Question

Difficulty: HardNetwork Types and Topologies

A network infrastructure consultant is performing an audit for a growing manufacturing enterprise. Match each network deployment requirement to the corresponding network topology or classification that best fulfills the requirement.

  • Connecting legacy industrial sensors along a single continuous cable run where a single severed line halts all communications across the branchBus Topology
  • Interconnecting automated factory machinery in a closed ring configuration where token passing provides deterministic latency and fault isolationRing Topology
  • Linking multiple facility buildings within a university campus site using privately owned underground fiber optic linksCampus Area Network (CAN)
  • Providing dedicated high-speed block-level data storage transport across a dedicated Fibre Channel network for core database serversStorage Area Network (SAN)

Answer

Bus Topology matches the single continuous cable run requirement; Ring Topology matches the token-passing industrial machinery configuration; Campus Area Network (CAN) matches the multi-building privately owned fiber setup; Storage Area Network (SAN) matches the dedicated high-speed block-level storage requirement.
Each requirement directly aligns with a fundamental definition in network topology and scope classification: single-line dependence defines a Bus topology; deterministic token passing defines a Ring topology; privately owned multi-building interconnectivity defines a Campus Area Network (CAN); and block-level storage transport defines a Storage Area Network (SAN).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the physical cabling and single-point-of-failure requirement in the first prompt.
Identify that a single backbone coaxial run with total interruption upon a cut is characteristic of a physical Bus topology.
Bus networks lack redundancy and terminate at both ends of a shared medium.
2
Evaluate the closed-loop, token-passing requirement in the second prompt.
Identify that token passing in a circular sequence corresponds to a Ring topology.
Ring topologies handle traffic sequentially around a closed logical or physical ring.
3
Determine the geographic classification for multi-building private fiber connections across a single facility campus.
Match this geographic scope to a Campus Area Network (CAN).
CANs bridge multiple LANs across limited geographic distances such as corporate or academic campuses.
4
Assess the high-speed block-level storage infrastructure requirement in the final prompt.
Match this architecture to a Storage Area Network (SAN).
SANs separate block storage traffic from user LAN traffic using protocols like Fibre Channel.

Key Concept

Network Topologies and Geographic Scope Classifications
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