CCNA VLan Basic knowledge
Some basic knowledge of LANs, different topologies, and working of Local Area Networks is required to proceed further.
What is a VLAN?
To refresh your memory, a Local Area Network (LAN) is a set of connected devices like computers, hubs, and switches sharing the same pool of logical address space. Normally, a router is required to route packets from one LAN to another LAN. Traditionally, all packets within a LAN are broadcast to all other devices connected to that particular LAN.
As a result, a traditional LAN has several disadvantages as below:
* Usable bandwidth is shared among all the devices connected to the LAN
* ALL devices connected within a LAN can hear ALL the packets irrespective of whether the packet is meant for that device or not. It is possible for some unscrupulous node listening to data packets not meant for that.
* Suppose, your organization has different departments. Using a traditional LAN, when any changes take place within the organization, physical cables and devices need to be moved to reorganize the LAN infrastructure.
* A LAN cannot extend beyond its physical boundary across a WAN as in VLANs.
If you are looking for a simple networked solution for a small office, it may be a good idea to have a traditional LAN setup with a few hubs or switches. However, if you are planning for a large building or campus wide LAN for several individual departments, a VLAN is almost essential.
Virtual LANs (VLANs) can be considered as an intelligent LAN consisting of different physical LAN segments enabling them to communicate with each other as if they were all on the same physical LAN segment.
Benefits of VLAN: Several of the disadvantages of traditional LANs can be eliminated with the implementation of VLANs.
1. Improved Performance: In a traditional LAN, all the hosts within the LAN receive broadcasts, and contend for available bandwidth. As a result, the bandwidth is shared among all the connected devices within the LAN segment. If you are running high-bandwidth consumption applications such as groupware or server forms, a threshold point may easily be reached. After a threshold, the users may find the LAN too slow or un-responsive. With the use of VLAN, you can divide the big LAN into several smaller VLANs. For example, if there are two file servers, each operating at 100Mbps, in a traditional LAN both the servers have to share the LAN bandwidth of 100Mbps. If you put both the servers in separate VLANs, then both have an available bandwidth of 100Mbps each. Here the available bandwidth has been doubled.
2. Functional separation of an institute or a company: It is often required to separate the functional groups within a company or institute. For example, it might be necessary to separate HR department LAN from that of Production LAN. Traditionally, it requires a router to separate two physical LANs. However, you can set up two VLANs, one for Finance, and the other for Production without a router. A switch can route frames from one VLAN to another VLAN. With VLAN's it is easier to place a workgroup together eventhough they are physically in different buildings. In this case Finance VLAN does not forward packets to Production VLAN, providing additional security.
3. Ease of Network Maintenance:
Network maintenance include addition, removal, and changing the network users. With traditional LANs, when ever a User moves, it may be necessary to re-configure the user work station, router, and the servers. Some times, it may also be necessary to lay the cable, or reconfigure hubs and switches. If you are using VLANs, many of these reconfiguration tasks become unnecessary. For example, you can avoid network address configuration on the work station and the corresponding router if you use VLAN. This is because, routing traffic within VLANs doesn't require a router.
However, VLAN's add some administrative complexity, since the administration needs to manage virtual workgroups using VLANs.
4. Reduced Cost
VLANs minimize the network administration by way of reduced maintenance on account of workstation addition/deletion/changes. This in turn reduce the costs associated with LAN maintenance.
5. Security
Using a LAN, all work stations within the LAN get the frames meant for all other work stations within the broadcast domain. Since a VLAN splits the broadcast domain into two or more, it is possible to put work stations sharing sensitive data in one VLAN, and other work station in another VLAN. Of course, if two VLANs are not sufficient, you can split the work stations into as many VLANs as required. VLAN's can also be used to set up firewalls, restrict access, and send any intrusion alerts to the administrator.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Router Boot-up Process
Router Boot-up Process
Router Boot-up Process
There are four major phases to the bootup process:
1. Performing the POST
2. Loading the bootstrap program
3. Locating and loading the Cisco IOS software
4. Locating and loading the startup configuration file or entering setup mode
1. Performing the POST
The Power-On Self Test (POST) is a common process that occurs on almost every computer during bootup. The POST process is used to test the router hardware. When the router is powered on, software on the ROM chip conducts the POST. During this self-test, the router executes diagnostics from ROM on several hardware components including the CPU, RAM, and NVRAM. After the POST has been completed, the router executes the bootstrap program.
2. Loading the Bootstrap Program
After the POST, the bootstrap program is copied from ROM into RAM. Once in RAM, the CPU executes the instructions in the bootstrap program. The main task of the bootstrap program is to locate the Cisco IOS and load it into RAM.
Note: At this point, if you have a console connection to the router, you will begin to see output on the screen.
3. Locating and Loading Cisco IOS
Locating the Cisco IOS software. The IOS is typically stored in flash memory, but can also be stored in other places such as a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server.
If a full IOS image can not be located, a scaled-down version of the IOS is copied from ROM into RAM. This version of IOS is used to help diagnose any problems and can be used to load a complete version of the IOS into RAM.
Note: A TFTP server is usually used as a backup server for IOS but it can also be used as a central point for storing and loading the IOS. IOS management and using the TFTP server is discussed in a later course.
4. Locating and Loading the Configuration File
Locating the Startup Configuration File. After the IOS is loaded, the bootstrap program searches for the startup configuration file, known as startup-config, in NVRAM. This file has the previously saved configuration commands and parameters including:
interface addresses
routing information
passwords
any other configurations saved by the network administrator
If the startup configuration file, startup-config, is located in NVRAM, it is copied into RAM as the running configuration file, running-config.
Executing the Configuration File. If a startup configuration file is found in NVRAM, the IOS loads it into RAM as the running-config and executes the commands in the file, one line at a time. The running-config file contains interface addresses, starts routing processes, configures router passwords and defines other characteristics of the router.
Enter Setup Mode (Optional). If the startup configuration file can not be located, the router prompts the user to enter setup mode. Setup mode is a series of questions prompting the user for basic configuration information. Setup mode is not intended to be used to enter complex router configurations, and it is not commonly used by network administrators.
When booting a router that does not contain a startup configuration file, you will see the following question after the IOS has been loaded:
Command Line Interface
Depending on the platform and IOS, the router may ask the following question before displaying the prompt:
Would you like to terminate autoinstall? [yes]:
Press the Enter key to accept the default answer.
Router>
Note: If a startup configuration file was found, the running-config may contain a hostname and the prompt will display the hostname of the router.
Once the prompt displays, the router is now running the IOS with the current running configuration file. The network administrator can now begin using IOS commands on this router.
Note: The bootup process is discussed in more detail in a later course.
Router Boot-up Process
There are four major phases to the bootup process:
1. Performing the POST
2. Loading the bootstrap program
3. Locating and loading the Cisco IOS software
4. Locating and loading the startup configuration file or entering setup mode
1. Performing the POST
The Power-On Self Test (POST) is a common process that occurs on almost every computer during bootup. The POST process is used to test the router hardware. When the router is powered on, software on the ROM chip conducts the POST. During this self-test, the router executes diagnostics from ROM on several hardware components including the CPU, RAM, and NVRAM. After the POST has been completed, the router executes the bootstrap program.
2. Loading the Bootstrap Program
After the POST, the bootstrap program is copied from ROM into RAM. Once in RAM, the CPU executes the instructions in the bootstrap program. The main task of the bootstrap program is to locate the Cisco IOS and load it into RAM.
Note: At this point, if you have a console connection to the router, you will begin to see output on the screen.
3. Locating and Loading Cisco IOS
Locating the Cisco IOS software. The IOS is typically stored in flash memory, but can also be stored in other places such as a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server.
If a full IOS image can not be located, a scaled-down version of the IOS is copied from ROM into RAM. This version of IOS is used to help diagnose any problems and can be used to load a complete version of the IOS into RAM.
Note: A TFTP server is usually used as a backup server for IOS but it can also be used as a central point for storing and loading the IOS. IOS management and using the TFTP server is discussed in a later course.
4. Locating and Loading the Configuration File
Locating the Startup Configuration File. After the IOS is loaded, the bootstrap program searches for the startup configuration file, known as startup-config, in NVRAM. This file has the previously saved configuration commands and parameters including:
interface addresses
routing information
passwords
any other configurations saved by the network administrator
If the startup configuration file, startup-config, is located in NVRAM, it is copied into RAM as the running configuration file, running-config.
Executing the Configuration File. If a startup configuration file is found in NVRAM, the IOS loads it into RAM as the running-config and executes the commands in the file, one line at a time. The running-config file contains interface addresses, starts routing processes, configures router passwords and defines other characteristics of the router.
Enter Setup Mode (Optional). If the startup configuration file can not be located, the router prompts the user to enter setup mode. Setup mode is a series of questions prompting the user for basic configuration information. Setup mode is not intended to be used to enter complex router configurations, and it is not commonly used by network administrators.
When booting a router that does not contain a startup configuration file, you will see the following question after the IOS has been loaded:
Command Line Interface
Depending on the platform and IOS, the router may ask the following question before displaying the prompt:
Would you like to terminate autoinstall? [yes]:
Press the Enter key to accept the default answer.
Router>
Note: If a startup configuration file was found, the running-config may contain a hostname and the prompt will display the hostname of the router.
Once the prompt displays, the router is now running the IOS with the current running configuration file. The network administrator can now begin using IOS commands on this router.
Note: The bootup process is discussed in more detail in a later course.
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