If you are designing networks for your company or customers this book is an excellent resource. I highly recommend it and the Network Warrior as excellent and complementary resources in network design and configuration.
Bought this book before I boarded a plane, I worked for an MSP going over network designs offering advice to improve designs I found this book invaluable for appealing to both the technical roles as well as the management and C-level personnel. One thing I want to advise on, is this book good for the principles behind network designs but I this book can get your CCDP if that's you main purpose for getting this book. If your after your CCDP you definitely want to read this book but don't let it be your main source of study material, I'd consider it a supplemental supplemental source.
Covers a little bit of everything with the exception of Data Center/Nexus which is a newer technology. However LAN/WAN/Routing/Security/Management/Addressing are all covered in this book. With some good points for each subjects.
Whereas most other networking books focus on one technology or one aspect of network design, Oppenheimer really does guide the reader through designing a network in a top-down (gathering requirements to documentation) fashion. Overall, the book takes you from a 30,000 foot view to about a 2,000 foot view. Despite Oppenheimer's Cisco-focused background and being published by Cisco Press, her book admirably avoids plugging Cisco as the end-all-be-all solution. Overall, I would recommend this book for all parts of network design, and recommend others for the actual IOS/device configuration (which Top-Down Network Design avoids).
As others have identified, the books is divided into four sections. The section titles are descriptive enough, so I'll just point out the highlights by chapter instead.
The first chapter covers an introduction to network design, including analyzing business goals and constraints. It emphasizes the need for the network design to make "business sense," as in justify the business itself. Constraining the network design to the budgetary and staffing constraints of the customer is also important -- after all, what good is a highly-reliable, highly-complex network to a CCENT-level network engineer who can't make necessary modifications without taking down the network?
The fourth chapter relates to the network traffic of the existing network. By categorizing users into "user communities" based off job role (usage of sets of applications) and categorizing the traffic flows themselves, one can describe at a high level the network flow while still providing useful data for technical purchase decisions. The traffic flows are categorized into groups such as peer-to-peer, client/server, server-to-server, terminal/host, and distributed computing.The traffic is also displayed by frame size, broadcast/multicast/unicast type, and error rate to give useful data. QoS requirements for voice and other sensitive applications are also discussed, as are different service categories based off the Asynchronous Transfer Mode Forum definitions.
I appreciate this model, as without these abstractions it's tough to talk about network flow at a high level without losing specificity.
In chapter six, there's a sizable section on naming schemes, especially in the Windows world. The "Guidelines for Assigning Names" section is full of solid advice, though the section on WINS can probably be safely removed in the next edition.
Chapter seven is mostly focused on the actual switching and routing protocols, but also covers the creation of decision trees to assist with protocol selection. Table 7-5 on page 230 is a *very* handy summary of the routing protocols covered in the text.
In the last chapter, number 14, Oppenheimer gives a summary of top-down network design by going through the steps of the design methodology, which I found very useful. She also highlights the importance of the network design document, details how to respond to client RFP's, and then goes over the sections of the network design document in detail.
I found this to be an extremely useful book for its intended purpose. Top-Down Network Design will be a text I refer to for any network design needs I encounter in my future.
The book is sure a good buy, sumamrizes many important steps of network design approach, recaps on important technical topics in clear way, and provides a companion website with useful checklist.
Some things I would have liked to see in the book but were not there:
- migration/upgrade techniques: it might have been beneficial to lokk at situations where the basis is an existing network, though the approach may be similar
- more examples of IP networks design: only 2 were reported to illustrate a campus and a enterprise edge design.
To this regard I suggest the older but still good Large-scale IP networks, which include 3-4 large scale network designs.
Overall anyway is definitely a very good book.
Priscilla Oppenheimer's Top Down Network Design is found on virtually every senior network engineer's bookshelf but yet is written with such clarity that even a novice can understand. The book is divided into four sections and walks you step by step through the process of designing reliable high-available computer networks.
"Section 1: Identifying your Customer's Needs and Goals" gives a comprehensive review of assessing business goals and technical requirements of a network. This is a critical step that builds the foundation for your design.
In "Section 2: Logical Network Design" the author explains the development of a high-level scalable network topology using current hierarchical and modular design practices.
"Section 3: Physical Network Design" builds on the previous sections with the creation of a low level design. You start by selecting a LAN cabling plant and LAN technologies. Then continue by designing the layer 3 topologies such as the IP Addressing scheme, selecting the appropriate routing protocol, and developing a network management and security posture.
"Section 4: Testing, Optimizing and Documenting your Design" explains how to prototype your network, write and implement a test plan, optimize your network, and finally the most often missed network documentation.
The process described in" Top Down Network Design" is the exact methodology we use when designing for our customers and leads to highly stable and reliable networks.
Top Down Network Design 3rd Edition was one of the very first Cisco Press books I read while interning for a big IT Shop. As a Systems Administrator having excellent design skills is a necessity. This book's rich systems analysis based philosophy for design can be applied to any Enterprise Project.
Oppenheimer is no stranger to the Network world and that really comes through in her book. I own another Oppenheimer book, "Troubleshooting Campus Networks" which also really delivers in terms of relating design to real world problems. Top Down Network Design 3rd Edition is not exception in this case. Too often Cisco Press Books are too full of technical theory and not enough practical use cases. However Oppenheimer manages to successfully guide through practical exercise that relate back to the real physical infrastructure and end-user experience.
This book will be one of the go-to books on my shelf for many years to come when starting any major IT Project.
If you are new to networking and want to learn the right way to approach network design, this book is for you. If you're not new to networking and you want to learn a more structured approach that is proven to be successful, this book is for you. Many people have said that this book is helpful for studying for the CCDA; it is, but this book is more than that. Its purpose is not to help you pass a test, it's here to help you become a better network engineer. Too often, network engineers take a strictly short-term operational view when it comes to upgrading their networks, and that can be a bit short-sighted, leading to all sorts of unexpected issues and suboptimal performance in the long run. Sometimes we need to step back and begin again from the top. In the words of another mentor of mine, we must ask "What problem are we trying to solve?", then iterate from the top down to design a modular, structured network that meets current demands and can accept future growth and upgrades easily. That's not quite as easy as it sounds, but this book will help get you there.
I've read the 2nd and 3rd editions of this book. The new 3rd edition is slimmed down and updated. A lot of extremely good information is packed into just over 400 pages, but it's so easy to read that it seems even shorter. I've been in networking for several years and I still picked up several new ideas when reading the new edition, and in other cases I had gentle reminders to avoid certain bad habits.
If you want to get serious about improving your network design skills, get this book.
This is a review of the 3rd edition.
Oppenheimer directs the book at a network analyst who might have to design a large scale network for a client company. The discussion starts by suggesting an analysis of the client's industry and needs. This is reinforced by definitions of various network performance metrics, like MTBF, MTTR, capacity, throughput, delay (latency), delay variation, etc. Chapter 2 is distinguished by a comprehensive explanation of each metric. The explanations are fairly non-technical. You don't need a degree in computer science or electrical engineering to follow it.
The text then goes into how to characterise any existing network. This is a pragmatic recognition that you typically do not have a blank slate, with no pre-existing network. These days, a company is likely to already have a network, which presumably is developing bottlenecks or other problems, such that you have been called in to suggest upgrades.
Later in the book, the narrative does get more involved, delving into the design of a network topology, with associated switches and routers. Various common protocols are briefly but succinctly covered. As a network designer, you need thorough acquaintance with these and the text is an excellent discourse.
I have never seen the 1st or 2nd editions, so I'm unsure exactly how the 3rd differs. I am guessing that much of the text is unchanged. For example, the protocols have been largely stable for several years. While the advice about network topologies could also have been largely unaltered. The most recent portions of this text may pertain to the latest capabilities of switches and routers.
The text is also admirably ecumenical in its hardware descriptions. No lock in for Cisco hardware.
Product Details :
Hardcover: 600 pages
Publisher: Cisco Press; 3 edition (September 3, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1587202832
ISBN-13: 978-1587202834
Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
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