Get in-depth exam preparation for the updated Exam 70-293, a core MCSA/MCSE exam for Windows Server 2003and build real-world job skills. Includes case studies, troubleshooting labs, and more.
In most cases, the elements of a network infrastructure are both inherited and designed. If you are building a network that will be connected to the Internet, for example, certain aspects of the network, such as the use of the TCP/IP protocol suite, are inherited from the Internet. Other network elements, such as the physical layout of basic network components, are chosen by design when the network is first conceived and are then inherited by later versions of the network as it evolves. It is rare for an engineer to have the opportunity to design a network from scratch, with no pre-existing influences. Nearly always, the engineer must incorporate some existing elements into the network design, such as specific applications, operating systems, protocols, or hardware components.
Implementing a network infrastructure is the process of evaluating, purchasing, and assembling the specified components, and installing them in the manner prescribed by the design plan. The implementation process begins with engineers installing the network's hardware infrastructure, including computers, cables, and connectivity devices such as hubs, switches, and routers, as well as printers and other peripherals. After the hardware is in place, the engineers install and configure the operating systems, applications, and other software.
The operating systems running on the computers are the primary software components in the network infrastructure, because they incorporate the protocols and other routines that make network communications possible. In addition to the standard communication protocols common to all network operating systems, the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family also includes a collection of applications and services that implement important security and special communications capabilities on the network.
The significance of the network infrastructure does not end when the construction of the network is complete, however. The personnel responsible for maintaining the network must have an intimate knowledge of the network's infrastructure to expand the network, perform upgrades, and troubleshoot problems. The 70-293 exam tests your knowledge of how the infrastructure affects the planning, implementation, and maintenance of a medium-to-large network, and of how Windows Server 2003 functions as a part of that infrastructure.
