Network Switches

A data management system of any size will eventually need network switches

. In fact, a system that does not already have network switches is losing power, running less than efficiently, and costing the owner money they could use in other ways. Even the simplest of data management systems that has a minimum of servers, routers, and other data devices would be greatly enhanced by using network switches.

Network switches were the next logical step in routing data through a network. Hubs were originally used for this function, but as data use began to become more varied and specific, a device was needed that could recognize the information sent to it and the route it needed to take. This is especially true today, as Ethernet applications and more advanced mapping technology has set a new standard for data management.

Network switches, working at Layer 2 OSI, can receive data packets and are then able to automatically send the information to the appropriate component for further applications. This innovation was not only a time-saver, it also freed up network bandwidth, removing the need to spread data across the entire network, as hubs were designed to do. This aspect of network switches has resulted in a vastly increased capacity for processing information, at speeds that were not possible before.

Even smaller networks that only use four or eight Ethernet connections can benefit by using network switches. The common practice of most small LANs, especially those on a limited budget, is to add on data devices as they become necessary. This is one of the best scenarios in which to use network switches. The network can be connected in a number of ways if several network switches are integrated into the system, allowing the local network to expand at a progressively higher rate than would be possible without the network switches.

Most of todays data management systems are Ethernet-based, which has greatly increased the overall data processing speed that the network is capable of. The newer network switches are designed to handle this increased capability, regardless of the speed. Traditional and Fast Ethernet processing can both be routed effectively with the appropriate network switches, which use autosensing to distinguish the different bit rates at which the data comes through. The level of sophistication that is built into most network switches will default to a lower bit rate (10 Mbps) to conserve power, but can also sense if the network is capable of running at a faster bit rate (100 Mbps or higher), including the super-fast Gigabit Ethernet applications.

The more advanced network switches of today come in a variety of applications. Some are the unmanaged switches described above, which are more suited to smaller LANs. Managed switches become necessary for the larger networks that are the basis of data centers found in large corporations, for example. Some network switches are stand-alone, for use in a desktop or small LAN system, and others are rack-mountable, for use in the larger server cabinets found in more expanded data management systems.

by: Simon Coxon

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