Backbone is most important part of a system which provides the central support to the rest system, for example backbone of a human body that balance and hold all the body parts. Similarly in Computer Networks a Backbone Network is as a Network containing a high capacity connectivity infrastructure that backbone to the different part of the network.
Know more @ what is LAN?
Actually a backbone network allows multiple LANs to get connected in a backbone network, not a single station is directly connected to the backbone but the stations are part of LAN, and backbone connect those LANs.
Backbone LANs:
Because of increasing use of distributed applications and PCs, a new flexible strategy for LANs has been introduced. if a premises wide data communication system is to be supported then we need a networking system which can span over the required distance and which capable of interconnecting all the equipment in a single building or in a group of buildings.
It is possible to develop a single LAN for this purpose but practically this scheme faces the following drawbacks:
Poor Reliability:
With a single LAN, the reliability will be poor since a service interruption even for a short duration can cause major problem to the user.
Capacity:
There is a possibility that a single LAN may be saturated due to increase in number of devices beyond a certain number
Cost:
A single LAN can not give its optimum performance for the diverse requirements of communication and interconnection.
So the alternative for using a single LAN is to use low cost low capacity LANs in each building or department and then interconnection all these LANs with high capacity LAN. such a network is called as Backbone LAN. the backbone network allows several LANs to be connected. in the backbone network, no station is directly connected with backbone, instead each station is a part a LAN, and the LANs are connected to the backbone.
