The Evolving Network
Q: Why change
A: Because there really isn't any alternative.
anything?
Just as living things must adapt to changing conditions in their environments,
businesses and other organizations must continually adapt their networks to
changing requirements. After all, it's hard to find a network manager who isn't
contemplating a change of some sort, whether it's adding more users, rolling out
new applications, converging voice and data services, or even making the jump
from hubs to switches.
That's why Cisco Systems created this guide —to provide an overview of the issues
confronting countless businesses, schools, government agencies, and other organi-
zations as they migrate, adapt, and expand their networks to meet new needs. And
to explain how Cisco Catalyst
®
switches can help, both in the short term and the
long haul.
Q: Why start with
A: Because of all the changes after that.
intelligent
Change can be a major source of stress —for networks as well as network man-
agers. The proliferation of powerful new desktop computers, bandwidth-intensive
switching?
applications, and devices such as IP phones and wireless access points all can leave
networks straining to keep up. As a result, unpredictable traffic patterns can emerge,
bogging down mission-critical applications. Holes can appear in security, leaving
the network vulnerable to internal and external threats. And demand for bandwidth
can outstrip the supply, causing one bottleneck after another.
Cisco Catalyst switches spare networks from these and other growing pains. They
provide the advanced quality of service (QoS) needed to ensure mission-critical
traffic is assigned top priority. They enhance security with new features that pro-
tect the network from risks within and without. And they provide the bandwidth
needed to grow, all the way up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
Migrating to intelligent switching is not a difficult step in a network's evolution,
but it's an important one, providing a solid foundation for all the steps to come.
The Cisco Catalyst Series switches run the range from chassis to stackable
switches, with models available to address special requirements,
such as support for inline power and Gigabit Ethernet over copper.
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