An overview of on-premises connectivity

An on-premises environment can have quite a complicated setup from a network point of view. It might be represented as a data center with a well-organized structure, several layers of switching, every port labeled, and every connection accounted for. Security systems in all spots, from multi-factor access to video surveillance to all kinds of network security devices, are connected and scanning the network for threats. However, in a lot of cases, the term on-premises describes not just one network or one data center, but a complicated set of different networks, different devices, mismatched equipment, a mix of servers, office workers, road warriors and home office users, remote sites, collocation sites, and partner sites. An approximation of a typical network you might find when talking about on-premises is shown in the following diagram...