Bead Bar Network

When designing a network it is important to consider which topology is best suited to the user requirements. The topology is the construction or layout of the network. Cost of implementation is also an important factor as are the running costs. The question of what the consequences are should a system failure occur, whether it be just a part of the network or total system failure should also be cogitated.

The external communications requirements will also be investigated in this report. Whether a modem should be used or whether a faster system is needed depending on the amount of traffic that is forecast in and out of the company. The number of external connections required is also a factor. How the company data is stored on the system is to be examined as is the question of backing up already stored data. This paper will outline recommendations for the development of a high-level computer network design for the Bead Bar.

The Bead Bar is a company that allows customers to craft their own bead jewelry, such as necklaces and bracelets. Bead Bar has three divisions which consist of studios, franchises, and Bead Bar on Board. The Studio division keeps track of its six Bead Bar studios. There are two studios located in New York City; one studio is on Long Island; one studio in Washington D.C., and the last studio is located in Boston, Massachusetts. The franchise division sells a bead package to any business wanting to own a bead bar studio. They also fulfill franchisees' supply requirements. There are five franchises located in Kansas City, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; .Los Angeles, California; Seattle, Washington; Miami, Florida. The Bead Bar on Board could almost be considered as a floating franchise. The Bead Bar on Board is a special Bead Bar designed for cruise ships. The bar is portable and can be placed on deck or in a lounge area.

Meredith S., is the CEO and founder of Bead Bar, wants to shift the company to an electronically run business. Bead Bar has 15 full-time employees and approximately 20 part-time employees who work in the studios helping customers and running the cash register. Bead Bar is currently using Oracle 9i data base. This data base is an enterprise data base with the ability to handle data distribution. This database requires being linked to a telecommunications system and computer network. The company will benefit after the new computer network has been established.

There are several types of topology to choose from that could be used. They all have advantages and disadvantages. A trade off must be made in order to choose the one that is best suited to the task in hand.

A bus topology has a server at the one end and the client PCs are connected at different points along the network. All data sent down the network passes through each PC. Each PC has its own unique identity and can recognize the data intended for it. Typically a coax cable is used to connect each computer. A device called a terminator is required at the far end of the bus. This is to prevent the signal being reflected back down the network. (Cross, 1995)

A ring network is similar to a bus network as far as each PC is connected to another and data is read by each machine sequentially. Unlike the bus topology there is no server required as each PC handles its own applications and shares resources over the entire network. The ring topology gives each machine equal priority because there is no central point. (Cross, 1995)

The advantage of such a topology is that each machine has equal chance of transmitting data. Another advantage is that there is minimal impact on performance as more machines are added. (Cross, 1995)

The disadvantage of adding more machines to the network is that it can be difficult to add machines to the network because there is no central point from which to connect them. The ring has therefore got to be broken in order to achieve this. Another disadvantage is that if one machine goes down it could cause the whole network to fail. (Cross, 1995)

The star topology is emerging as the most common network layout for LANs (Local Area Networks). This is probably because it is the most flexible topology. It is very easy to add and remove machines from a network of this type without having very much effect on performance. There is a central server or switching hub from where all of the machines are connected. (Cross, 1995)

One of the advantages of a star network is that a low specification twisted pair cable is all that is required for connection between the individual machines and the central hub. This is because data flow is relatively low between PC and hub. Unlike the other topologies, each PC has exclusive use of the cable that is used to connect it to the network. Another advantage of this layout is that a fault on one of the PCs will not affect the rest of the network. Maintenance of a topology of this type is also relatively inexpensive and not as problematic as other topologies. (Cross, 1995)

This topology does have some disadvantages. A star network requires more cable than other topologies such as ring or bus. It can however be argued that the extra expense endured by the extra cable required is outweighed by the ease in which machines are connected to the network. The machines are simply plugged in to a single point. Another disadvantage is that if there is a fault on the central hub, all machines connected to that hub will no longer be on the network. This is a not a common fault as hubs are considered to be very reliable. (Cross, 1995)

I would recommend the star topology. Each location on the plan would have its own hub that is connected from a single switch. From each hub the individual computers would be connected. If it if found that there are not enough points on a hub then another hub would be connected to the existing hub much like the way in which electrical adaptors are used. This system would allow easy expansion or retraction of the network without affecting the overall performance of the network. The switch would be connected from a router at the POP (Point Of Presents) in the bottom right of the office plan. The router would also have a firewall that would detect unwanted data such a viruses.

A server would be connected to one of the routers. All files such as the customer database, stock database and company accounts would be stored on the server. This is to allow the relevant users to gain access to the data from wherever they are in the office.

There are several ways in which a network can be connected to the outside world. There are a number of factors that should be considered.