

In other cases, the servers are all located at a single node at the ‘head end’ of the distributed backbone. In some cases, there may be servers connected locally to most of the backbone nodes. The standard model of a distributed backbone network consists of a core ring of routing/switching nodes, each of which is the hub of its own local star network or its own local ring, which then extends out to a local access layer. To understand how such a design works, it is necessary to first consider some of the characteristics of these two designs, to understand their benefits and downsides, and to understand the environments to which each is most suited. This combined design is called a distributed collapsed backbone.
#Companies that own internet backbone networks are called how to#
This white paper discusses how to create a network design that combines both distributed and collapsed backbones. However, there are some network environments which could utilize the benefits of both options combined–particularly if they could avoid the disadvantages of both options. In medium to large networks, this central device is a chassis switch.Įach of these two designs has its advantages and disadvantages, and some environments are better suited to one design in particular. Network backbones come in two broad varieties: “distributed” and “collapsed”.Ī distributed backbone has a core consisting of multiple switches or routers chained together, typically in a ring.Ī collapsed backbone has a central device at the hub of a star network.
