Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1255991
July/August/September 2020 I 9 FIGURE 2: Illustration of the star topology. "Access" Switch "Access" Switch "Access" Switch "Access" Switch "Core" Switch FIGURE 1: Illustration of the single logical switch. always be connected to one of three groups: single logical switch, star or fat tree. Each of these topologies has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages: Single Logical Switch By far, the simplest network topology is one that uses a single switch (Figure 1). In this type of system, each device is connected to a single logical switch that is not connected to any other switches or routers. Note that this type of topology could refer to a single physical switch or to multiple physical switches that are stacked and act as one logical switch. Advantages: Simple, easy to manage, limited network impact of video traffic, inexpensive. Disadvantages: Limited scalability options, no network redundancy, single point of failure. Star For systems needing more scalability than that offered by a single logical switch, multiple logical switches can be each connected to a single switch for intercommunica- tion. In this star topology (Figure 2), the central switch is often referred to as a "core" switch; the other switches are referred to as "access" switches. This type of system will typically have AVoIP encoders and decoders connected to the access switches. Advantages: Scalability, multiple access switches can create network path redundancy. Disadvantages: Physical network layout can make cabling very expensive, since all access switches must be directly connected to the core; single core switch creates a single point of failure.