Reference Implementations

The final chapter ties together all the concepts from previous chapters and describes actual network architectures from a complete solution standpoint. The material in Chapter 7 is based on actual tested configurations. FIGURE 1-9 shows an example of the tested configurations. The solution described in Chapter 7 is generic enough to be useful for actual solutions, yet customizable for specific requirements. The logical network architecture describes a high-level overview of the Layer 3 networks and segregates the various service tiers. IP services, which are implemented at key boundary points of the architecture, are then reviewed. We describe the design considerations that lead to the physical architecture. We discuss two different architectural approaches and show how different network switch vendors can be deployed, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. We present detailed descriptions of configurations and implementations. A hardware-based firewall is used to show a logical firewall solution, providing security between each tier, yet using only one appliance. For increased availability, a second appliance is optionally added.