WHAT IS TOPOLOGY?

 Topology is a branch of mathematics that studies the properties of space and the relationships between objects within that space. Commonly used in computer networks and telecommunications to describe the physical and logical arrangement of nodes and the connections between them.

A physical topology connects the nodes in a network by physical connections, such as cables and wireless signals, and describes the layout of these connections. For example, a bus topology represents a network in which all nodes are connected by his one cable, while a star topology represents a network in which all nodes are connected to a central hub. Each physical topology has its own strengths and weaknesses, including: B. Ease of adding new nodes, cost of network infrastructure, and network reliability. A logical topology describes how data is transferred between nodes. The most common logical topology is the packet-switched topology, where data is split into small packets and sent from node to node until it reaches its destination. Another common logical topology is the circuit-switched topology. In this topology, a leased line is set up between he two nodes during transmission.

Topology is important in network design because it affects network performance and reliability. For example, a star topology network can transfer data faster and more reliably than a bus topology network, but it can also be more expensive to install and maintain. In addition, topology also affects network security. Different topologies can provide different levels of protection against unauthorized access and data theft.

In summary, topology is an important aspect of network design, affecting network performance, reliability, and security. Physical topology describes the physical arrangement of nodes and links, while logical topology describes how data is transmitted. Your choice of topology depends on the specific needs and requirements of your network. B. Cost, Performance, and Safety. 

Types Of Topology:

 1.Bus Topology

2. Star Topology

A network structure known as a “star topology” has all nodes connected to the hub, which serves as the center node, through cables. The hub might be either active or passive. Repeaters are found in active hubs, but passive hubs are regarded as non-intelligent nodes. To the central node, which serves as a repeater for data transmission, each node has a reserved link.

3. Ring Topology

Every computer is connected to every other computer on both sides in a topology known as a “ring topology.” A ring-shaped network is created when the last computer is connected to the first. Each computer can have precisely two neighbors because to this architecture.

The primary computer in this architecture, referred to as the monitor station, is in charge of all operations. Tokens are used to facilitate the exchange of data between devices. The computer station must possess the token in order to send data. Only once the transmission is finished is the token released, at which point other computer stations can use it to transfer data.

Bit by bit, or sequentially, is how data is sent. Data must thus go via each node in the network before arriving at the target node. To avoid data loss during transmission, we employ repeaters in a Ring topology. These repeaters are extremely useful when there are a lot of nodes in the topology and the data needs to get all the way to the final node.

In a Ring topology, data transmission is unidirectional, but it may be made bidirectional by attaching a different set of connecting lines to each node. Dual Ring Topology is what this is called. In this case, two ring networks are built, each with data flowing in a different direction.

4. Mesh Topology

Mesh topology is a type of topology where every node is linked to every other node by a network channel. There is a point-to-point link in mesh topology. It can link n nodes using n(n-1)/2 network channels.

Routing and flooding are two of the data transfer methods available in mesh topology. The nodes in the routing method each have a routing logic, such as the logic for the quickest path to the target node or the logic to prevent routes with broken connections. The network nodes in the flooding strategy all get the same data. We no longer require routing logic as a result. Although this method strengthens the network, it adds unneeded load.

5. Tree Topology

A tree topology is a topology in which all nodes are connected to the topmost node, or root node, in a hierarchical manner. It is also known as hierarchical topology for this reason. Three degrees of hierarchy are included in tree topology.

Wide Area Network uses tree topology. It is a development of both Bus and Star topologies. For simpler working and management, it is better if the workstations are arranged in groups.

5. Hybrid Topology

A network topology that combines two or more distinct topologies is known as a hybrid topology. It is an expensive topology but one that is also dependable and scalable. It benefits and suffers from the topologies that were utilized to construct it.