Infrastructure

When NOT to Opt for Network as a Service

In this tip, networking expert Tom Nolle discusses how to determine when Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is not the best option for your organization.Tip

How to make Network as a Service a real option

Networking as a Service may be the future of networking, but virtual network overlay and device-based NaaS has challenges to solve first.Tip

Primer: A new generation of programmable ASICs

Programmable application-specific integrated circuits allow the data plane of switches to support new technologies, like software-defined networking.Feature

Brocade: HyperEdge architecture simplifies campus networking

Brocade HyperEdge is now available for simpler campus networking, along with a campus switch refresh.News | 11 Apr 2013

Preparing for the 40 GbE migration

Transitioning from 10 Gigabit Ethernet to 40 GbE and beyond promises incredible network efficiency; this guide will help you plan the upgrade.guide

Campus core switch comparison: How Cisco, HP, Juniper differentiate their switches

How do three top campus core Ethernet switch vendors Cisco, HP and Juniper differentiate their offerings?Feature

How to plan for a campus core switch refresh: Basic requirements

Network architects and engineers discuss the features and functions they look for when planning a campus core upgrade.Feature

Myth vs. reality: Some clarity about overlay networks

As new overlay networks gain momentum, some experts try to clear up several misconceptions about their performance and operational complexity.Feature

Cisco partner executed rapid network deployment for U.S. VP debate

Cisco partner Boice.net helped deploy a temporary network to support thousands of media and officials during last fall's vice presidential debate.News | 04 Mar 2013

IP address management solutions: Overlay vs. replacement

IP address management (IPAM) solutions are generally considered low preference, but they can make enormous change for a little investment.Fast Packet | 20 Feb 2013

Primer: A new generation of programmable ASICs

Programmable application-specific integrated circuits allow the data plane of switches to support new technologies, like software-defined networking.Feature

The data center switch industry does not have a leader

Cisco may sell the most data center switches, but no single vision has emerged as the best way to build a data center fabric.Fast Packet | 12 Apr 2013

ISSU (in-service software upgrade)

An ISSU (in-service software upgrade) is a technique for updating software on a network device without taking that device offline and thereby disrupting network services.Definition

Juniper launches MX-based EX9200 for data center and campus cores

Juniper offers 40 and 100Gigabit Ethernet and network programmability for campus and data center cores by rebranding the MX router as the EX9200 switch.News | 28 Mar 2013

Networking blogs: Better BYOD policies, Aerohive updates HiveManager

In this networking blog roundup, learn why better BYOD policies are user-oriented, and find out what the HiveManager update means for WLAN security.Fast packet | 20 Mar 2013

Campus core switch comparison: How Cisco, HP, Juniper differentiate their switches

How do three top campus core Ethernet switch vendors Cisco, HP and Juniper differentiate their offerings?Feature

How to plan for a campus core switch refresh: Basic requirements

Network architects and engineers discuss the features and functions they look for when planning a campus core upgrade.Feature

Network Innovation Award: Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls

Palo Alto has won the SearchNetworking Network Innovation Award for next-generation firewalls that work throughout campus and data center networks.News | 15 Mar 2013

Cisco partner executed rapid network deployment for U.S. VP debate

Cisco partner Boice.net helped deploy a temporary network to support thousands of media and officials during last fall's vice presidential debate.News | 04 Mar 2013

New Cisco ASIC has a programmable data plane

The new Cisco ASIC, Unified Access Data Plane, is a programmable chip that will accelerate product development across its campus switching products.News | 01 Feb 2013

Preparing for the 40 GbE migration

Transitioning from 10 Gigabit Ethernet to 40 GbE and beyond promises incredible network efficiency; this guide will help you plan the upgrade.guide

Open source networking: Mellanox introduces Open Ethernet

Data center switching vendor Mellanox will support open source software on its switches, giving customers more choice in how they run their networks.News | 12 Mar 2013

Will we ever need 400 Gigabit Ethernet enterprise networks?

With 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet so new, what could possibly drive the need for 400 Gigabit Ethernet in the enterprise? Hint: It’s not just the WAN.Feature

The 100 Gigabit Ethernet management challenge: Do tools exist?

When it comes to 100 Gigabit Ethernet, network monitoring tools fall short. Analyst Jim Frey explains which tools are ready and which must change.Feature

40 Gigabit Ethernet: The migration begins

Experts and early adopters of 40 Gigabit Ethernet share successes and pitfalls.Feature

It’s not too early to worry about 40 and 100 GbE migration

It may seem early to consider 40 and 100 GbE migration since 10 GbE is so young, but with the explosion of video and cloud applications, users must build 10 GbE networks today that can be easily migrated in the future.Column

Let the 40 Gigabit Ethernet migration begin

The need for capacity and speed explodes as network teams build private and hybrid clouds and deliver video throughout their campuses and branch offices. So even if they don’t need 40 GbE today, they’ll need to build networks that can be transitioned in the future. And that won’t be easy. The transition will mean testing new equipment as vendors race to release 40 and 100 GbE-ready switching. It will also require consideration of new cabling and optics. In this edition, we discuss the challenges that lie ahead so when you invest in your current 10 GbE infrastructure, you do so with future migration to 40 and 100 GbE in mind.E-Zine

Will we ever need 400 Gigabit Ethernet enterprise networks?

It’s not too early to worry about 40 and 100 GbE migration

40 Gigabit Ethernet: The migration begins

Brocade: HyperEdge architecture simplifies campus networking

Brocade HyperEdge is now available for simpler campus networking, along with a campus switch refresh.News | 11 Apr 2013

Software-defined networking applications move beyond the data center

What makes SDN and network virtualization matter? Campus network apps

SDN and network virtualization are touted as data center technologies, but they won't take off at the average enterprise until campus LAN apps emerge.Fast Packet | 08 Feb 2013

2013 Campus networking outlook: LANs finally unify wired and wireless

Forrester Research analyst Andre Kindness said campus LANs will finally have true unified wired and wireless infrastructure in 2013.News | 14 Jan 2013

LAN disaster recovery solutions you may already have

LAN disaster recovery solutions can be costly, but you may already have the right technology in-house for backup and recovery.Tip

Will we ever need 400 Gigabit Ethernet enterprise networks?

With 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet so new, what could possibly drive the need for 400 Gigabit Ethernet in the enterprise? Hint: It’s not just the WAN.Feature

Software-defined networking washing is the new cloud washing

Marketing pros sell every new technology as if it's software-defined networking. But this 'SDN washing' masks true innovation and insults our intelligence.Fast Packet

Software-defined networking applications move beyond the data center

Software-defined networking is often considered a data center technology, but new SDN applications will improve performance in the LAN and WAN as well.Feature

Catalyst 6500 upgrade: OpenFlow, LISP, next-gen VSS

Cisco will add new services to its Catalyst 6500 campus core switch, including OpenFlow, LISP and maybe fabric extenders.News | 24 Oct 2012

Where is the real session-based application-aware routing?

North American summit: IPv6 implementation still facing roadblocks

Although ISPs and enterprises continue to roll out IPv6, the protocol has a long way to go before it's fully implemented.News | 24 Apr 2013

IPAM tools guide for network management fixes

IPAM tools can help manage your network IP addresses, but first read this three-part guide to help make IP address management decisions.guide

Cisco ISR-AX: Cheaper router with bundled Layer 4-7 services

The Cisco ISR-AX is a price-reduced branch router that ships with advanced security and application delivery services enabled.News | 12 Mar 2013

IPv6 training: A helping hand for an enterprise IPv6 transition

The IPv4-to-IPv6 transition will challenge many IT organizations. IPv6 training can help administrators master IPv6 configuration and new protocols.News | 05 Mar 2013

IP address management solutions: Overlay vs. replacement

IP address management (IPAM) solutions are generally considered low preference, but they can make enormous change for a little investment.Fast Packet | 20 Feb 2013

Cariden acquisition boosts Cisco SDN technology for service providers

With Cariden's IP/MPLS planning software, Cisco's software-defined networking technology will have strong analytical capabilities for service providers.News | 03 Dec 2012

IP address management (IPAM)

Internet Protocol address management (IPAM) is a method of tracking and modifying the information associated with a network's Internet Protocol address (IP address) space. With IPAM, administrators can ensure that the inventory of assignable IP addresses remains current and sufficient.Definition

addressability

Addressability is the capacity for an entity to be targeted and found. To be addressable, an entity must be uniquely identifiable, which means that it must be associated with something -- typically an alphanumeric string, although there are other possibilities -- that is not associated with anything else that exists within that system.Definition

Major shake-up of Cisco executives: engineering, acquisitions shuffled

Cisco announces longtime M&A chief Ned Hooper is leaving. CTO Padmasree Warrior takes over and Pankaj Patel assumes sole leadership of engineering.FAST PACKET | 26 Jun 2012

With Big Switch network overlay app, who needs OpenFlow switches?

Big Switch Networks introduced an OpenFlow network overlay that enables users to run a software-defined network with any physical infrastructure.News | 06 Jun 2012