networking
Design and analyze network infrastructure — TCP/IP, routing, DNS, load balancing, firewalls, VPNs, network security — with explicit assumptions about latency, bandwidth, and failure modes.
Goals
- Design network topology with explicit redundancy
- Choose protocols appropriate to latency and reliability requirements
- Plan for network security (segmentation, firewalls, monitoring)
- Diagnose connectivity issues systematically
Contract
Input
A system to design or diagnose: topology, protocols, traffic patterns, security requirements.
Output
A network design document with:
- Topology diagram (physical and logical)
- Protocol selection rationale
- Security controls
- Monitoring and failure response plan
Layers
| Layer |
Protocol examples |
Focus |
| Application |
HTTP, gRPC, MQTT, WebSocket |
Business logic |
| Transport |
TCP, UDP, QUIC |
Reliability vs. speed |
| Internet |
IP, ICMP, BGP |
Routing, addressing |
| Link |
Ethernet, WiFi, LTE |
Physical delivery |
Common Patterns
| Pattern |
Use case |
Trade-off |
| Load balancer |
Distribute traffic |
Latency, cost |
| CDN |
Static content, low latency |
Cache invalidation |
| VPN tunnel |
Secure remote access |
Encryption overhead |
| Reverse proxy |
SSL termination, caching |
Single point of failure |
Steps
- Map the network topology — who talks to whom, where
- Profile traffic — latency, bandwidth, burst patterns
- Choose protocols — TCP for reliability, UDP for speed
- Design security — segmentation, firewall rules, monitoring
- Plan for failure — redundancy, failover, disaster recovery
- Document — topology, IP ranges, DNS, routing rules
References
../os/SKILL.md — network stack in OS../../devops/devops-k8s-orchestration/SKILL.md — k8s networking../../sec/sec-threat-modeling/SKILL.md — network threats
1---2name: networking3description: Design and analyze network infrastructure — TCP/IP, routing, DNS, load balancing, firewalls, VPNs, network security — with explicit assumptions about latency, bandwidth, and failure modes.4---56# networking78Design and analyze network infrastructure — TCP/IP, routing, DNS, load balancing, firewalls, VPNs, network security — with explicit assumptions about latency, bandwidth, and failure modes.910## Goals11- Design network topology with explicit redundancy12- Choose protocols appropriate to latency and reliability requirements13- Plan for network security (segmentation, firewalls, monitoring)14- Diagnose connectivity issues systematically1516## Contract1718### Input19A system to design or diagnose: topology, protocols, traffic patterns, security requirements.2021### Output22A network design document with:23- Topology diagram (physical and logical)24- Protocol selection rationale25- Security controls26- Monitoring and failure response plan2728## Layers2930| Layer | Protocol examples | Focus |31|---|---|---|32| Application | HTTP, gRPC, MQTT, WebSocket | Business logic |33| Transport | TCP, UDP, QUIC | Reliability vs. speed |34| Internet | IP, ICMP, BGP | Routing, addressing |35| Link | Ethernet, WiFi, LTE | Physical delivery |3637## Common Patterns3839| Pattern | Use case | Trade-off |40|---|---|---|41| Load balancer | Distribute traffic | Latency, cost |42| CDN | Static content, low latency | Cache invalidation |43| VPN tunnel | Secure remote access | Encryption overhead |44| Reverse proxy | SSL termination, caching | Single point of failure |4546## Steps47481. **Map the network topology** — who talks to whom, where492. **Profile traffic** — latency, bandwidth, burst patterns503. **Choose protocols** — TCP for reliability, UDP for speed514. **Design security** — segmentation, firewall rules, monitoring525. **Plan for failure** — redundancy, failover, disaster recovery536. **Document** — topology, IP ranges, DNS, routing rules5455## References56- `../os/SKILL.md` — network stack in OS57- `../../devops/devops-k8s-orchestration/SKILL.md` — k8s networking58- `../../sec/sec-threat-modeling/SKILL.md` — network threats
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