11.1 Objectives

In this chapter, you will learn about interconnection strategies, particularly switching and routing. We will discuss in detail how switching and routing work, compare and contrast their characteristics, and determine where each strategy should be applied within the network.

11.2 Preparation

To be able to understand and apply the concepts in this chapter, you should be familiar with the fundamentals of connecting technologies together, including switching and routing. Some recommended sources of information include:

• Interconnections: Bridges, Routers, Switches, and Internetworking Protocols, 2nd edition, by Radia Perlman, Addison-Wesley Publishing, October 1999

• ATM Solutions for Enterprise Internetworking, 2nd edition, by David Ginsburg, Addison-Wesley Publishing, June 1999

• SONET, by Walter Goralski, McGraw-Hill, May 2000

• MPLS: Technology and Applications, by Bruce Davie and Yakov Rekhter, Morgan Kaufmann, May 2000

• Switched, Fast, and Gigabit Ethernet, 3rd edition, by Sean Riley and Robert Breyer, New Riders Publishing, January 1999

• The Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology, by Rich Seifert, John Wiley & Sons, June 2000

11.3 Background

Having made technology selections for each area of the network design, we can now focus on mechanisms that connect these technologies to each other within...