Network diagrams, both logical and physical, are key to effective network and IT infrastructure management. With up-to-date diagrams, network admins can troubleshoot (and minimize downtime), plan […]
Network diagrams, both logical and physical, are key to effective network and IT infrastructure management. With up-to-date diagrams, network admins can troubleshoot (and minimize downtime), plan […]
Network diagrams, both logical and physical, are key to effective network and IT infrastructure management. With up-to-date diagrams, network admins can troubleshoot (and minimize downtime), plan for capacity, avoid IT clutter, maintain software, and keep the network secure and compliant. There are two main types of network diagrams: physical and logical. Physical network diagrams (as is common in DCIM software) depict the physical topology of the network and how the physical devices (or objects) are connected. In this post, we’ll take a look at what a logical network diagram is.
Logical Network Diagrams Explained
A logical network diagram depicts how information in the network flows. In a logical diagram, you’ll generally visualize the following elements in your logical network topology:
How Logical Network Diagrams are Useful
As the information contained within logical network diagrams corresponds to the L3 (Layer 3) of the OSI model; L2 devices (such as switches) are not depicted in an L3 or logical network diagram. While physical network diagrams are important, logical diagrams make network management easier in the following ways:
How to Create a Logical Network Diagram
As a logical or L3 network diagram should depict the logical network topology: in general, you’ll want to map out the following logical elements:
Keep in mind that network diagrams are only as valuable to you as they are up-to-date. If your network is tiny, you may be able to create a logical network diagram by hand — or creating Visio network diagrams. If your network doesn’t fit in a shoebox, however, you will probably want to use some kind of automated network mapping software (such as netTerrain).
To sum up, both logical and physical network diagrams play a key part in effectively managing the network. If you aren’t documenting the network, or you’re scrambling to keep up using a hybrid of post-it notes, Visio, and Excel — you may want to look at a network mapping tool to help you automatically discover and map the network in clicks. Network documentation, when done properly, can deliver some serious ROI.