What Is Network Architecture?

What does the network architecture of your organization look like? Get a bird's-eye view of all the resources you have at your fingertips. Network architecture is the skeleton of your company's communication system. The framework ensures that all your employees and customers can talk to each other and keeps your business running smoothly. The network architecture includes all the hardware components used for communication, cabling and device types, network layout and topologies, physical and wireless connections, implemented areas and plans. In addition, the software rules and protocols also constitute the network architecture. This architecture is always designed by a network manager/administrator with the coordination of network engineers and other design engineers. Network architecture is the blueprint of your network. It describes the structure and function of each layer, from the physical layer to the application layer. It's used to classify all your network layers logically by explaining each step in detail. Understanding that a network architecture differs from a network design or implementation plan is essential. A network architecture explains how the various layers of a network interact and how information flows through those layers; it describes how data moves around on your infrastructure. A network design or implementation plan explains what equipment you'll use and how it'll be configured to implement a particular set of requirements for your project or business needs. An excellent way to think about it would be this: if you were building a house, your architecture would describe what type of house you want (such as ranch style) and where things should go within that house (such as bedrooms upstairs and bathrooms downstairs). Your design would describe what type of materials will be used for each room (such as wood floors) and which rooms will connect directly to others ("kitchen" connects directly with "living room," which connects.