Software → Computer Networks
Network Topology
The physical or logical arrangement of network devices, links, segments, and traffic paths.
Network topology describes how devices and links are arranged and how traffic can move through them. A topology may describe physical cabling, logical addressing and routing, or both.
Common shapes
- Star: endpoints connect through a central switch or access point.
- Mesh: nodes have multiple paths between them, improving resilience at greater cost and complexity.
- Hub-and-spoke: branch networks connect through a central hub, often used in enterprise and cloud networking.
- Leaf-spine: data-center switches form a predictable fabric with multiple equal-cost paths.
A useful topology makes failure domains, routing paths, capacity limits, and security boundaries visible. Diagrams should distinguish intended redundancy from links that are merely present but cannot carry production traffic.
Trade-offs
More paths can improve availability but increase routing, configuration, and troubleshooting complexity. Centralized designs are easier to operate but can create bottlenecks or single points of failure. Good topology design starts from traffic patterns, failure tolerance, operational capability, and expected growth.