The Difference Between Network and Server Engineers – Pictorial

I have been planning cloud computing systems recently, and had many long discussions with different teams. I have prepared the following diagram to show the perceptual difference between how each team perceives the data centre.

Networking Team

The Networking Team tends to see the network as a large collection of discrete, separate functional elements that each have a function that contributes to the operational whole. They tend to see the network elements as powerful, vital equipment that requires careful design and careful planning. A standard diagram for a medium sized data centre might look something like this:

Server Team

The Server Team is focussed on the Operating Systems and the platforms that run on them. Each system is discrete, and getting two server admins to agree on the same approach can be an arduous task. The see the servers a key to success, and a standard diagram fro the data centre might look something like this:

Further Work

This exposition of the business perception is not complete, and further consultation should be carried out to determine the view of other business units. I am preparing a suitable proposal for a Gap Analysis to assist in offering a view on this work.

Postscript – Hi-Res Images

This post has been very popular and a number of people have asked for higher resolution images – please click on the thumbnails below for larger and better resolution images.

I have some ideas on some followups, come back and check real soon.

Postscript

The Difference Between Network and Server Managers

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