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Defining the Problem 7
Foundation Topics
Designing an internetwork requires a certain mix of art and science. Design purists can spend
hours debating the merits of one design versus another, but in the real world, issues of self-
interest, background, pride, politics, and personal ego sometimes play a role in the acceptance
of the design process.
For test purposes, the CCDP candidate need only be concerned with matching the business and
technical requirements to the engineering, availability, time, and cost constraints. The
successful network design marries the best technical solution with the needs of the business.
With the advent of e-commerce and e-business, companies face increasingly complex
challenges to deliver profit to the shareholders and value to the customers. Their requirements
for network performance are becoming more and more demanding. Add those requirements to
the changing technical issues of the day, and it is easy to see why the task of CCDP is a very
demanding professional assignment. In addition to having a strong technical foundation, the
CCDP must articulate technical ideas to a primarily nontechnical audience. The CCDP must
display a great deal of versatility. Indeed, through the life cycle of a network design, the CCDP
can expect to serve in the role of project manager, consultant, integrator, technical liaison,
troubleshooter, and problem solver.
Defining the Problem
A design cannot provide an effective solution to a problem that has not been defined. The CCDP
who attempts to design a network before the problem is understood will be as successful as a
painter who attempts to paint a moving bus. The design will never satisfy the customer, because
there is no general agreement on what was needed in the first place.
NOTE
No problem--no solution!
Know problem--know solution!
The CCDP's first mission is to define the problem. All design requests start with a problem as
perceived by someone.
After the problem has been defined, the business requirements must be stated and needs must
be prioritized. Then a technical solution can be implemented. A good network design is
optimized to meet the requirements of the business at hand. Therefore, a design that is ideal for
one business might be woefully lacking for another. One business might have higher security
concerns, and another business might be more concerned about disaster recovery. Still another
business might share these concerns but might not have the available funds to implement those
features. For each client, there is an optimum design that provides a best-fit solution for his or
her situation and circumstances.
87200333.book Page 7 Wednesday, August 22, 2001 2:18 PM