If you are designing a real network, if you are the one that gets it done, then this book should be your bible and your guidebook. This volume contains a complete and practical approach to designing a data network, from beginning to success.-David Clark, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, My 1st edition is dog-eared, highlighted and annotated to the point where certain pages are unreadable. The spine is broken - the result of stuffing altogether too many sheets of paper with notes and network designs I developed using Jim's methodology. After my first read of the 2nd edition, I have no expectation that this copy will look any better for wear five years hence.-From the Foreword by David M. Piscitello, Core Competence Inc.The first edition of this book guided thousands of network professionals during a period of breakneck technological and economic development. The second comes at a time when a measured, truly systematic approach to planning and building networks is more possible and more desirable than ever.Inside, you'll learn a coherent, highly effective systems methodology that has been fully updated to incorporate the latest innovations in the analysis of user needs, performance requirements, and traffic flow. An increased emphasis-represented by five all-new chapters-on network architecture teaches you ways to introduce critical issues of addressing and routing, security, and management earlier in the design process.This is vital, hands-on information, whether you're building a network from scratch or working to optimize and expand an existing one.