Backbone networks connect various components of a network while maintaining their integrity. They allow multiple networks to be linked together for sharing data, but still function independently. They use wired and wireless connections and can include secondary options. They differ from the Internet backbone as they are closed unless proper credentials are used.
Backbone networks are key parts of a computer network structure that help give stability to that network. The purpose of the backbone is to provide the means to connect the various components of the network into a cohesive interactive unit, while still allowing each of those components to maintain its integrity. This approach can allow multiple networks to be linked together for the purpose of handling certain tasks and sharing certain types of data, while still allowing each of the networks attached to the backbone to function independently.
There are numerous examples of backbone networks in use today. One of the most common involves providing an infrastructure that allows individual networks at a corporate headquarters and a number of satellite locations to function both independently and interdependently. For example, this type of network backbone would allow sales offices spread across a country or even the world to share data with each other and with the corporate sales office, making it easier to coordinate efforts. A similar approach is often used today on university campuses, allowing local area networks operating in each of the buildings to interconnect with a central system and share data across the interconnected network.
Most backbone networks make use of a variety of communication strategies to create connections and move data back and forth. Both wired and wireless components can be involved in the process, with some locations using an Ethernet connection while remote locations with limited connection options may use slower telephone connections on a dial-up basis. It is not uncommon for backbone networks to also include secondary connection options that can be used as and when needed. For example, an employee who is traveling for work may still be able to access the backbone using one of the connect procedures, even if all she has access to is a phone line at a hotel.
It is important to distinguish backbone networks from an Internet backbone. While an internal backbone can provide ways to remotely access networks using the Internet, those interconnected networks within companies are still closed unless the proper credentials are used to gain access. Backbone architects can structure the communication process so that access routes are limited, meaning that even if an employee has access to a couple of networks connected to the backbone, they may not have access to other networks residing in the community connected. This helps protect the integrity of each individual network in the larger system, while still allowing data to be shared between those who are authorized to send, receive and use the information.
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