Logical Topology

This concept is more commonly known by the name of Signal Topology. It is a common idea and shared belief, that every network that is deployed, like a local area network, metropolitan area network, wide area network, or any other network in the world is deployed following or in some specific topology that works best for that kind of the network. Logical topology basically refers to the way the devices are arranged on the network and how they communicate with one another in a network.

This does not fall under the category of physical topology, as it is a completely different thing, for example, physical topology deals with the way a workstation is connected to the network, through the cables, which transmit the data. Logical topology also deals with the way the data is passed between the devices that are present in the network and are connected to the network.  In the logical topology, no regards is given to the mode of transmission of the data between the interconnected devices.

Another thing that needs to be remembered about this logical topology is that, the logical topology is bound to the network protocols that direct how the data moves in the network. For example the Ethernet protocol is a common logical bus topological protocol, in the same way the protocol LocalTalk, introduced and used on the Apple computers and device is a bus or star topology protocol, and the IBM’s token ring is the common ring topology protocol. Similarly, there are many other protocols which follow a certain logical topology.

Many people believe that there is some connection between the physical and the logical topology, that is, the logical topology is usually the same as the physical topology, however, that is not true, as there is no hard and fast rule present which would dictate that this concept is true, hence a logical topology can be same as the physical topology or even different.