seamless user experience.... *yay marketing! I swear I only rolled my eyes once while typing*

• Borderless network services works to secure the connections to the many new devices and allows them access to network resources. It also allows the implementation of policy based architecture to us centeralized access controls. Also provides support for online video and voice. *I assume with QoS but it doesn't say*

Collaboration Architecture

 

Cisco provides products, applications, software dev kits, and APIs to support collaborative environments.

Cisco's Collaboration Architecture is composed of three layers:

• Application and Devices layer contains communications and conference applications such as!, Cisco WebEx Meetings, WebEx Social, Cisco Jabber, and TelePresence. These applications to create and maintain the connections for voice, video, web conferencing, messaging, mobile apps, and enterprise software.

• Collaboration Services layer supports collaboration applications by providing presence, location, session management, contact management, client frameworks, tagging, and policy and security management services.

• Network and computer infrastructure layer is responsible allows collaboration anytime! from anywhere! on any Device! includes virtual machines, the network, and storage! *if they are going to be silly I'm allowed to be too. Picture Billy Mays*

Data center and virtualization

Built on Cisco Data Center 3.0! Provided a set of virtualization technologies and services that bring networking, storage, and virtualization platforms together.

Consists of three components:

• Cisco Unified Management Solutions simplify and automate deploying IT infrastructure and service quickly and "Enterprise" Reliability. In plain talk they provide a central management tool for virtual and physical environments.

• Unified Fabric Solutions provide network services to servers, storage, and applications. They recommend Cisco nexus switches, Catalyst switches, Cisco Fabric manager, Cisco NX-OS Software. *VMware study* The fabric refers to the fiber network that connects to the virtual hosts. These switches/routers typically need to be set statically and considering redundancy. A failure at this step can cost big money. *VMware study*

• Unified Computing Solutions unifies computing, network, storage access, and virtualization into a cohesive system designed to reduce cost of ownership and increase business agility. The Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS) is built with blade servers, rack-mount servers, fabric interconnects, and Virtual interface cards (VICs). *VMware study* When virtualizing you pay more for hardware but need less hardware over all so you save money there. Also Licensing is either by core or processor. In a virtual environment you can set the a single processor to the speed you need even though you are using more cores/processors to get that speed virtually it is one processor/core so you can save money there. *VMware study*

Chapter 1: Hierarchical Network Designs Part 2

Cisco's Enterprise Architecture Modules

©2014 Cisco Press, Connecting Networks Companion Guide

These are different modules laid out by Cisco.

Enterprise campus module

 

consists of a building or groups of buildings on an enterprise network within a fixed geographic area.

Consists of sub-modules:

• Building Access- Same as the access layer but applies the whole building.

• Building Distribution- Same as the distribution layer but applies to the whole building.
• Campus Core- Same as the core layer but applies to the whole building.

• Server Farm/ Data Center- Data center module connected directly to the Campus core layer.

The Building access, Building Distribution, and Campus Core sub modules are collectively called the Campus Infrastructure Module. These sub-modules provide high availability, integrate IP communications/mobility/advanced security, Uses multicast traffic and QoS to optimize traffic, and provides increased security and flexibility using access control management, VLANs, and IPSec VPNs.

The Data Center module provides high capacity connectivity between server resources and users. It also includes network management services. Consists of internal email, application, file, print and Domain Name System (DNS) services.

The enterprise campus module provides; high availability with multilayer design, redundant hardware and software, automated failover, and integrated security.

Cisco Enterprise Edge Module

 

Provides connectivity for voice, data, and video services outside the enterprise. Acts as a barrier between the Enterprise Campus Module and other external modules. In plain terms it acts as the DMZ.

Consists of sub-modules:

• E-commerce networks and servers module supports E-commerce applications. Designed for high-availably. Devices in the sub module are web, application, and database servers; firewall and firewall routers; and network intrusion prevention systems (IPS). In plain terms it's a datacenter accessible on the web so it's coated in security.

• Internet connectivity and DMZ module provides secure connectivity to internet services: public servers, email and DNS. The module is able to connect using multiple ISPs. Devices included are firewalls and firewall routers, internet edge routers, FTP and HTTP servers, SMTP relay servers, and DNS servers.

• Remote access and VPN module provides remote access termination services, including authentication. Devices included are firewalls, dial-in access concentrators, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) and network intrusion prevention system (IPS) appliances.

• WAN module provides WAN technologies for routing traffic between remote sites and the central site. Technologies included are Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Metro Ethernet, leased lines, Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), PPP, Frame Relay, ATM, cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), and wireless.  (what this book/class teaches)

Service Provider Edge Module

 

Provides connectivity between the Enterprise Edge module and the remote enterprise data center, enterprise branch, and enterprise teleworker modules. Includes internet service providers (ISPs), WAN services, and public switched telephone network (PTSN) services. This module allows connectivity over long distances, converges voice/data/ video services over a single IP communications network, supports QoS and service level agreements, and supports security using VPNs (IPsec / MPLS) over layers 2 and 3 WANS.

Redundancy options:

• Single-homed- A single connection to a single ISP
  
• Dual-homed- Multiple connections to a single ISP
• Multihomed- A single connection to multiple ISPs
• Dual-Multihomed- Multiple connections to multiple ISPs

©2014 Cisco Press, Connecting Networks Companion Guide

©2014 Cisco Press, Connecting Networks Companion Guide

Remote Functional area

 

To try to confuse people, instead of having this area like the others where it would be called the remote module with sub modules, this is a "Functional area" that has modules in it. The remote functional area is about remote locations connecting through the SP edge module to the Enterprise Campus Module. The Enterprise Branch Module, Enterprise Teleworker Module, and the Enterprise Data Center Module are in this functional area.

Enterprise Branch Module

Allows employees at remote branches to connect securely to the Enterprise Campus. The locations are typically in charge of providing security, telephony, and mobility options to workers. Requires the SP edge module to connect to the Enterprise Campus module.

Enterprise Teleworker

Responsible for providing connectivity to workers who operate in different locations including, home offices, hotels, or client sites. Recommended to connect using local ISP or DSL. Use VPN service for security. Worker gains access to Enterprise Campus resources securely and cheaply.

Enterprise Data Center

 

Same as the campus data center but at a remote location which provides an added layer of security should disaster recovery be necessary.

This chapter will be continued in Part 3.

Chapter 1: Hierarchical Network Designs Part 1

This chapter talks about how to design and organize an enterprise network. The book likes to add a lot of "fluff" words to it's definitions so I will be streamlining it here. The book is also inconstant with its use of capitalization so it's hard to tell when they are using proprietary proper nouns.

The Basics

Good network design states that a network needs to be resilient, flexible, modular, and hierarchical.

• Resilient means that the network should be designed to stay functioning or to quickly recover in the event of a failure. 

• A flexible network should be easy to upgrade, change, or add services to without having to change much hardware.

• Modular is separating the network functions into logical and physical groups for better management and layout. This chapter is primarily about Cisco's predefined modules; enterprise campus, services block, data center, and internet edge. 
  
• Hierarchical is a network model that divides the network into two or three layers; access layer, distribution layer, and core layer. This results in a nice easy to manage design. The two or three layer designs are the standard and are used everywhere. The three idea's are used at a smaller level, whereas; the Enterprise network modules are a layout on a bigger scale (Building network layout , WAN, branch offices, teleworkers).

Three Tier Design

Consists of three layers; access layer, distribution layer, and Core layer.

©2014 Cisco Press, Connecting Networks Companion Guide

• Access layer is where users and end devices connect to the network. Generally consists of layer two switches. Services provided at the access layer are; layer two switching, high availability, port security, QoS classification and marketing and trust boundaries, Address resolution protocol (ARP) inspection, Virtual access control lists (VACLs), spanning tree, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and auxiliary VLANS for VoIP.

• Distribution layer connects the access layer to the core layer and provides policy based connectivity. It serves as a boundary between the layer two domain and the layer three router network. It aggregates the data from the layer two domain then sends the data to the core for routing. Consists of routers and layer three switches. Services provided at the distribution layer: aggregation of LAN and WAN links, Policy-based security with access control lists (ACLs) and filtering, routing between LANs/VLANs/routing domains, redundancy and load balancing, boundary for route aggregation and summarization configured on interfaces to the core layer, broadcast domain control (because routers or layer 3 switches do not forward broadcasts it acts as a demarcation point between broadcast domains).

• Core layer is the backbone of the network. Consists of high-speed network devices. Connects between Cisco's predefined Enterprise network modules. Connects the distribution layer to the WAN or Internet edge. The Core layer should be highly available, redundant, capable of forwarding large amounts of data quickly, and redundant.  

Two Tier Design

The distribution layer is combined with the core layer. This results in the two layers being the access layer and a hybrid distribution-core layer. This is often called collapsed core. This is used when the network is either small and doesn't require more expensive hardware or in a virtual database.

©2014 Cisco Press, Connecting Networks Companion Guide

*VMware study* In the instance of the virtual database the virtualization software creates a virtual router/switch/firewall and can process as fast as memory will allow instead of being limited to Mbps.  In both cases this cuts the cost of hardware and Cisco is none to happy with this. Cisco is currently working with Oracle for virtualization. *VMware study*

Modular network design

Modular network design separates the network into modules that target a specific function or place in the network. They may have different physical or logical connectivity.

The benefits of the modular network design:

• Failures in a single module are isolated from the rest of the network. This makes the network easier to troubleshoot and keeps the rest of the systems online resulting in higher availability.

• Network changes can be made in a controlled staged fashion. This results in greater flexibility.

• When a module is lacking in capacity or outdated it can be easily replaced by another module.

• Security can be implemented on a modular level resulting in better security.

Modules

• Access-distribution, aka distribution block, consists of the access layer and distribution layer. This includes the end users connecting to the backbone.

• Services module used to identify services such as centralized Lightweight Access Point Protocol wireless controllers, unified communications services, policy gateways, and others.

• Data center, or server farm, manages and maintains the data systems.

• Enterprise edge module consists of the internet edge and WAN edge (often the same thing these days). These blocks connect the enterprise campus to an external location.

The example shows the modules connecting directly to the backbone or core.
©2014 Cisco Press, Connecting Networks Companion Guide

This chapter will be continued in Part 2.

Cisco Study

These are my notes and labs from my Cisco class. I will be getting my notes from the suggested "Connecting Networks Companion Guide" book.  As I study more, the links will be added.

Cisco Connecting Networks

Chapter 1: Hierarchical Network designs

• Notes Part 1:

• The basic design properties a network should have: resiliency, flexibility, modularity, and hierarchical

• Two Tier Design / Three Tier Design

• Modular Network Design

• Notes Part 2 :

• Cisco Enterprise Architecture Modules

• Notes Part 3:

• Evolving Network Architectures

Chapter 2: Connecting to the WAN

• Notes Part 1:

• What is a WAN?
• Organization and Network co-evolution. 

• Notes Part 2:

• WAN standards and OSI Model
• Common WAN terminology and devices

• Notes Part 3: 
• Circuit Switched vs Packet Switched  
• Private vs Public WAN Infrastructures
• Service Provider Infrastructure (SONET/SDH)

• Notes Part 4: 
• Dedicated Leased Lines
• Dial-up
• ISDN
• Frame Relay
• ATM
• Ethernet WAN
• MPLS
• VSAT

• Notes Part 5: 
• DSL
• Cable
• Wireless (Municipal WIFI/WiMAX/Satellite)
• 3G/4G/LTE Cellular
• VPN 
• Selecting a WAN Service

Chapter 3: Point-to-Point Connections

• Notes Part 1: 
•  Serial connections vs Parallel connections
• Serial Standards
• TDM
• STDM
• Notes Part 2:
•  Demaraction Point
• DTE-DCE
• Serial Cables
• Smart Serial Cables
• Serial Bandwidth
• WAN encapsulation protocols
• Notes Part 3: 
• HDLC
• Notes Part 4: 
• PPP
• LCP/NCP
• PAP/Chap
• Stacker/Predictor
• PPP Lab
• Troubleshooting PPP Lab

Chapter 4: Frame Relay

• Frame Relay with subinterfaces Lab
• Troubleshooting Frame Relay

Chapter 5: Network Address Translation for IPv4

• NAT Lab
• PAT Lab
• Troubleshooting NAT

Chapter 6: Broadband Solutions

• PPPoE lab

Chapter 7: Securing Site-to-Site Connectivity

• Point-to-Point GRE Tunnel lab

Chapter 8: Monitoring the Network

• Syslog and NTP Lab
• SNMP lab
• Collecting and Analyzing NetFlow Data Lab

Chapter 9: Troubleshooting the Network