CCNA Data Center DCICT 640-916 Official Cert Guide

Collapse Core Design

Although there are three functional layers in a network design, these layers do not have to be physical layers, but can be logical layers. This topic describes the reasons for combining the core and aggregation layers. Figure 1-3 shows sample topology of a collapse core network design.

Figure 1-3 Collapse Core Design

The three-tier architecture previously defined is traditionally used for a larger enterprise campus. For the campus of a small or medium-sized business, the three-tier architecture might be excessive. An alternative would be to use a two-tier architecture in which the distribution and the core layer are combined. ...