SCALABILITY EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT IN IP-BASED CAMPUS NETWORKS
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SCALABILITY EVALUATION AND IMPROVEMENT IN IP-BASED CAMPUS NETWORKS
Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Background
Circuit switching was a technology used in early computer networks to transmit continuous bit streams across physical links. This was ideal for transferring voice or real-time data from a single transmitter to a single receiver (unicast communication).
In a circuit switched network (Andrew, 2011; Stallings, 2007), a single physical link failure can disrupt all communications on that connection.
The Internet is a datagram packet-switched network that overcomes the limitations of circuit-switched networks by dividing data into little bits called packets. Individual packets are routed via the network
ensuring that no two packets from the same communication network are treated simultaneously. In a packet-switched network, packets can be diverted to escape a failing link, ensuring uninterrupted communication (Andrew, 2011; Stallings, 2007).
The Internet relies on the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols, as shown in Figure 1.1, to transport traffic across networks and the Internet.
These protocols were originally designed by the Department of Defence (DoD) in the United States to facilitate communication between troops in the field and have since been adopted for other forms of communication and data sharing.
Protocols are often composed of layers that rely on one other to perform effectively. TCP/IP is a four-layer protocol that prepares data for network transmission (Lammle, 2012).
Figure 1.1. TCP/IP Reference Model (Lammle, 2012).
A campus network refers to a set of interconnected LANs that serve a corporate, government agency, institution, or other similar organisation. The network is often managed by a single organisation or individual, with administrative controls enforcing security and access control standards.
It also offers high-speed bandwidth to internal and intermediary devices. Reliable data delivery requires efficient network resources, including applications, hosts, switches, routers, and gateway devices, to provide optimal traffic routing.
Effective network management and efficient resource utilisation are crucial for meeting Internet and network service demands (Lammle, 2012).
To improve the speed, scalability, and reliability of a campus network, it’s important to address critical hardware such as memory, CPU utilisation, and link utilisation.
Selecting a more scalable routing protocol can help achieve higher throughput while minimising delays and jitter. To ensure a highly scalable network, it is important to design and configure it with all relevant factors in mind.
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1.2 Statement of the Problem
The ABU campus network was designed, configured, and built using layer-2 switching at the network edge (Access layer) and layer-3 routing at the centre (Distribution and centre layers). Layer 2 network architecture uses VLANs and STP protocols, while layer 3 relies on routing technologies, which have restrictions.
a) Confidential student records and other services cannot be grouped across school networks.
b) Incomplete implementation of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) on campus networks can result in STP loops, causing significant delays and frame duplications.
b) The OSPF protocol has redundancy difficulties due to metric calculations that can lead to over or underutilization of connections, affecting routing performance.
d) Poor IP address planning on active devices impacts hardware performance, including CPU, RAM, and link utilisation.
Poor IP address planning during the design
setup, and implementation of the OSPF routing protocol on a campus network can lead to a huge routing table in routers and switches, resulting in slower search times and a tendency for routing loops.
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1.3 Aims and Objectives
The project aims to evaluate the scalability and robustness of the ABU campus network to improve performance.
The research aims are as follows:
a) utilising GNS3, we modelled and simulated the OSPF-based and proposed MPLS-based ABU Zaria campus networks, evaluating their scalability and robustness utilising Layer-2 and Layer-3 technologies.
b) Create configuration codes for all routers and switches on the proposed MPLS network to enhance performance.
c) Using OPNET Modeller, I simulated the OSPF-based and planned MPLS-based ABU Zaria campus network, including FTP, Web, Email, Voice, and Video conferencing configurations.
d) Analyse c) data using performance indicators such as throughput, end-to-end delay, queueing delay, jitter, and server load.
e) Validation of b) above using live routers and switches.
1.4 Methodology
The methodology used to achieve the research objectives is as follows:
a) To boost performance, the ABU Campus network was simulated using MPLS, a scalable network architecture technology.
b) The ABU Zaria Campus Network was developed, setup, and emulated using the GNS3 emulator to discover potential scaling difficulties affecting network hardware performance, including CPU, memory, and link utilisation, due to a lack of fully implemented layer-2 and layer-3 technologies.
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c) The ABU Zaria Campus network was redesigned, configured, and simulated using the GNS3 simulator. MPLS technology was used to alleviate scaling concerns and optimise network resource utilisation.
d) The ABU Campus network topology was replicated from GNS3 emulator to OPNET modeller. Based on (b), FTP, Web, Email, Voice, and Video conferencing network services were configured and simulated to test the hardware components’ capacity and efficiency in handling all traffic simultaneously.
e) The ABU Campus network architecture was duplicated from GNS3 emulator to OPNET modeller. Based on (c), an MPLS technology solution was configured and simulated to overcome scalability difficulties and maximise network resource utilisation.
f) The simulated network model in (d) and (e) was used to compare performance indicators such as throughput, end-to-end delay, queuing delay, jitter, and server load.
g) The enhanced solution was validated on live routers and multi-layer switches.
1.5 DISSERTATION ORGANISATION
Chapter one provides an overview of computer networks, including a problem definition, methods, and objectives. The remaining chapters are provided as follows:
Chapter two provides a comprehensive overview of IP address technology, Open Shortest Path First Protocol (OSPF), Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), OPNET Modeller, and GNS3.
Chapter three provides a step-by-step guide for configuring and implementing the Abu campus network, as well as an analysis and discussion of the results.
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