Traditional cabling architecture where network switching is centralized in a row of HDA cabinets and racks.

Have an overall idea of switching architecture and understand leaf spine structure as this is the backbone of the below designs. ZDA(ZONE DISTRIBUTION AREA) – Space where a consolidation point or other intermediate connection point is located. HDA(HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION AREA) – Space where aggregation layer equipment such as LAN/SAN/KVM switches are located.ĮDA (EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION AREA) – Space where access layer equipment such as LAN/SAN/KVM switches and servers are located. MDA(MAIN DISTRIBUTION AREA) – Space where core layer equipment such as routers, LAN/SAN switches, PBXs, and Muxes are located. I would strongly suggest you understand some of the below terms which will help you to understand all the switching infrastructures concept easily based on the below pictures. In switching infrastructure types the name implies the location of leaf switches. Let us see each of these in detail.

Alternatively, they can be placed in a top of rack (ToR) position using point-to-point cabling within the cabinet for connecting to the servers. The leaf switches(access switches) can reside in traditional centralized network distribution areas, middle of row (MoR) positions or end of row (EoR) positions–all of which use structured cabling to connect to the servers. In a fat-tree(leaf-spine) switch fabric, data center managers have faced multiple configuration options that require decisions regarding the application, cabling and where to place access switches that connect to servers. Don’t you want to know how these switches are physically fixed and how can we make it in the best and efficient way? In this article, we will see how that idea of fat tree(leaf-spine) architecture is physically implemented in the data center and its various types. In a data center distribution of network equipment, the physical architecture is having a major role in defining the design, cost, and labor related to your networks. There is no doubt that fat tree architecture(leaf-spine architecture) is the most emerging one and 3-tier architecture has started to eliminate in many network environments. In my previous article, we have seen different switching architectures that define the logical aspects used in a data center cabling.

Tor switches to distribution switches