This section describes network design considerations. It covers the following topics:
Network design is critical to providing the best response time to client applications. Client/server applications tend to multiply rapidly, causing networks to expand without following a carefully considered design plan. Entire Net-Work is often installed after a major local or wide area network is already in place.
Whether you are working with a new network or an existing one, it is important to make and follow a plan when installing Entire Net-Work in order to best utilize the existing facilities and provide the best possible response time to your applications.
The information in this section refers to the following Entire Net-Work components:
| node | An Entire Net-Work instance. |
| target | A source of information, such as Adabas, EntireX Communicator, or Entire System Server. |
| client | An application that is accessing a target. |
Entire Net-Work should be designed to use the same topology used by the underlying network. There are usually several underlying layers of logical and physical configurations that are invisible to Entire Net-Work. Those who design and maintain these underlying layers should be involved in the network design process.
Point-to-point is the simplest of all configurations and is supported by Entire Net-Work Administration. It consists of a client and server connected by a link, and is the way most networks start; for example, an Entire Net-Work Client application using a direct connection to access a mainframe database.
Many modern networks run TCP/IP in a formation that logically consists of many point-to-point sessions.
