Network Architect’s Handbook: An expert-led journey to building a successful career as a network architect
Original price was: €44.€33Current price is: €33.
Price: $43.99 - $33.20
(as of Oct 01, 2025 15:13:43 UTC – Details)
Follow a step-by-step roadmap to developing essential competencies in network architecture design, relationship management, systems, and services, coupled with certification guidance and expert tips
Key FeaturesGrasp the big picture of information technology infrastructure to become a successful network architectOvercome challenges to improve network performance and configuration managementAdvance your career by improving your skills using real-life examples and practical advice from an industry expertPurchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBookBook Description
Becoming a network architect is challenging—it demands hands-on engineering skills, collaboration with internal teams and C-Suite stakeholders, as well as adeptly managing external entities like vendors and service providers. The author taps into his extensive background in IT and security to help you gain a detailed understanding of the network architect’s role and guide you in evolving into an effective network architect within an organization, fostering seamless communication with leadership teams and other stakeholders.
Starting with a clear definition of the network architect’s role, this book lays out a roadmap and discusses the attributes and mindset for success. You’ll explore network architect design, physical infrastructure routing and switching, and network services such as DNS, MLAG, and service insertion. You’ll also gain insights into the necessary skills and typical daily challenges faced by network architects. And to thoroughly prepare you to advance in your career, this handbook covers certifications and associated training for maintaining relevance in an organization, along with common interview questions for a network architect’s position.
By the end of this book, you’ll be armed with essential concepts, techniques, and newfound skills to pursue a career as a network architect.
What you will learnExamine the role of a network architectUnderstand the key design makers in an organizationChoose the best strategies to meet stakeholder needsBe well-versed with networking conceptsPrepare for a network architect position interviewDistinguish the different IT architects in an organizationIdentify relevant certification for network architectsUnderstand the various de facto network/fabric architect models used todayWho this book is for
This book is for network engineers and technicians aspiring to transition into the role of a network architect. Whether you are at the beginning of your journey or seeking guidance along the path, this book will support you with its deep coverage of key aspects such as design concepts, architectural requirements, relevant experience, certifications, and advanced education with a special emphasis on cloud best practices. A practical understanding of IT networking is necessary to get the most out of this book.
Table of ContentsUnderstanding the Network Architect’s RoleNetwork Architect in an OrganizationRoadmap to Becoming a Network ArchitectAttributes of a Network ArchitectThe Mindset of the Network Architect – the Principles of DesignFoundations of Network Architect – Part 1: Route/SwitchFoundations of Network Architecture – Part 2: Network ServicesFoundations of Network AutomationParadigm Shift to Cloud ComputingPreparing for Certifications and Cracking the Job InterviewThe Skills to Become a Better Network Architect and Overcome Daily ChallengesAdditional Information and Recommended Books
ASIN : B0CG1JH8FG
Publisher : Packt Publishing
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : January 31, 2024
Edition : 1st
Language : English
File size : 16.9 MB
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Not Enabled
Print length : 694 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1837635290
Page Flip : Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #1,142,512 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #36 in Intranets & Extranets #490 in Computer Networks, Protocols & APIs (Kindle Store) #1,507 in Computer Networks, Protocols & APIs (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 9 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
5 reviews for Network Architect’s Handbook: An expert-led journey to building a successful career as a network architect
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Original price was: €44.€33Current price is: €33.
DC –
Excellent Guide to Start a Career in Networking
There are not many resources that teach how Network Architects play a key role in large organizations, as they progress through their digital transformations. This is even more true if we consider the impact cloud computing, andâmore recentlyâgenerative-AI have brought into the technology landscape as clear technology disruptors and enablers to innovation.The content is presented in a methodical way, by formally describing the Network Architect role with clear definition of functions, roles and responsibilities. The author puts emphasis on the guiding principles that are to be considered in developing an overall Network Architecture.The author then introduces and delves into the core building blocks of a Network Architecture. From routers and switches, to Network Services (Load Balancing, DNS, DHCP, NAT, ACL and others), and finally the key aspects of Network Programmability & Automation. As a visual learner I appreciated the numerous images to emphasize how Software-Defined Networks (SDNs) enable abstraction, virtualization, and a high-degree of programmability by decoupling data and control planes. The key elements of an SDN, i.e. controllers, Southbound and Northbound APIs are formally defined and their interaction is well documented in the form of diagrams.Another aspect I particularly enjoyed was the cloud technology-agnostic exposition. Whether you are (or are willing to become) a Network Engineer/Architect working with AWS, Azure or GCP this book has you covered. Chapter 9 âParadigm Shift to Cloud Computingâ covers network considerations for each Cloud service by category (Compute, Storage, Database, Analytics, ML, Network, and so on) for AWS, Azure and GCP.Additional material is included to prepare for a job interview and ultimately to build a roadmap to become certified based on role, level and specific vendor.The Network Architect role is critical to the success of any organization, which is willing to innovate and go digital. Not many books are available nowadays that present the content in a self-contained guide.If you are considering a career as a Network Engineer or a Network Architect this book is for you.
Dade A. –
Very basic
Don’t expect any depth to this book. The book feels like 30,000ft review of networking topics with a large chapter at the end as to what education may lead you to becoming a Network Architect.As a basic guide for someone who knows nothing about networking or what a network architect is, the book itself is fine. But the price is way too high for what is here.If you can’t find this on discount, google this topic and spend money on deeper dive materials.
CARLOS LOPEZ –
A Must Read for Aspiring Network Architects
As someone who’s been in the trenches of IT for years, I found this book incredibly refreshing and practical. It doesnât just throw theory at you; it walks you through the real day to day of a network architect. The author clearly knows the role inside and out, and I appreciated how they broke down complex topics like MLAG, DNS, and service insertion into digestible, actionable insights.What really stood out to me was the section on mindset and design principles. Itâs not just about knowing the tech. itâs about thinking like an architect, communicating with leadership, and making strategic decisions. The roadmap and interview prep tips were gold, especially for someone like me looking to make that leap from engineer to architect.If you’re serious about advancing your career in networking, this book is a no brainer. Iâve already recommended it to two colleagues!
Travis DeForge –
Expertly written and applicable to a wide range of roles beyond Network Architect
I just finished reading Network Architectâs handbook by Alim H. Ali, and even though I am not a network architect by any means, I thought it was incredibly applicable to penetration testing. Not only in the obvious sense of breaking down complex network topography, the intricacies of routing, switching, load balancers, and the foundational network automation but also in the complexities of shifting from an on-prem to hybrid cloud model.Why would those things help you in pentesting?The âhackingâ part is just one aspect of being a great pentester; arguably as important as those red team capabilities are the ability to accurately communicate not only the results of the test but also a logical efficient remediation recommendation. By looking at the vulnerabilities through the lens of a network architect a whole new set of considerations come into play.This is one of those rare books that I will be keeping within arm’s reach as a reference for a while.
Brandon Lachterman –
A sharp, well written addition
This was well written, and has the depth that someone who really wants to dive deeper into Net Architecture needs to keep their interest, learn, and grow. Highly recommend.