Backbone network

Typically the term referred to the high capacity communication facilities that connect primary nodes.

[9] Applications in enterprise-wide scenarios confined to a single building are also practical, as certain connectivity devices can be assigned to certain floors or departments.

[7] Each floor or department possesses a LAN and a wiring closet with that workgroup's main hub or router connected to a bus-style network using backbone cabling.

[10] Another advantage of using a distributed backbone is the ability for network administrator to segregate workgroups for ease of management.

[7] There is the possibility of single points of failure, referring to connectivity devices high in the series hierarchy.

[11] A conventional backbone network spans distance to provide interconnectivity across multiple locations.

In most cases, the backbones are the links while the switching or routing functions are done by the equipment at each location.

Although this can be a major factor when deciding which enterprise-wide topology to use, the expense of it makes up for the efficiency it creates by adding increased performance and fault tolerance.

For example, if there is important data, such as payroll, that should be accessed at all times by multiple departments, then your organization should choose to implement a parallel backbone to make sure that the connectivity is never lost.

[13] Serial backbones consist of two or more internet working devices connected to each other by a single cable in a daisy-chain fashion.

[14] The serial backbone topology could be used for enterprise-wide networks, though it is rarely implemented for that purpose.