Question : Network design vlan or no vlan

Hi,

We have a small network to design

Novel
Windows 2003 server
SCO server
Suse Server
Groupwise

8 servers
62 workstations
10 printers (ethernet)

Gige all the way

For a network design can anyone give their thoughts as to whether best practices would be to separate servers from workstations on separate vlans.

Are there any tools or rules of thumb to help make these types of design decisions?

Thanks in advance,

Gilbert.


Answer : Network design vlan or no vlan

If you are using G-bit throughout, that is the best thing you could have done for performance. You will be faster flat. (One less packet (layer3) tear-down and build-up for workstation to server packets.)  You could try putting your servers on different switches so the bulk of the traffic doesn't all try to go through the same switch on the way to a server.  That's the only suggestion I would make.

I think, however, it would be wise to have vlan design plans ready and make future network configs with those plans in mind.  It seems that, in my experience, every time I think that everything is status-quo, some body comes up with a `better idea' and I have to make it happen.  I think that it's good to be prepared - for whatever that's worth.

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