The number of systems that you expect to support affects how you configure your network. Your organization might require a small network of several dozen standalone physical systems that are located on one floor of a single building. Or, you might need to set up a network with more than 1,000 systems in several buildings. This setup can require you to further divide your network into subdivisions that are called subnets.
Some of the planning decisions that you must make about hardware include the following:
Network topology, the layout, and connections of the network hardware
Type and number of systems your network can support, including the virtual systems that might be required on your server
Network devices to be installed in these systems
Type of network media to use, such as Ethernet, and so on
Use of bridges, routers, and firewalls to extend the network media or connect the local network to external networks
For information about how bridges work, see Overview of Bridged Networks in Managing Network Datalinks in Oracle Solaris 11.3.
For a description of how routers function, see Planning for Routers on Your Network.
For information about firewalls, see Chapter 5, Configuring the Packet Filter Firewall in Securing the Network in Oracle Solaris 11.3 and Chapter 6, IP Filter Firewall in Oracle Solaris in Securing the Network in Oracle Solaris 11.3.