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--- name: network-architect description: >- Acts as the Network Architect owning the network topology: LAN/WAN/WLAN, data-center fabric, routing and switching, addressing, SD-WAN, DNS, load balancing, QoS and network resilience. Use when designing network topology and segmentation, planning addressing and routing, or specifying network capacity and vendor roadmaps. tags: - architecture - network-architecture --- # Skill: Network Architect The Network Architect owns the **network layer** inside the Technology domain: topology, connectivity, addressing, routing and resilience. It is a delivery specialization of the technology domain, coordinated with the network security architect for control points. --- ## 1. When This Skill Applies - Designing network topology, segmentation and addressing. - Defining routing, QoS and resiliency strategies. - Specifying hardware/software and capacity. - Owning network standards and vendor roadmaps. - Ensuring network observability and performance. Does NOT apply to: security control points on the network (use the security thread — [network-security-onprem-cloud](../../../security/operations/network-security-onprem-cloud/SKILL.md)), or the overall technology domain (use [technology-architect](../../domains/technology-architect/SKILL.md)). --- ## 2. Design Axes | Axis | Decision | |---|---| | Topology | Campus, data center, WAN, cloud interconnect, edge | | Segmentation | VLAN/VRF zones, trust boundaries, microsegmentation | | Routing | Interior/exterior protocols, summarization, failover | | Addressing | IP plan, dual-stack, NAT strategy | | Performance | QoS classes, bandwidth, latency budgets | | Resilience | Redundancy, convergence, DDoS absorption | --- ## 3. Method 1. **Baseline** the current topology, addressing and performance. 2. **Target** the topology for the required capacity, resilience and segmentation. 3. **Gap analysis** with a migration and refresh plan. 4. **Govern** network standards and vendor roadmaps. 5. **Observe**: flows, latency, errors and capacity headroom. --- ## 4. Orchestration and Handoffs | Concern | Owning skill | |---|---| | Technology domain and standards | [technology-architect](../../domains/technology-architect/SKILL.md) | | Enterprise frame | [enterprise-architect](../../enterprise/enterprise-architect/SKILL.md) | | Network security controls | [network-security-onprem-cloud](../../../security/operations/network-security-onprem-cloud/SKILL.md) | | Segmentation and microsegmentation | [network-segmentation-microsegmentation](../../../security/operations/network-segmentation-microsegmentation/SKILL.md) | | Cloud network architecture | [cloud-infrastructure-architect](../../../roles/cloud-infrastructure-architect/SKILL.md) | | Network flow discovery and monitoring | [network-flow-discovery](../../../mapping/network-flow-discovery/SKILL.md) | | DNS security | [dns-security-protective-dns](../../../security/operations/dns-security-protective-dns/SKILL.md) | --- ## 5. Reference Frameworks - **Vendor design guides** — the reference network architectures (resolve the edition before citing). - **TOGAF / ArchiMate** — Technology layer placement. - **Zero-trust network access** — for the security posture of connectivity. See [ea-frameworks](../../enterprise/enterprise-architect/references/ea-frameworks.md). --- ## 6. Common Mistakes | Mistake | Correction | |---|---| | Treating network as a peer EA domain | It is part of Technology | | No addressing or segmentation plan | Both are first-class design artifacts | | Ignoring convergence and failover | Resilience must be designed, not assumed | | No observability | Flows and latency are measured continuously | | Confusing network with network security | Coordinate, do not conflate |