Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Problem solve
Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.
Brocade SDN certification: What to know about its product credentials
Brocade now offers two SDN certification credentials focused on its virtual router product platform. Here's what you need to know. Continue Reading
Next-stage high-density switch options: What's right for you?
All major switch vendors have rolled out new high-density, low-latency data center switches. Expert Glen Kemp looks at what makes them special. Continue Reading
White box switches: Understanding the basics
White box switches are finally emerging, offering a choice in network OS as well as flexibility. Are they poised to take over your network? Continue Reading
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SDN essentials: Why network orchestration and virtualization?
The goal of SDN is dynamic networks, so it's crucial to understand the concepts of network orchestration and virtualization -- the keys to flexibility. Continue Reading
SDN basics: Understanding centralized control and programmability
Network engineers who want to learn about SDN basics must begin with the concepts of centralized control and network programmability. Continue Reading
Remote access security: What is ABAC and can it protect my network?
Expert Joerg Hirschmann illustrates the need to supplement role-based access control with attribute-based access control to boost enterprise security.Continue Reading
How SDN and NFV simplify network service chain provisioning
SDN and NFV simplify service chain provisioning, making it easier and cheaper to spin up applications in enterprise and service provider networks.Continue Reading
What you need to know about duplicate IP address detection
Read valuable expert advice about what causes IP address conflicts, and learn how to detect duplicate IP addresses in this tip.Continue Reading
Securing from anywhere: Your mobile device VPN strategy
Virtual private networks have long secured remote users. Learn how a mobile device VPN factors into your security strategy.Continue Reading
Network programming languages Frenetic and Pyretic simplify OpenFlow
OpenFlow can simplify networks, yet the protocol itself is complex. Network programming languages Frenetic and Pyretic streamline OpenFlow SDN.Continue Reading
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Wireless security options don't have to break the bank
Security expert Michele Chubirka shares low-cost and free options available to help your company guard its wireless LANs against threats.Continue Reading
How many devices can one 802.11n standard access point control?
Expert Mike Jude reveals the technical and theoretical limitations of 802.11n access points as more enterprises upgrade to the new standard.Continue Reading
User-, app-centric security key in enterprise security architecture
Today's enterprise security architecture must become contextually aware in order to support the growth of mobile devices and cloud-based applications.Continue Reading
WAN aggregation: Why you should consider this application delivery optimization technique
What is WAN aggregation, and how does it work? Our expert explains why all companies should consider this type of application delivery optimization.Continue Reading
Subnet basics: Must you set up Wi-Fi subnets in a single building?
Expert Mike Jude discusses the rationale of creating distinct Wi-Fi subnets in a single building.Continue Reading
Mulling enterprise SDN deployment? Not so fast
Although SDN offers some compelling advantages, enterprises would be ill-advised to deploy the technology until it gets more mature and standardized.Continue Reading
Take steps to defend your network using DHCP snooping
Learn how to enable DHCP snooping to secure your network against common breaches including man in the middle attacks and ARP poisoning.Continue Reading
Getting cloud capacity planning right in the face of oncoming growth
Cloud capacity planning requires accurate knowledge of a cloud provider's existing infrastructure, future plans and the growth plans of its customers.Continue Reading
What is protocol spoofing as it relates to WAN optimization?
Learn in this expert response what protocol spoofing is and how it can be used as a WAN optimization technique.Continue Reading
Identifying and mitigating cloud computing vulnerabilities
How successful a cloud provider is in growing its business depends on its ability to dispel customer concerns about data security and privacy.Continue Reading
Five key issues admins face when configuring Cisco routers and switches
Two Cisco-certified experts detail the five biggest challenges admins face when configuring Cisco routers and switches.Continue Reading
Bucking SDN controller interoperability will stifle innovation
There's been lots of work on SDN southbound apps, but vendors are ignoring SDN controller interoperability and threatening progress as a result.Continue Reading
Will the cloud exchange be the next big ecosystem player?
An emerging branch of the cloud ecosystem, the cloud exchange, has the potential to address many concerns about the cloud broker model.Continue Reading
Six ways hackers try to break Secure Sockets Layer-encrypted data
Security expert Michael Gregg discusses steps enterprises should take to ensure their SSL-encrypted data remains secure.Continue Reading
Overcoming network functions virtualization implementation challenges
Carriers need network functions virtualization implementation prespecification, so they'll look to TM Forum and cloud management models for help.Continue Reading
Selling SaaS: Operational requirements for consumers vs. businesses
The key to successfully selling SaaS across all market segments is addressing the different operational requirements among various buyer groups.Continue Reading
Where SDN and DPI technology meet: Centralized control and automation
When SDN and DPI technology meet, network engineers can apply monitoring and management policy to the whole network instead of individual components.Continue Reading
SDN and the enterprise campus network
SDN campus solutions have the potential to impact current LAN architecture, changing the enterprise campus network.Continue Reading
Are there alternatives to the OpenFlow protocol?
Jason Edelman explains OpenFlow protocol alternatives and what's important in determining which southbound protocol will work for you.Continue Reading
IETF SDN: I2RS uses traditional routing protocols in software networks
The IETF SDN strategy relies on centralized management and distributed decision making with traditional network protocols -- departing from OpenFlow.Continue Reading
How to choose the right SDN controller platform
When choosing the best SDN controller platform for your company, look at the problem you need to solve, the end goal and various end-to-end solutions.Continue Reading
Selling government cloud services: FedRAMP vs. FISMA
Even if a cloud provider isn't planning to sell government cloud services, it's still important to have a basic understanding of FedRAMP and FISMA.Continue Reading
Cloud bursting: How will it affect your billing requirements?
Cloud bursting attracts many customers to public cloud services, but tracking these dynamic resources for billing becomes problematic for providers.Continue Reading
Virtual overlay networks: Tunneling protocols enable multi-tenancy
Virtual overlay networks use tunneling protocols to extend isolated network segments between servers for multi-tenant data center networks.Continue Reading
Wide area network resiliency best practices
Learn about network resiliency best practices to keep your wide area network (WAN) services running during technical difficulties and outages.Continue Reading
IT service-level agreements and SDN: Assuring virtualization performance
With SDN with network virtualization, service providers can improve server virtualization performance and offer improved service-level agreements.Continue Reading
When it comes to BYOD security risks, which VPN is best, IPsec or SSL?
By 2016, 40% of the workforce will be mobile. IPsec VPNs are being widely discussed for BYOD security. But should we also be talking about SSL VPNs?Continue Reading
SDN network interoperability: Integrating with existing networks
Derick Winkworth outlines whether it's possible to reach SDN network interoperability.Continue Reading
Building cloud-ready applications: What changes?
To maximize profits, providers must understand cloud-ready applications, learn how to meet their unique requirements and offer facilitating services.Continue Reading
IPv6 benefits: Making the IPv6 business case
Depleted IPv4 addresses are not enough for many enterprises to deploy IPv6. Use these IPv6 benefits to make a business case for your IPv6 migration.Continue Reading
IPv6 cost considerations
Before you make the switch to the new Internet Protcol, it's important to understand these IPv6 cost considerations.Continue Reading
SDN security strategies for network attack prevention
With a deeper level of visibility and granular control, SDN security strategies can better prevent a wide range of network attacks.Continue Reading
IPv6 addressing requires special attention to ensure security
IPv6 auto-configured addresses raise concern about privacy and the protocol's vulnerability to host tracking attacks, and more.Continue Reading
In the SDN WAN: Network programmability, provisioning and high availability
The SDN WAN's network programmability and automated provisioning addresses the demands placed on the wide area network by the cloud, SaaS and BYOD.Continue Reading
Understanding the relationship between SDN and NFV
SDN and NFV are not part and parcel to each other, but when the two sets of technology meet they advance each other's capabilities.Continue Reading
Is it time to consider FCoE adoption in your storage network plan?
Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) adoption is growing. But is it right for your organization?Continue Reading
In mobile networks, SDN and NFV mean service orchestration
In mobile networks today, it can take months to deploy infrastructure and services, but SDN and NFV allow for orchestration and dynamic provisioning.Continue Reading
Unlocking the potential of SDN controller applications
Three broad sources for route information could drive SDN controller applications: provisioning instructions, "route sniffing" and path computation.Continue Reading
SDN's missing links: Five barriers blocking SDN adoption by providers
As more providers move to deploy SDN, adoption is being hindered by crucial gaps in device standards and tools for network control.Continue Reading
Using big data analysis to harness your network operations
Big data is all the craze, but analyzing big data intelligently can help network administrators pinpoint potential problems.Continue Reading
How network functions virtualization will revolutionize architecture
Using NFV, engineers can virtualize devices and services in large networks to make their architectures cost efficient and flexible.Continue Reading
Easier ways to troubleshoot network routing issues
Expert Patrick Hubbard shares how you can make your life easier by alleviating some annoying network routing issues.Continue Reading
Hybrid cloud networks face challenges, but SDN may be the answer
Customers have misgivings about hybrid cloud, but enhancing cloud networks with software-defined networking may help allay many concerns.Continue Reading
Enterprise wireless standards: The basics
Glen Kemp discusses the standards and protocols that support enterprise-class wireless deployments and how they differ from consumer configurations.Continue Reading
FISMA compliance through continuous monitoring: Tips for cloud providers
Continuous monitoring for FISMA compliance must shift from its static approach to a cyclical, more dynamic strategy for near real-time risk awareness.Continue Reading
Parsing through the software-defined storage hype
Software-defined storage can be many technologies, but most aim for decoupled software, automated provisioning and non-proprietary systems.Continue Reading
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.Continue Reading
Virtualization management: What you need to know about the Nexus 1000v
Cisco's Nexus 1000v platform gives network administrators some familiar tools to oversee virtual networks.Continue Reading
Three models of SDN explained
In this tip, networking expert Tom Nolle outlines the three models of SDN, explaining the basic goals, mechanisms, benefits and drawbacks of each.Continue Reading
OpenFlow configuration protocols: Understanding OF-Config and OVSDB
OpenFlow directs network packet flows, but OpenFlow configuration protocols, OF-Config and OVSDB, form relationships between controllers and switches.Continue Reading
Network security assessment: Test firewalls, IDS in multiple ways
Network administrators need to test internal systems such as firewalls and IPS/IDS devices to ensure their networks are safe.Continue Reading
What are the best use cases for public cloud services?
Enterprises increasingly see public cloud services as secure and stable enough for specific non-core applications if they have effective SLAs.Continue Reading
Use business service management to optimize application performance
To optimize application performance in the network, many companies are using business service management software and tools to automate IT services.Continue Reading
Network security assessment: 10 tools you can't live without
The top 10 tools to protect your network against security breaches.Continue Reading
SSL certificate management: A practical guide
Certificate management is faced by many but understood by few. This guide provides a refresher of the basics and covers common tasks.Continue Reading
How data center network fabric and SDN intersect
SDN and data center network fabrics both enable converged networking and the ability to manage many switches as one. Where do the two intersect?Continue Reading
OpenStack vs. CloudStack: What's the best approach?
When it comes to OpenStack vs. CloudStack, IT managers need to understand the difference between the open source cloud-computing management architectures.Continue Reading
Five ways applications benefit from enterprise WAN optimization
These are five ways enterprise WAN optimization technology helps overcome productivity and application issues organizations face in today's workforce.Continue Reading
Application performance monitoring tools: Three vendor strategies
Application performance monitoring tools match user transaction time to network flow information to identify problems. But APM tools differ widely.Continue Reading
Should I use the OpenFlow protocol in software-defined networks?
The OpenFlow protocol isn't required for SDN, although the Open Network Foundation recommends it, which means networking vendors have options.Continue Reading
Why do I need SDN technology?
SDN is valuable, but uses extend to other parts of the network for increased network flexibility, dynamic traffic flow, decreased latency and QoS.Continue Reading
Centralized vs. decentralized SDN architecture: Which works for you?
Two SDN architecture models -- centralized and decentralized -- have much in common, but key differences center on the use of the OpenFlow protocol.Continue Reading
Is SDN a centralized or distributed network architecture?
A software-defined network can have a centralized or distributed network architecture in the data center, LAN and WAN, depending on business needs.Continue Reading
What is the difference between an overlay network and SDN?
A software-defined network can be deployed as an overlay network to a physical network or natively as the primary network to improve flexibility.Continue Reading
Does software-defined networking require special SDN switches?
Software-defined networks do not require special SDN switches; instead, vendors offer a variety of SDN controllers, network fabrics and hardware.Continue Reading
Where do network fabric and SDN technologies intersect?
Networks can use a network fabric and SDN technologies together, and vendors' SDN architectures integrate them in a variety different ways.Continue Reading
The role of northbound APIs in an SDN environment
Northbound APIs on SDN controllers enable applications and orchestration systems to program the network and request services from it.Continue Reading
SDN, network virtualization: Are they the same?
Despite differences, SDN and network virtualization share common elements to direct network resources to VMs and segment or consolidate networks.Continue Reading
Network functions virtualization primer: Software devices take over
With network functions virtualization (NFV), engineers replace network devices with software on basic servers for flexibility and cost reduction.Continue Reading
Do I need to use an SDN controller for software-defined networking?
An SDN controller, with or without OpenFlow, is not required for a software-defined network, and SDN architecture vendors take different approaches.Continue Reading
Software defined networking security enables granular policy control
Software defined networking introduces network programmability and granular traffic management, which could contribute to enhanced SDN security.Continue Reading
Promote cloud adoption with extensible, policy-driven cloud governance
Providers can help enterprises tackle cloud governance by providing them the tools to create application-specific policies for dynamic environments.Continue Reading
Basic wide area network optimization techniques
Adding bandwidth to your network does not always fix slow applications problems. Consider these WAN optimization techniques first.Continue Reading
Balancing wireless LAN troubleshooting strategies for BYOD
Security is only half the challenge when it comes to supporting a BYOD WLAN. The rest depends on WLAN troubleshooting to handle personal device drain.Continue Reading
Evaluating business and technology needs for a robust enterprise WLAN
It is crucial to assess business and technology issues driving the need for a robust and capable enterprise WLAN to support a new mobile workforce.Continue Reading
Evaluating wireless LAN requirements: What to consider before buying
When considering a WLAN solution for your enterprise, you'll have to start by assessing the wireless LAN requirements necessary.Continue Reading
Ten questions to ask WLAN vendors when evaluating WLAN solutions
Once IT professionals have developed a mobility plan, it is crucial to address particular questions with WLAN vendors when assessing WLAN solutions.Continue Reading
RFP process steps for selecting network carriers and equipment vendors
These RFP process steps detail everything organizations need to include in a request for proposal to new network carriers and equipment vendors.Continue Reading
Application performance management should include packet capture
Expert Jesse Rothstein explains the importance and challenges of packet capture abilities in application performance management (APM) solutions.Continue Reading
Benefits of WLAN infrastructure as the primary access network
Many companies see the benefits of WLAN infrastructure as primary access network, but some need it more than others. Understanding the gains is key.Continue Reading
Top 5 skills SDN vendors will be looking for
One of SDN's pioneers, Nick McKeown, offers his advice about the top skills for a job in software-defined networking.Continue Reading
Got IP address management problems? Think DNS, DHCP, IPAM trifecta
If your network has gotten too complicated for basic IP address management, it may be time to consider a DNS, DHCP, IPAM tool combination.Continue Reading
What are the benefits of IPv6 in SDN and network virtualization?
One of the benefits of IPv6 is that it makes software defined networking and network virtualization scale easily, IPv6 expert Ciprian Popoviciu says.Continue Reading
How to manage service providers on your own
IT professionals who handle global networks need to know how to manage service provider relationships. This article explains how to be your own MSP.Continue Reading
WAN file protocol optimization: Three ways to accelerate CIFS and NFS
View these three tips for accelerating file protocols CIFS and NFS over WAN.Continue Reading
Floodlight primer: An OpenFlow controller
In software-defined networks, engineers use Floodlight controllers to manage physical and virtual devices -- and each traffic flow running between them.Continue Reading
QFX3500 vs. EX4550: Juniper's two top-of-rack switches
Juniper's QFX3500 and EX4550 are both capable 10 Gigabit Ethernet, top-of-rack switches. Deciding which to buy may mean choosing between traditional and fabric architectures.Continue Reading
Pros and cons of mobile optimization and cloud optimization
IT research analyst John Burke discusses the pros and cons of mobile optimization clients and cloud optimization services.Continue Reading
Three SSL acceleration questions answered
SSL acceleration requires making changes to traditional WAN optimization tools so that they can read through encryption.Continue Reading
VXLAN monitoring: How to gain virtual network overlay visibility
Network pros need VXLAN monitoring tools for new network overlays. Until these tools arrive, they'll have to adapt existing monitoring strategies.Continue Reading