Home > Storage > PowerScale (Isilon) > Product Documentation > Networking > Dell PowerScale: Network Design Considerations > Overview
The architecture design is the core foundation of a reliable and highly available network, considering capacity and bandwidth. Layered on top of the foundation are the many applications running on a campus network, with each requiring specific features and considerations.
For the following sections, an understanding of the differences between distribution and access switches is important. Typically, distribution switches perform L2/L3 connectivity, while access switches are strictly L2. The following figure provides the representation for each.