Infrastructure of a modern office - 2
Disclaimer: I do not pretend to the full depth of presentation. I basically omit the moments that require deep immersion in the subject, since this series of articles is not an encyclopaedia of infrastructure builder. Who needs more - ask questions or go to your favorite search engine :) Yes, I am personally ready to answer all the questions on the merits. :)
Yes, this article is a continuation of the cycle about the organization of the infrastructure of a modern office. The beginning is here . The continuation of telephony, wi-fi and provider input planning came up
As of last time, when writing this article, I realize that the bar for the volume of material has been taken too high - therefore, this time we will focus on the organization of the SCS and the general aspects of network organization (LAN). Next time, therefore, we will reach wireless solutions, telephony and the organization of external inputs. As a previously undeclared bonus track, a separate article will follow on typical network building solutions using Allied Telesis equipment.
')
For an IT specialist with a structured abelian system, it is, in fact, the basis for all systems that provide office functionality in terms of information technology. By itself, the SCS - a set of passive switching equipment that provides the physical relationship between the geometrically distributed elements of the office. The structure of the SCS includes, in general, the following:
Currently, SCS is regulated by a number of standards:
In general, the project of your SCS must meet at least one of the specified standards. By the way, the most commonly used formulations of the SCS categories - “5”, “5e”, “6” are defined in the American standard. If you are not connected to the Internet via WiFi, look at the label of the cable that connects your computer to the wall outlet on the wall — most likely, there will be either “5e” or “6”. By and large, only the theoretical data transfer rate via cables depends on the SCS category, but this is slightly lower.
I will immediately reply to him - but because the absence of intermediate switching elements (in particular, sockets and patch panels), of course, will significantly reduce the cost and simplify the construction of the SCS, but subsequently significantly complicates its operation. Generally, two principles reign here:
In addition to the above, there are still a number of problems related to the fact that the bundle of wires is much more resistant to attempts to re-switch - you will be bald while you figure out what is connected to (especially alone). You (and the switch) are here, and the secretary’s computers and the boss behind the wall - which one will we pull? :)
In short, the cost of patch panels and sockets will not greatly increase the budget for building a cable system, but will significantly reduce the number of nerves spent in the operation of the resulting system.
Count how many employees do you have? Estimate the placement of furniture in the rooms. When calculating the number of ports, proceed from the fact that, for each workplace, two SCS sockets are generally required. So, the number of jobs that you have, easily multiply by three , and strive for the resulting figure.
By the way, do not forget about autonomous network devices - printers, scanners, fax machines and other hidden cameras (about video surveillance - later). Separately, it is worthwhile to provide sockets for Wi-fi devices, count on one device per 30-70 square meters of office, although, ideally, it is worth conducting a Wi-fi test on the ground to determine coverage in building conditions.
Now the most common are two categories of SCS: cat.5 / 5e and cat6. In the language of physicists, the difference between these categories is the capacity of the cable system. Essentially - speed. If you go down to the ground, you are obliged to walk by 5e gigabits, and I personally don’t see the need for more speed for the office network. You are not going to push the servers in the offices of the CEO and chief accountant? :) In addition, the current generation of desktop network cards has a maximum speed equal to the same gigabit . In addition, this is the port throughput of most modern ethernet switches (switches, yes). In an ideological sense, cat6 should skip 10GBit / s, but I don’t see applications that would really use such a band. The seventh category, not being a full-format standard, remains outside the scope of this article.
So, in my opinion, if you are planning an office in which mainly clerks will sit, 90% of whose work - Word / Excel /.../ 1C - think about 5e. If you build an office for more than five years, or consider it as a potential investment for resale - build cat6, given the budget, of course.
It's all very simple: in fact, certification of SCS by the manufacturer is the process of confirming that the already built SCS meets some of the standards described above. As a rule, a manufacturer of SCS elements after certification of a specific system provides a sufficiently long-term guarantee (15-25 years) for materials (components) used in the construction of this SCS, and a short (one or two years) guarantee for work. The warranty on the work is not taken into account, which literally means the following:
In practice, you should be aware of the following:
Do not confuse the certification and testing of the SCS, in the process of which the working capacity of the built system is checked (and if you have the opportunity to use a good cable tester, also a category check).
Therefore, it is necessary to act as in the case of choosing a category: the more chances to resell the built SCS, the more seriously it is worth considering the costs of certification - this will to some extent increase the investment attractiveness of the object.
What to demand from the artist SCS? Do not forget that we already have a project. The composition of the executive documentation must include the following documents:
If you decide to certify the SCS, the contractor must provide a certificate issued to your SCS by the manufacturer of the SCS components. By the way, when concluding an agreement it is not bad to communicate directly with the local representative office of the manufacturer regarding the authority of a specific contractor for certification.
Okay, with the cables, like, finished. Let's go to the next level :) Here the most interesting begins: how to build a beautiful, reliable and convenient network that will meet your needs, allow scaling and is convenient to manage? About this, in brief, and talk below.
The core of the computer network is active network equipment - switches (switches), routers, points and Wi-fi controllers. If you already have it all - you can safely skip this section :)
Here are the main issues that need to be addressed when planning network equipment:
In fact, in addition to Cisco, there are plenty of network equipment manufacturers. Currently, the situation is such that Cisco is one of the few vendors providing a full range of network equipment - from simple switches and access points to provider-level routers. Of course, this is not a cheap pleasure.
As a bonus track, as I said, there will be a separate article describing a number of typical solutions on Allied Telesis, which, at my request, is prepared by Dmitry Bairov, who specializes in Allied (Mith, thanks! :)). In fairness, it is worth noting that at work I use the equipment Allied Telesis.
Returning to the choice of the vendor of network equipment, I will formulate the basic principles:
Naturally, do not forget about the price of the issue - it can often be the determining factor.
Phew It seems that the second article is over. Stay tuned :) Waiting for questions in the comments or in my blog, the address of which is given in my profile.
Yes, this article is a continuation of the cycle about the organization of the infrastructure of a modern office. The beginning is here . The continuation of telephony, wi-fi and provider input planning came up
As of last time, when writing this article, I realize that the bar for the volume of material has been taken too high - therefore, this time we will focus on the organization of the SCS and the general aspects of network organization (LAN). Next time, therefore, we will reach wireless solutions, telephony and the organization of external inputs. As a previously undeclared bonus track, a separate article will follow on typical network building solutions using Allied Telesis equipment.
')
SCS
For an IT specialist with a structured abelian system, it is, in fact, the basis for all systems that provide office functionality in terms of information technology. By itself, the SCS - a set of passive switching equipment that provides the physical relationship between the geometrically distributed elements of the office. The structure of the SCS includes, in general, the following:
- Cable products (twisted pair, optical cables, coaxial cables)
- Switching and cross panels (patch panels, plinths, couplings)
- The end (from the user) device - all kinds of sockets and connectors. This, by the way, includes patch cords connecting the above sockets directly to the client equipment.
Currently, SCS is regulated by a number of standards:
- EIA / TIA-568B Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard (US standard)
- ISO / IEC IS 11801 Information Technology. Generic cabling for customer premises (international standard)
- CENELEC EN 50173 Information Technology. Generic cabling systems (European standard)
In general, the project of your SCS must meet at least one of the specified standards. By the way, the most commonly used formulations of the SCS categories - “5”, “5e”, “6” are defined in the American standard. If you are not connected to the Internet via WiFi, look at the label of the cable that connects your computer to the wall outlet on the wall — most likely, there will be either “5e” or “6”. By and large, only the theoretical data transfer rate via cables depends on the SCS category, but this is slightly lower.
And why, by the way, do not immediately plug the cables into the switch - the corrosive reader will ask ..
I will immediately reply to him - but because the absence of intermediate switching elements (in particular, sockets and patch panels), of course, will significantly reduce the cost and simplify the construction of the SCS, but subsequently significantly complicates its operation. Generally, two principles reign here:
- Nothing is more permanent than temporary.
Throwing in a hurry forte, you, of course, significantly reduce the time of the organization of the SCS, but: - Less planning - more hemorrhoids
If a cable that connects directly, for example, a computer and a switch, someone stumbles, then either the network card will have to migrate to the keyring family, or the switch will not be easy :)
In addition to the above, there are still a number of problems related to the fact that the bundle of wires is much more resistant to attempts to re-switch - you will be bald while you figure out what is connected to (especially alone). You (and the switch) are here, and the secretary’s computers and the boss behind the wall - which one will we pull? :)
In short, the cost of patch panels and sockets will not greatly increase the budget for building a cable system, but will significantly reduce the number of nerves spent in the operation of the resulting system.
Especially IMHO: it is better to reload in the cost of cable, than to teach the new administrator the wisdoms that kept you at work :)
How many ports to build?
Count how many employees do you have? Estimate the placement of furniture in the rooms. When calculating the number of ports, proceed from the fact that, for each workplace, two SCS sockets are generally required. So, the number of jobs that you have, easily multiply by three , and strive for the resulting figure.
By the way, do not forget about autonomous network devices - printers, scanners, fax machines and other hidden cameras (about video surveillance - later). Separately, it is worthwhile to provide sockets for Wi-fi devices, count on one device per 30-70 square meters of office, although, ideally, it is worth conducting a Wi-fi test on the ground to determine coverage in building conditions.
Which category to choose?
Now the most common are two categories of SCS: cat.5 / 5e and cat6. In the language of physicists, the difference between these categories is the capacity of the cable system. Essentially - speed. If you go down to the ground, you are obliged to walk by 5e gigabits, and I personally don’t see the need for more speed for the office network. You are not going to push the servers in the offices of the CEO and chief accountant? :) In addition, the current generation of desktop network cards has a maximum speed equal to the same gigabit . In addition, this is the port throughput of most modern ethernet switches (switches, yes). In an ideological sense, cat6 should skip 10GBit / s, but I don’t see applications that would really use such a band. The seventh category, not being a full-format standard, remains outside the scope of this article.
So, in my opinion, if you are planning an office in which mainly clerks will sit, 90% of whose work - Word / Excel /.../ 1C - think about 5e. If you build an office for more than five years, or consider it as a potential investment for resale - build cat6, given the budget, of course.
What is the SCS certification?
It's all very simple: in fact, certification of SCS by the manufacturer is the process of confirming that the already built SCS meets some of the standards described above. As a rule, a manufacturer of SCS elements after certification of a specific system provides a sufficiently long-term guarantee (15-25 years) for materials (components) used in the construction of this SCS, and a short (one or two years) guarantee for work. The warranty on the work is not taken into account, which literally means the following:
In the event of faults in a structured cabling system, the manufacturer guarantees the replacement of materials included in the structured cabling system. Replacement works are paid by the customer (you, yes) after the warranty period for work.
In practice, you should be aware of the following:
- Copper (fiberglass) never breaks by itself
- (a corollary of 1): If you don’t ride on cable routes on office chairs, they will not break even for fifty years
- The certification process in the projection on the cost of the SCS is from 10% to 30% of the port cost of the system
Do not confuse the certification and testing of the SCS, in the process of which the working capacity of the built system is checked (and if you have the opportunity to use a good cable tester, also a category check).
Therefore, it is necessary to act as in the case of choosing a category: the more chances to resell the built SCS, the more seriously it is worth considering the costs of certification - this will to some extent increase the investment attractiveness of the object.
Accompanying documentation of SCS
What to demand from the artist SCS? Do not forget that we already have a project. The composition of the executive documentation must include the following documents:
- Connection Log
- Layout of premises with applied cable trails and sockets and markings (sockets should be marked with patch panels, connecting cables in routes, sockets, and, ideally, patch cords; there are many marking methods, your contractor should offer the best option corresponding to the structure of the structured cabling system and your wishes)
- The test results of the SCS (in the process of testing, by the way, it happens that labeling errors and other unpleasant trifles come up, so testing is necessary)
If you decide to certify the SCS, the contractor must provide a certificate issued to your SCS by the manufacturer of the SCS components. By the way, when concluding an agreement it is not bad to communicate directly with the local representative office of the manufacturer regarding the authority of a specific contractor for certification.
LAN
Okay, with the cables, like, finished. Let's go to the next level :) Here the most interesting begins: how to build a beautiful, reliable and convenient network that will meet your needs, allow scaling and is convenient to manage? About this, in brief, and talk below.
network hardware
The core of the computer network is active network equipment - switches (switches), routers, points and Wi-fi controllers. If you already have it all - you can safely skip this section :)
Here are the main issues that need to be addressed when planning network equipment:
- How to embed your existing equipment in the new infrastructure?
- What level of equipment control do you need? Proper managed switches are very pleasant to use, but very expensive.
- Do you plan to use devices that receive power over Ethernet (read, for example, this article about PoE in Habré)?
- What level of resiliency is required to provide?
In general, there are a lot of options: from the hot backup of the network node elements to the approach of “a spare switch lying around in the closet, we need it - we pereteknym”
Here are a couple of options for different scale solutions from AntiCisco :Small office
1. A small office connects via ethernet to the provider
2. Connection types: static address, DHCP, PPPoE, IPSec VPN
Approximate price of the issue - $ 3500 with the setting. For the description of the solution I will send to the site, from where it is taken with the permission of the owners: in fact, it is here .Full redundancy connectivity solution
- It is required to fully protect the connection to the provider or 2 providers from failure of any of the devices or communication channels
- Any type of connection is required.
- It is required to ensure translation of network addresses to the pool of the corresponding provider.
- Low-cost solution for an almost completely autonomous data center (remote colocation, maintenance-free rack
Issue price - from $ 30000, a detailed description on AntiCisco .
By the way, why Cisco?
In fact, in addition to Cisco, there are plenty of network equipment manufacturers. Currently, the situation is such that Cisco is one of the few vendors providing a full range of network equipment - from simple switches and access points to provider-level routers. Of course, this is not a cheap pleasure.
As a bonus track, as I said, there will be a separate article describing a number of typical solutions on Allied Telesis, which, at my request, is prepared by Dmitry Bairov, who specializes in Allied (Mith, thanks! :)). In fairness, it is worth noting that at work I use the equipment Allied Telesis.
Returning to the choice of the vendor of network equipment, I will formulate the basic principles:
- Unfortunately, cheap and good at the same time does not happen (therefore, at the risk of running into a certain hostility, I advise you to avoid super-cheap solutions)
- Does your region have sufficient support for the equipment you plan to use? Are specialists available who can assist with the implementation of the settings and advise in case of what? For good, commissioning should be carried out by the equipment supplier / integrator
- Can you (or your networkers) manage the equipment in the required amount?
Naturally, do not forget about the price of the issue - it can often be the determining factor.
Phew It seems that the second article is over. Stay tuned :) Waiting for questions in the comments or in my blog, the address of which is given in my profile.
Links and materials used
- Definition of SCS in the Russian Wikipedia (by the way, there are a lot of useful links under the article)
- Twisted pair (SCS) in Russian Wikipedia
- AntiCisco Cisco Instructor Convertor (thanks for the stuff!)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/54523/
All Articles