Kudler Network Analysis

Kudler Network Analysis

NTC 410

March 27, 2007

Network Analysis

Kudler Fine Foods is a local upscale specialty food store located in the San Diego metropolitan area. The company has three locations (La Jolla, Del Mar and Encinitas). The original store networks were designed by a local computer store (that is no longer in business) and were installed by a combination of friends and some of the employees of the computer store working on their own time. Performance is okay, but the checkouts at the local supermarkets seem much faster. Kudler wants to start collecting and tracking more personal data from customers, but are concerned about their liability for the security of the information. Kudler have requested to have the existing network reviewed and, if necessary, redesigned to meet these concerns. The review should address the following areas: 1.Network reliability and uptime. 2. System response time. 3. Network topology. 4. Network protocols. 5. Data integrity. 6. Data security 7. Network security.

Current System

Currently, Kudler Fine Foods are using an Ethernet network for each of the different locations. All of the workstations are connected to the same cable; this was used for implementing Ethernet at 10 mbps. The cables are terminated at each end and the wiring is point to point. One faulty cable or workstation will cause the LAN to go down. There has been no indication of down time, however; the company would want to keep the system up and running at all times.

The system often experience slow performance during customer checkout, this happens when the transmission of two or more data packets collide. Ethernet is by far the most widely used local area network (LAN) technology, and all indications are that it is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. There are many ways of improving a basic Ethernet network to enhance the system. Further research of this analysis will list options for the Kudler Review.

Network Reliability

Ethernet suffers from several problems. As the load increases, collisions become more common, causing delays and lowering the response time. While unlikely, it is also possible for a packet or frame to suffer indefinite delays due to repeated collisions, making it unsuitable for applications that require real-time response. The fact that each device on an Ethernet has an equal chance to transmit may create problems in applications where a higher priority is desirable for certain devices. Ethernet is by far the most popular network technology because it is inexpensive, easy to understand, implement and configure, and the above problems are serious only on very heavily loaded Ethernets. In 1999, Ethernet continued to evolve rapidly. Switched 100 Mbps Ethernet tends to be the most popular technology for interconnecting desktops, while switched 1000 Mbps (Gigabit) Ethernet is increasingly being used for enterprise backbone networks. A 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard is being discussed and plans for implementing guaranteed quality of service (QoS) levels on Ethernet are evolving. These enhancements indicate that Ethernet technology will continue to remain the leading LAN technology for the foreseeable future (Ethernet 2003).

Response Time

In its simplest form, Ethernet uses a single length of coaxial cable, terminated at the ends to prevent signal reflections, to which passive taps that provide multiple access to the medium attaches stations. A station wishing to transmit a packet first senses the transmission medium to see if another station is transmitting; if not, it begins its own transmission. This is referred to as carrier sense and the term carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) is used to describe a class of basic LAN designs that use it. There is a delay while the beginning of the packet propagates along the cable before all the other stations become aware that a transmission is in progress. During this acquisition time, another station may begin to transmit, resulting in a collision. The originating station listens to its own transmission and if a collision is detected, it aborts transmission of the packet and transmits a jamming signal to reinforce collision detection at other transmitters. This is known as CSMA with collision detection