Lesson 1

Windows Server 2003 and the Network Infrastructure

1-7

Exam Tip Familiarity with the physical infrastructure of a network is prerequisite knowledge

!

for the 70-293 exam. You should be familiar with the functions of all the basic hardware com-

ponents and how to connect them to construct a network.

Logical Infrastructure

A network’s logical infrastructure comprises the many software elements that connect,

manage, and secure hosts on the network. The logical infrastructure allows communi-

cation between computers over the pathways described in the physical topology. The

logical infrastructure of a network consists of both abstract software elements, such as

networking protocols, and concrete elements, such as specific software products.

For example, when designing the infrastructure for a medium-to-large network, you

will probably decide to use the TCP/IP protocols for network and transport-layer com-

munications. At this stage of planning, TCP/IP is considered to be an abstract element

because you can implement the protocols using any one of several software products.

After deciding on the abstract element, you must also select the concrete element you

will use to implement that abstract element. After deciding to use TCP/IP, for example,

you might then select the TCP/IP implementation found in the Microsoft Windows

operating systems.

In addition to basic communication protocols such as TCP/IP, the abstract elements of

the logical infrastructure can include security technologies such as digital certificates

and the IP Security (IPSec) protocols. Various types of concrete elements can imple-

ment these abstract elements.

Planning For a network based on Windows Server 2003, most concrete elements needed

in a typical infrastructure are realized in the operating system itself. In other cases, you

might need to implement protocols and abstract security components as separate software

products.

Windows Server 2003 includes a large number of optional protocols and services, and

deciding which of those protocols and services you want to use is also part of the log-

ical infrastructure design process. In some cases, you might decide to use a third-party

product rather than an operating system component. For example, Windows Server

2003 includes a backup software program of its own, but you might decide one of the

other network backup software products on the market offers additional features that

you need.