Finally, the various functions supported are segmented with nonrouting subnets. By isolating the subnets, we prevent one subnet from impacting the performance of another. This keeps undesirable protocols and traffic off the subnet supporting the production servers. A third subnet is for testing. The testing subnet lets us isolate new functions and servers so we can evaluate their impact on the production environments.
Performance is always an issue.
To make sure users do not impact the servers, we've installed separate backbone connections. Another consideration is security. Devices attached to the network pose a potential threat. Exposure to these threats comes in unexpected places. The stability of the network segments is a major concern, due to the users we must support.