Domain 3 of 5 · Chapter 1 of 8

Network Documentation

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Included in this chapter:

  • Two families: physical answers where, logical answers how
  • Physical artifacts: racks, cable maps, labels, floor plans
  • Logical artifacts: IPAM, asset inventory, baselines, surveys
  • SLA: measurable targets and the penalty for missing them
  • Exam-pattern recognition

Documentation artifacts: what each captures and when it is consulted

ArtifactFamilyCapturesConsulted when
Physical (L1) diagramPhysicalCabling runs, ports, media between devicesA link is down or mis-patched
Logical (L3) diagramLogicalSubnets, routers, IP paths, gatewaysA routing or inter-subnet fault
Rack diagramPhysicalUnit-by-unit (RU) device layout in a rackLocating or installing rack gear
Cable map / labelingPhysicalWhich cable connects which ports, with labelsTracing or re-patching a connection
Floor planPhysicalWhere devices and drops sit in the buildingSite planning, AP and drop placement
IPAMLogicalSubnet, allocation, and reservation recordsAssigning addresses without conflict
Asset inventoryLogicalDevices, owners, serials, life-cycle statusAuditing, planning refresh, support
Wireless survey / heat mapPhysicalSignal coverage and channel use over the planDesigning or fixing Wi-Fi coverage
SLALogicalMeasurable service targets plus penaltiesHolding a provider to availability
BaselineLogicalNormal performance and configuration valuesJudging whether a reading is abnormal

Decision tree

Symptom: physical or logical?where vs howPhysical (where)Logical (how)What kind of physical question?link, rack, or Wi-FiWhat kind of logical question?path, address, target, normalDead linkRack gearWi-FiL1 diagram+ cable map / labelsRack diagramU positionsSurvey heat mapon floor planRoutingAddressUptimeNormal?L3 diagramsubnets, gatewaysIPAMno duplicate IPSLAtarget + penaltyBaselinecompare to flagAlways: match the symptom's OSI layer to the diagram tier (L1 cabling, L2 VLAN, L3 routing).A logical diagram never finds a bad cable; an asset inventory never prevents a duplicate IP.
Cheat sheet

Cheat sheet

  • Physical documentation answers where; logical answers how
  • Read the diagram whose OSI layer matches the symptom
  • A logical diagram cannot locate a bad cable
  • A rack diagram maps devices by rack-unit (U) position
  • A cable map plus labels is what you trace for a link fault
  • ANSI/TIA-606 standardizes structured-cabling labeling
  • A floor plan places drops and APs on the building layout
  • IPAM is the system of record for IP address space
  • An asset inventory tracks devices, not addresses
  • A baseline is the known-good reference you compare against
  • A wireless survey heat map shows signal coverage on the floor plan
  • An SLA defines measurable service levels plus penalties for missing them
  • SLA, MOU, and MSA carry different weight; only the SLA fixes a metric
  • Higher availability targets translate to tighter downtime budgets
  • Match the stem's keyword to the one artifact that owns the job
  • An accurate CMDB drives dependency mapping and safe decommissioning
  • A rack diagram documents PDU power capacity and airflow blanking

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References

  1. CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Certification Exam Objectives
  2. Cisco Switches — campus access/distribution/core design
  3. NIST SP 800-47 Rev. 1: Managing the Security of Information Exchanges (service-level agreement definition) Whitepaper
  4. ANSI/TIA-606-D: Administration Standard for Telecommunications Infrastructure Whitepaper