hub and spoke
Radial network model
Hub and spoke describes a system where connections radiate from a central point rather than linking directly to each other.
Airlines pioneered the model: passengers fly into a hub city, then out to final destinations, rather than flying point-to-point.
The pattern applies to distribution networks, computer systems, and organizational structures: The company uses a hub-and-spoke model with regional offices reporting to headquarters.
- centerMiddle of anything
- central hubPrimary coordination center
- wheelRotating circular frame
- rimCircular outer boundary
- axleShaft for wheel rotation
network · airline · flight path · connecting flight · air traffic · routes · point to point · central · radiate · bicycle · connections · distribution · distribution center · supply chain · terminal · transit hub · gateway · feeder
- logisticsshipping, delivery, warehouses, warehousing, shipment
- networksnetwork traffic, network security, MAN, PAN, cloud computing
- pharmacypharmacist, pharmacy, prescription, dispensing, prescriptions
- supply chainsupply, supplier, delivering, suppliers, vendor
- distributiondistribution, distributors, distributor, allocation, allotment
- integrationintegration, synthesis, fusion, merging, unifying
hub and spokepoint-to-point
Between two specific locations
mesh network · peer-to-peer · daisy chain · direct connection
hub and spokedecentralized
Lacking single authority
polycentric · distributed · federated · self-organizing · leaderless