Networking

Pinpoint critical applications when mapping out a WAN plan

In the evolving world of WAN optimization, applications are the new currency in terms of buying into a system that can deliver top performance and is flexible enough to handle changing user demands.  Smart network designers will not only look very carefully at the types of applications that zip across a wired and wireless network, but also prioritize them according to their importance and “mission critical” makeup.

This is not always an easy task, especially if you are dealing with extensive networks that reach out to branch offices and remote users, as well as multiple service level agreements (SLAs).  It also becomes a daunting task since the natural tendency for users is to rate their most-used applications as the most critical - even though that may not necessarily be the case.  This can create problems if an organization is running tens of thousands of applications.  The trick is to zero in on the ones that are absolutely necessary, notes consultant Jim Metzler, vice president of Ashton, Metzler & Associates.   It is critical to narrow that range, he says.

In planning for new equipment additions or WAN upgrades, it is also makes sense to review the applications bouncing around on a network and select equipment based on the mission critical nature of your most key software.

This is exactly what the IT staff did at Performance Health Technology, Ltd. (PH Tech), a healthcare information services provider that specializes in providing up-to-date information on patient benefits and insurance coverage to doctor and hospital subscribers nationwide.  The company previously relied on T1 and a WiMAX connection, but ran into all sorts of reliability issues - some related to weather interference.  The solution was to install an Ecessa Corp. PowerLink WAN controller that could quickly route around faulty connection addresses and channels to find a reliable connection.

The idea is to keep the most important applications and data up and running, even when network issues create a roadblock.  This goes way beyond basic reliability, of course, since the health and welfare of critical networks have a direct impact on business continuity.

Over the next several weeks, SearchEnterpriseWAN will be looking closely at issues including  WAN reliability, fail-safe and contingency planning, specifically focusing on companies that have tackled these issues at the mission critical front lines.  These profiles show that pre-planning is crucial to developing and launching an effective network, and absolutely mandatory as companies rely more on unfaltering access to applications and data.

From the WAN Mailbag: Encryption, MPLS, optimization and more

One of the benefits of online publishing, as opposed to traditional paper and ink methods, is the Internet provides a more capable (and sometimes culpable) two-way street in terms of getting readers involved in the information purveyance process.

Social computing networks like Twitter, LinkedIn and Plaxo add to the interaction by channeling bits of information to specific user communities, or providing a faster and more effective route to important and useful articles. Over the past few weeks, we have received a number of comments from readers on various topics related to WANs and networking. The following is a quick taste and excerpts of what some of our readers are saying.

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On the subject of WAN-based encryption technologies:

Wouldn’t it be more prudent to encrypt data when it is written, so no data integrity is compromised? This way data can traverse the WAN, public or private, without compromise.

It is about centralized control and management. WAN throughput might be impacted, since most WAN optimizers need to cache or manipulate data for some type of acceleration. If the data has already been compressed or encrypted or de-duped, how do you optimize it? Continued »

Timing, or lack of it, is everything to Nortel

News this week that Nortel Networks Corp. is selling its CDMA and LTE wireless telecom division to Nokia Siemens Networks for a cool $650 million is not too surprising, considering the state of the global telecommunications industries and a continuing reluctance by enterprise customers to invent in new technology.

Let’s face it, more and more companies are learning to make do with what they have rather than spend any additional money on the latest gadget or technology ‘breakthrough’ that promises speed and reliability, but is missing that all-important applications return on investment (ROI) validation. In short, if the promises and numbers don’t translate into increased revenue, then smart enterprise buyers will probably take a pass on your latest products.

Continued »

Networking and IT vendors prepare for the changing face of customers

Now that the last WAN appliance has been packed away and that forgotten computer charger tucked into a drawer, never to be reunited with its owner, Interop 2009 is just a memory. 

However, one question may be lingering long after collected business cards are reviewed and sales prospects investigated: Who are the customers of tomorrow and how will their personal and business makeup impact the way communications products are bought, sold and marketed to the masses?

The answer to this question will have a huge impact on the long-term strategies of such leading networking vendors as Cisco, which believes newly empowered employees, borderless collaborative computing and green initiatives will play a significant role in the psychology and demographics of next-generation buyers, said Tom Wesselman, senior manager of software development at Interop.

The newer generation of enterprise executives and those who will make key purchase decisions over the next decade are very motivated by such things as who has control within a network, universal tele-presence, and consumer-driven technology options, he explained, noting the impact of such devices as Apple’s iPhone on their personal and work habits.

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Network designs going lean and green

A well-known frog of the Muppet persuasion once said that it’s not easy being green. 

While that may be true in Jim Henson’s world, it is definitely not the case as more and more companies and their networking organizations launch green initiatives to help save the planet as well as more than a few bucks in the budget.

No conference worth its socially responsible salt would skip the opportunity to touch upon the green theme, and the FutureNet gathering taking place in Boston this week is no exception.  There were a number of companies on the agenda presenting their green philosophy and talking a blue streak about lowering your carbon footprint, halting global warming and all that other good stuff to benefit Mother Earth.

At the end of the day, and to be brutally honest, most companies wouldn’t throw a lot of muscle behind the movement if there wasn’t a significant cost benefit to going green.    That’s not a bad thing, because the fact is that a whole lot of money can be sliced from an IT or networking budget by consolidating servers, making better use of people and equipment resources, and expanding telecommuting and teleworking beyond traditional mobile work forces.

The idea is to move from an ‘always on’ way of thinking to an ‘always available’ mindset, says British Telecom’s green guru and head of corporate social responsibility Kevin Moss.  Most electronic devices are designed from the get-go to be always on because they can then lend themselves better to fast hand-shaking and accessibility, he notes.  What users basically want, however, is for devices to be readily available and not necessarily on all the time.

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