MicroNugget: How to Categorize an Existing Network

In this video, Anthony Sequeira covers how to categorize an existing network. Before you begin adding network devices or services, it’s crucial that you perform a thorough examination of what’s already in place. Anthony will walk you through how to do this, highlighting a few important details along the way.

If you’re ever called in on a design engagement for an organization that wants to add new services on their infrastructure, you’ll need to begin by characterizing the existing network. This is a straightforward, methodical process that consists of three primary steps.

The first is to gather all of the existing documentation that the organization has. The word “all” is very important in this case because you’ll need every bit of what’s available.

Once you’ve compiled everything you can, you’ll query the organization about what’s there, then conduct a network audit. This is where you can help fill in some of the blanks in their documentation, which will be helpful the next time anyone needs to access this information.

Finally, you’ll conduct a traffic analysis. These three steps will allow you to thoroughly evaluate the network’s ability to handle new devices or services.

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