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• What is the difference between circuit switching and packet switching?

  In this Ask the Expert, John Burke explains the difference between packet switching and circuit switching and compares the two models. Continue Reading

• NetOps

  NetOps, also referred to as NetOps 2.0, is a networking approach that encompasses the use of DevOps tools, methods and techniques to create an agile, scalable and programmable infrastructure capable of delivering business-critical applications and ... Continue Reading

• What are the pros and cons of deploying containers?

  Containers can reduce a company's OS licensing costs and required CPU usage, while acting as a bridge to serverless computing. But IT teams need to evaluate the potential drawbacks. Continue Reading

• Where does SDN fit in edge computing architecture?

  SDN and edge computing can work together to apply data processing decisions that make better use of network links and bandwidth, especially when it comes to edge versus cloud. Continue Reading

• A quick guide to important SDN security issues

  Lock down your knowledge of SDN security issues using this compilation that includes expert advice, common pain points and helpful best practices. Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • NetBIOS (Network Basic Input/Output System)
  • phase-locked loop (PLL)
  • near-end crosstalk (NEXT)
  • 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE)

  • spectrum analyzer
  • Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
  • virtual routing and forwarding (VRF)
  • HDLC (High-level Data Link Control)

  View All Definitions

• How does software-defined access work?

  Service providers and enterprises use software-defined access to extend SDN beyond the data center and WAN to the edge of the network. Learn about its developments and benefits.Continue Reading

• NetOps, SecOps, DevOps concepts merge to automate security testing

  By adopting DevOps concepts, network teams can automate security testing. But, as development, network and security tasks mingle, some staffing challenges can arise.Continue Reading

• How do last-mile connections work for SD-WAN deployments?

  SD-WAN technology plays well with existing last-mile connections, and it allows enterprises to use more than one type of transport link. But beware of provider sprawl.Continue Reading

• load balancing

  Load balancing is a technique used to distribute workloads uniformly across servers or other compute resources to optimize network efficiency, reliability and capacity.Continue Reading

• optical network (photonic network)

  An optical (photonic) network transmits information as optical rather than electronic signals: It uses light, not electrical currents, to convey data.Continue Reading

• What is the status of VNF deployments among service providers?

  Although service providers are undertaking VNF deployments in the network core, they're hard-pressed to deploy them at the network edge due to complexity and cost.Continue Reading

• modulation

  Modulation is the process of converting data into radio waves by adding information to an electronic or optical carrier signal.Continue Reading

• Time-sensitive networking standards could boost industrial control

  With the help of VLAN priority levels, time-sensitive networking can make packet flow more predictable. The technology could especially benefit the factory floor.Continue Reading

• What effect does NetOps have on enterprise networking teams?

  Similar to the DevOps framework, a NetOps approach provides networking teams with a way to use automation and virtualization to create more agile networks and deploy applications faster.Continue Reading

• A 7-step checklist for designing a cloud migration plan

  Enterprises want their applications to be portable and able to shift easily among multiple cloud providers. To do that, putting together a good cloud migration plan is a must.Continue Reading

• Does software-defined networking architecture use segment routing?

  Segment routing steers packets using a list of instructions, and it can be used in MPLS and IPv6 architecture. But does software-defined networking architecture support it?Continue Reading

• How do I begin network infrastructure planning for SD-WAN?

  When gearing up for SD-WAN upgrades, enterprises should take their time with network infrastructure planning. These three steps can help get them started.Continue Reading

• network analytics

  Network analytics is the application of big data principles and tools to the management and security of data networks.Continue Reading

• What is multi-access edge computing, and how has it evolved?

  Multi-access edge computing provides the processing capacity needed to support the increase of 'things' at the network edge. But for all its promise, MEC has challenges to face.Continue Reading

• dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)

  Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is a technology that puts together -- multiplexes -- data signals from different sources so they can share a single optical fiber pair while maintaining complete separation of the data streams.Continue Reading

• The fundamentals of network availability monitoring tools

  The use of network availability monitoring tools is an essential way to reduce downtime and to increase network reliability. What features are most important?Continue Reading

• What you need to know about managed SD-WAN services

  This guide offers easy access to information on five major topics related to managed SD-WAN services and directs you toward the latest advice, tips and recommendations.Continue Reading

• Will network management functions as a service arrive soon?

  Network management as a service isn't widespread, at least not yet. But if past history is any indication, its popularity is bound to grow, once certain hurdles are overcome.Continue Reading

• How can network analytics tools benefit IT staff?

  Network analytics tools can help IT managers proactively pinpoint network performance issues and trends -- even before the underlying problem is revealed.Continue Reading

• Does software-defined networking architecture need network overlays?

  Network overlays and software-defined networking architecture share a history. But while overlays offer flexibility, they also bring extra overhead and troubleshooting complications.Continue Reading

• Networking (computer)

  Networking, also known as computer networking, is the practice of transporting and exchanging data between nodes over a shared medium in an information system.Continue Reading

• Is NaaS the answer to bolster network infrastructure security strategy?

  Network security as a service can be a beneficial part of a network infrastructure security strategy, but you have to ask the right questions.Continue Reading

• Three goals of multiple cloud management and how to reach them

  Attaining the benefits of the cloud is getting ever more complex. Learn ways to enable efficient and effective management of hybrid and multi-cloud environments.Continue Reading

• Challenges of blockchain muddle understanding of the technology

  There is a lot of hype about blockchain and how it might be used within networking operations. But just understanding the technology and what it actually does might be among the biggest challenges of blockchain.Continue Reading

• Net Neutrality

  Net neutrality is the principle that data packets on the Internet should be moved impartially, without regard to content, destination or source.Continue Reading

• Clarifying network disaggregation and related technologies

  Trying to explain network disaggregation and related trends -- like SDN, NFV and white boxes -- can be complicated. Our expert pins the terms down and explains the tradeoffs.Continue Reading

• Software-based networks lay foundation of networking's future

  Software-based networks are evolving, reshaping how companies do business and blending into legacy networking. Enterprises will have to sort out which approaches work best.Continue Reading

• A refresher course on white box networking equipment

  This white box networking review sheds some light on the variations, as it's all too easy to confuse the intricacies of white boxes, universal CPEs and brite boxes.Continue Reading

• Optical interconnect DCI frameworks need more flexibility to keep pace

  An optical interconnect framework can support high-speed DCI deployments. But it's important that optical networks become programmable to ensure reliability.Continue Reading

• App delivery controllers are vital networking hardware tools

  With new capabilities, the future of ADCs is bright. Learn what features this networking workhorse has acquired and what it means for data center networking.Continue Reading

• Network as a Service (NaaS)

  Network as a service (NaaS) is a business model for delivering enterprise-wide area network services virtually on a subscription basis.Continue Reading

• Private CDN services fill specific needs for some businesses

  In addition to shared CDN service options, private CDNs with dedicated edge servers are the obvious answer for businesses with specific content delivery needs.Continue Reading

• How do I improve my network programming knowledge?

  When it comes to SDN and programmable network skills, combining training with practice and hands-on experience can help advance your programming knowledge.Continue Reading

• network management system

  A network management system (NMS) is an application or set of applications that lets network engineers manage a network's independent components inside a bigger network management framework and performs several key functions.Continue Reading

• CDN (content delivery network)

  A CDN (content delivery network), also called a content distribution network, is a group of geographically distributed and interconnected servers that provide cached internet content from a network location closest to a user to accelerate its ...Continue Reading

• Q3 Cisco financials show another uptick in sales, services

  Cisco financials show a 4% boost in sales as Cisco records its second consecutive quarter of revenue growth and continues to embrace software services.Continue Reading

• SN blogs: Is Arista making right move with campus switches?

  Bloggers discuss Arista's new strategy to market campus switches, examine container security risks and ask the question of whether networking is a commodity.Continue Reading

• Helping enterprises adapt to open source switching

  Enterprise adoption of open source switching hasn't kept pace with cloud providers and telcos. What are some of the barriers blocking the use of disaggregation?Continue Reading

• What is ONAP, and how does it tie into NFV architecture?

  Network expert Lee Doyle looks at ONAP, its role in NFV architecture and its progress in becoming the standard platform for NFV management and orchestration.Continue Reading

• Network infrastructure design for network-as-a-service

  When it comes to network as a service, network infrastructure design depends on if you want services delivered across the LAN, WAN or data center. Find out what you need to know.Continue Reading

• Software drives the promise of the interoperable network

  Interoperability in networks is essential now, a reality that vendors increasingly acknowledge. Learn how the networking industry is changing to accommodate the need for openness.Continue Reading

• Software-driven network access ups enterprise agility

  Network access to service provider systems is becoming software-based. Learn more about how software-defined access works and the flexibility inherent in software.Continue Reading

• Test yourself on open networking, open source and SDN

  The open networking concept follows the likes of SDN and open source, but the lines separating them all are often blurred. This quiz can help you understand the differences.Continue Reading

• network service provider (NSP)

  A network service provider (NSP) is a company that owns, operates and sells access to internet backbone infrastructure and services.Continue Reading

• Session layer

  In the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the session layer resides at Layer 5 and manages the setup and teardown of the association between two communicating endpoints.Continue Reading

• presentation layer

  Residing at Layer 6 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the presentation layer ensures that the communications that pass through it are in the appropriate form for the recipient application.Continue Reading

• data center interconnect (DCI)

  Data center interconnect (DCI) is a segment of the networking market that focuses on the technology used to link two or more data centers so the facilities can share resources. There are many options for DCI connectivity and selecting the right one ...Continue Reading

• How to bridge the network engineering skills gap

  Training for new network engineering skills should emphasize basic concepts behind building a network, whether it's software-defined, intent-based or disaggregated.Continue Reading

• Understand the basics of 5G wireless networks

  5G wireless networks offer enterprises a lot of intriguing possibilities. What is 5G, and what has to happen before the high-speed, low-latency technology becomes a reality?Continue Reading

• Application layer

  Sitting at Layer 7 -- the very top of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model -- the application layer provides services for an application program to ensure that effective communication with another application program on a ...Continue Reading

• physical layer

  Located at the lowest layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the physical layer's function is to transport data using electrical, mechanical or procedural interfaces.Continue Reading

• transport layer

  Positioned at Layer 4 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) communications model, the transport layer ensures the reliable arrival of messages across a network and provides error-checking mechanisms and data flow controls.Continue Reading

• Data-Link layer

  The data link layer is the protocol layer in a program that handles the moving of data into and out of a physical link in a network.Continue Reading

• What cloud data center interconnect technologies can do

  Data center interconnect technologies and services now use cloud. Learn how CDCI improves traffic delivery and how to choose the right equipment and services.Continue Reading

• network orchestration

  Network orchestration is a policy-driven approach to network automation that coordinates the hardware and software components a software application or service requires to run.Continue Reading

• fault management

  Fault management is the component of network management concerned with detecting, isolating and resolving problems.Continue Reading

• Meet network management goals with new tech and techniques

  Get up to speed on the new technological advances, improved products and advanced techniques that make enterprise network monitoring and management a bit less daunting.Continue Reading

• managed network services

  Managed network services are networking applications, functions and services that enterprises outsource to be remotely operated, monitored and maintained by a managed service provider (MSP).Continue Reading

• Network configuration tools: A primer

  Script management, intent-based systems and new strategies with network configuration tools are propelling a paradigm shift in the way that networks are managed.Continue Reading

• Software-defined branch networks: Why and how to do them

  Software networking virtualization has reached branch networks. Learn the whys and hows of creating the software-defined branch using the latest software networking technologies.Continue Reading

• How to address automated networking strategically

  Automation holds great promise for smoothing the management of complex modern networks, but to reap its full benefits, you'll need to approach it strategically.Continue Reading

• Balancing automated vs. manual network configuration management

  Is there still a place for learning manual network configuration management in a world where networks are throttling toward automation? Sure -- but how much is enough?Continue Reading

• What will the debut of the 802.11ax standard mean for you?

  The IEEE is putting the finishing touches on the latest WLAN 802.11ax standard. 802.11ax ratification will result in some key improvements in wireless speed, management and overall capabilities, writes one analyst.Continue Reading

• virtual network functions (VNF)

  Virtual network functions (VNFs) are virtualized tasks formerly carried out by proprietary, dedicated hardware. VNFs move individual network functions out of dedicated hardware devices into software that runs on commodity hardware.Continue Reading

• network functions virtualization (NFV)

  Network functions virtualization (NFV) is an initiative to virtualize network services traditionally run on proprietary, dedicated hardware.Continue Reading

• hybrid WAN

  A hybrid WAN is a wide area network that sends traffic over two or more connection types. Hybrid WANs permit dynamic traffic engineering across both private and public domains, using a variety of connectivity options to make the best use of network ...Continue Reading

• network automation

  Network automation is a methodology in which software automatically configures, provisions, manages and tests network devices.Continue Reading

• NBASE-T Ethernet

  NBASE-T Ethernet is an IEEE standard and Ethernet-signaling technology that allows existing twisted-pair copper cabling to exceed the cable's specified limit of 1 Gbps for distances of up to 100 meters.Continue Reading

• Data center networking architecture draws on machine learning, SDN, AI

  Artificial intelligence in networking, machine learning and other technological wonders promise to make data center networks nimbler and more secure than ever before.Continue Reading

• deep packet inspection (DPI)

  Deep packet inspection (DPI) is an advanced method of examining and managing network traffic.Continue Reading

• Comparison of popular technical SD-WAN service models

  Two main SD-WAN service model options exist for users to choose from, but more could be on the way due to regulatory and industry development efforts. Find out what works for you in this comparison.Continue Reading

• Server Message Block Protocol (SMB protocol)

  The Server Message Block Protocol (SMB protocol) is a client-server communication protocol used for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports and other resources on a network.Continue Reading

• How to unify wired and wireless network management now

  Unifying the wired and wireless network -- that is, creating unified networking management -- doesn't just happen. Learn what tools and tactics can make it a reality.Continue Reading

• application delivery controller (ADC)

  An application delivery controller (ADC) is a network component that manages and optimizes how client machines connect to web and enterprise application servers.Continue Reading

• When will networking embrace the 802.11ax standard?

  The pending 802.11ax standard offers 10 Gbps speeds up to 40% faster than Wave 2 802.11ac.Continue Reading

• How to implement an SDN training strategy

  Each organization approaches SDN training with its own strategy depending on its motivation and requirements. Here are some pointers to consider.Continue Reading

• system administrator (sysadmin)

  In information technology (IT), a system administrator (sysadmin) is a person who supports a multi-user computing environment and ensures continuous, optimal performance of IT services and support systems.Continue Reading

• network hub

  A network hub is a node that broadcasts data to every computer or Ethernet-based device connected to it.Continue Reading

• How to find the best network switches for your enterprise

  Need to buy network switches? Evaluate vendor products by considering both your current and future network needs and getting up to speed on the latest features available.Continue Reading

• An edge router buying guide for your next network upgrade

  Read this edge router review to learn what capabilities current product lines now offer, which are essential for your particular network and what questions to ask vendors.Continue Reading

• Need an app performance monitor? Learn what's new in APM tools

  App performance management is more essential and more complex than ever; the right application performance management tools make all the different.Continue Reading

• ingress filtering

  Ingress filtering is a method used by enterprises and internet service providers (ISPs) to prevent suspicious traffic from entering a network.Continue Reading

• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE certification)

  Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE certification) is a series of technical certifications for senior networking professionals who design, build, implement, maintain and troubleshoot complex enterprise networking infrastructures.Continue Reading

• over-the-top (OTT)

  Over-the-top (OTT) is networking lingo that describes the delivery of content, services or applications over the internet.Continue Reading

• infrared radiation (IR)

  Infrared radiation (IR), sometimes referred to simply as infrared, is a region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum where wavelengths range from about 700 nanometers (nm) to 1 millimeter (mm).Continue Reading

• What NBASE-T switch products do I need?

  With NBASE-T Ethernet ratified, it's time to start thinking about NBASE-T switch products for your organization.Continue Reading

• top-of-rack switching

  Top-of-rack switching refers to a distributed data center architecture where one or more Ethernet switches is installed in a rack, then uplinked using high-bandwidth fiber optic connections to a central, high-density distribution point.Continue Reading

• How to calculate network bandwidth requirements

  Figuring out how to calculate bandwidth requirements is vital to ensuring your network runs smoothly, and it's best to get the formula correct from the beginning.Continue Reading

• east-west traffic

  East-west traffic, in a networking context, is the transfer of data packets from server to server within a data center. The label east-west comes from network diagram drawings that usually depict local area network (LAN) traffic horizontally.Continue Reading

• IPTV (Internet Protocol television)

  IPTV (Internet Protocol television) is a service that provides television programming and other video content using the TCP/IP protocol suite as opposed to traditional cable or satellite signals.Continue Reading

• Layer 3 switches explained

  Layer 3 switches are important in enterprise networks -- particularly in designs with many subnets and virtual LANs. What is a Layer 3 switch, what can it do for you, and how does it differ from a regular switch or router?Continue Reading

• How SD-WAN benefits deployment and app delivery

  A plethora of options can complicate software-defined WAN technology buying decisions. To get the most out of their deployments, enterprises should first do their homework.Continue Reading

• Your guide to embedding SDN in data centers, from start to finish

  Wondering if it's time for your enterprise to transition to an SDN data center? Expert help is available to help answer that question and plan your next steps.Continue Reading

• Deal with cloud network infrastructure challenges and reap rewards

  Cloud-based networking is the norm now. Learn which technologies allow companies to reap the benefits of the cloud for their company network.Continue Reading

• ONOS (Open Network Operating System)

  ONOS (Open Network Operating System) is an operating system (OS) designed for network service providers to help build carrier-grade software-defined networks architected for high scalability, availability and performanceContinue Reading