ABSTRACT
The word “architecture,” as it applies to computer networks, can be interpreted in at least two different ways. The overall design of a network (analogous to an architect’s blueprint of a building) — including the interconnection pattern, communication media, choice of protocols, placement of network management resources, and other design decisions — is generally referred to as the network’s architecture. However, we can also speak of the hardware and the hardware-specific protocols used to implement the various pieces of the network (much as we would speak of the beams, pipes, bricks, and mortar that comprise a building).
