Network topology
lastmod 2023-11-11created 2015-05-064 edits
Topology (North Korean Munhwaŏ: manggusŏngbangsik) refers to the physical connection of the elements of a computer network (links, nodes, etc.), or the way they are connected. A local area network (LAN) is one example of a network that can exhibit both a physical topology and a logical topology. Any node on a LAN has one or more links to one or more other nodes on the network, and these links and nodes, mapped on a graph, describe the physical topology of the network well. Similarly, the flow of data between nodes on the network determines the logical topology of the network. The physical and logical topologies may or may not be identical in a particular network.
A particular topology is determined by the configuration of physical and logical connections between nodes, and the study of such topologies uses graph theory. Distances between nodes, physical interconnections, transmission rates, and signal types may differ between two networks, yet their topologies may show a similar pattern.