Lesson 1

Windows Server 2003 and the Network Infrastructure

1-5

Lesson 1: Windows Server 2003 and the Network

Infrastructure

A network infrastructure is a set of physical and logical components that provide con-

nectivity, security, routing, management, access, and other integral features on a net-

work. During a network’s planning phase, engineers select the hardware and software

components that will compose the network infrastructure and specify the particular

location, installation, and configuration of those components.

After this lesson, you will be able to

■ Understand the difference between a network’s physical infrastructure and its logical

infrastructure

■ Describe the network infrastructure planning process

■ Understand the process of implementing a network infrastructure plan

■ List the tasks involved in maintaining a network infrastructure

Estimated lesson time: 15 minutes

What Is a Network Infrastructure?

In most cases, the elements of a network infrastructure are both inherited and

designed. If you are building a network that will be connected to the Internet, for

example, certain aspects of the network, such as the use of the TCP/IP protocol suite,

are inherited from the Internet. Other network elements, such as the physical layout of

basic network components, are chosen by design when the network is first conceived

and are then inherited by later versions of the network as it evolves. It is rare for an

engineer to have the opportunity to design a network from scratch, with no pre-exist-

ing influences. Nearly always, the engineer must incorporate some existing elements

into the network design, such as specific applications, operating systems, protocols, or

hardware components.

Implementing a network infrastructure is the process of evaluating, purchasing, and

assembling the specified components, and installing them in the manner prescribed by

the design plan. The implementation process begins with engineers installing the net-

work’s hardware infrastructure, including computers, cables, and connectivity devices

such as hubs, switches, and routers, as well as printers and other peripherals. After the

hardware is in place, the engineers install and configure the operating systems, appli-

cations, and other software.

The operating systems running on the computers are the primary software components

in the network infrastructure, because they incorporate the protocols and other rou-

tines that make network communications possible. In addition to the standard commu-