Tips

Tips

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Business continuation and disaster recovery tips for your WAN services

  Understand the tools, technologies and strategies used to ensure business continuance (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) for your WAN services.  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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Ensuring wireless network optimization for application performance

  Wireless LANs are faster than ever, but engineers must still ensure wireless network optimization for maximum application performance.  Continue Reading

• Calculating mobile application bandwidth requirements

  Learn how to calculate the bandwidth of your mobile applications to determine your cost of wide area network operations.  Continue Reading

• Five challenges in private cloud networking

  To achieve application performance in private cloud networking, cloud networks must tackle dynamic address mapping and access security, creating several network challenges.  Continue Reading

• VPN UTM vendor comparison: Evaluating secure remote access features

  View this VPN UTM vendor comparison and understand how to manage your virtual private network infrastructure as part of a unified threat management solution.  Continue Reading

• Deep packet inspection vendors: Quite the diverse crew

  Deep packet inspection vendors can vary from traditional network infrastructure vendors to third-party specialists. Here we run down a smattering of providers and their offerings.  Continue Reading

• Ethernet advantages and disadvantages for WAN connectivity

  Learn the advantages and disadvantages of Ethernet in WAN environments -- Ethernet advantages include low costs and disadvantages like more resources needed.  Continue Reading

• Myth vs. Reality: Cloud-managed Wireless LAN

  New cloud-managed wireless LAN services have many users wondering whether Wi-Fi management as a service is dependable. Wireless expert Lisa Phifer goes on a myth-busting mission.  Continue Reading

• Cisco Nexus 5596UP as a core switch: Design considerations

  The Cisco Nexus 5596UP switch may be a better replacement for the Catalyst 6500 as a network core switch than the Nexus 7000, but there are design challenges to consider before investing.  Continue Reading

• Cisco Nexus 5500: A viable core switch for the midsized enterprise?

  As virtualization and new storage arrays place greater demand on the network, engineers may find that the Cisco Nexus 5500 is a better core switch than the Cisco Catalyst 6509.  Continue Reading

• Leasing data center space: How it may affect cloud service delivery

  Rather than spend millions building out their own facilities, more cloud providers and MSPs are choosing to lease data center space. But how will that affect service delivery?  Continue Reading

• How to optimize voice over WAN

  Enterprises must learn how to architect their wide area networks in order to optimize voice over WAN environments.  Continue Reading

• How to use iPerf to measure throughput

  Learn how to use iPerf, a network testing tool to measure throughput and benchmark your WAN links.  Continue Reading

• Cloud access: Alternatives to Internet connectivity

  The Internet's unreliability and questionable security keep many enterprises from adopting cloud services. But companies can consider these alternative cloud access options.  Continue Reading

• Private cloud network VLAN problems: Is OpenFlow the answer?

  In order to create dynamic private cloud networks, engineers will turn to software-defined networking and control planes that integrate virtual and physical switching.  Continue Reading

• Hadoop enables distributed 'big data' processing across clouds

  The Hadoop framework enables distributed 'big data' processing across servers that can improve application performance and offer up redundancy.  Continue Reading

• Video conferencing bandwidth requirements for the WAN

  In this tip, learn to calculate video conferencing bandwidth requirements for all of the sites in your company across the enterprise wide area network (WAN).  Continue Reading

• Ping latency test results: How slow is your WAN link?

  Understand your ping latency test results to determine whether your WAN link needs WAN optimization, QoS or other technologies.  Continue Reading

• Preparing your WAN for 10 GbE implementation

  Where can 10 GbE be used in a wide area network (WAN) and how can you prepare the WAN for such an implementation? Read this article to find out.  Continue Reading

• Using QoS to limit bandwidth

  Quality of Service may be the simplest and cheapest fix to a real-time application performance problem. Learn in this tip how using QoS to limit bandwidth can decongest WAN links.  Continue Reading

• VXLAN standard primer: Extended VLANs, long-distance VM migration

  The VXLAN standard aims to solve the long-distance VM migration dilemma by enabling extended VLANs across geographically dispersed data centers for a multi-tenant cloud network.  Continue Reading

• vSwitch architecture best practices

  vSwitch architecture varies depending on the type of traffic being managed and how many physical NICs are connected. Learn these best practices.  Continue Reading

• vSphere vSwitch primer: Design considerations

  It takes the right kind of vSphere vSwitch design to implement segmentation for traffic manageability, security, redundancy and failover in a virtual environment.  Continue Reading

• Network energy efficiency starts in the LAN closet

  Many look to data center servers and storage to cut power use, but network energy efficiency can start inside the LAN closet with switches, routers and security devices.  Continue Reading

• Virtualization security challenges are plentiful: What's the answer?

  The network plays a role in addressing virtualization security challenges, but typical firewalls are not necessarily part of the solution.  Continue Reading

• How to connect virtual environments to DMZ network architecture

  Connecting virtualized environments to DMZ network architecture creates new challenges. Network managers must learn new design methodologies to protect virtual traffic in the DMZ.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise energy management: IT and building management systems meet

  As IP-based building management systems emerge, networking teams will control integrated IT and building resources as part of an overall enterprise energy management strategy.  Continue Reading

• New service needs drive changes to telecom data center architecture

  The need to deliver content, mobile and cloud services and compete with OTT providers is driving a three-phase change to telecom data center architecture for network operators.  Continue Reading

• How does your WAN intersect cloud services?

  Where is the line between cloud service and the wide area network? In this tip, Tom Nolle breaks down information flows to recommend the best WAN connectivity for cloud computing.  Continue Reading

• Controlling embedded Wi-Fi device access

  Enterprise IT shops are finding themselves using WPA2-Personal and other authentication methods to manage embedded Wi-Fi devices on the WLAN.  Continue Reading

• Live migration networking: Enter long-distance data center bridging

  Live migration networking poses all sorts of challenges, including the potential need for long-distance data center bridging that results in traffic trombones. When it comes to server virtualization networking, is it possible to avoid the pitfalls?  Continue Reading

• How to ensure WLAN performance optimization

  To ensure wireless LAN performance optimization, you’ll need to implement new WLAN measurement and testing tools and conduct WLAN performance testing periodically even after network implementation.  Continue Reading

• How to set up WAN simulators to test branch application performance

  A wide area network (WAN) simulator is necessary for enterprise IT architects and engineers to ensure acceptable application performance to end users at branch offices. In this tip, learn how to set up any generic WAN simulator to conduct network ...  Continue Reading

• How to use an edge firewall for network bandwidth management

  These five tips will help your organization apply quality-of-service controls on a network perimeter firewall.  Continue Reading

• How to prepare enterprise WANs for MPLS/VPN integration

  How should IT professionals prepare their enterprise WANs (wide area networks) for an MPLS VPN integration? Find out using the steps described in this tip.  Continue Reading

• How is MPLS different from SONET and ATM networks?

  WAN managers face an array of technology possibilities, like SONET, ATM and MPLS, being pitched to them by every service provider. Making sense of these terms, and the differences between the technologies, will enable organizations to make an ...  Continue Reading

• Using virtual appliances and desktop virtualization

  IT organizations are implementing desktop virtualization and virtual appliances for virtual WAN optimization and virtual application delivery, but there are challenges to overcome along the way.  Continue Reading

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Certificate Authority setup

  If you are deploying an SSTP VPN to secure the remote users on your enterprise wide area network (WAN), then your VPN server must be provisioned with an X.509 certificate. Use these steps to learn how to configure Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 to...  Continue Reading

• How to set up an SSTP VPN to secure your enterprise network

  Learn how to set up an SSTP VPN (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Virtual Private Network) connection in order to secure the remote users on your enterprise wide area network (WAN). These instructions explain step-by-step what is required to create ...  Continue Reading

• How to configure Virtual Switch Tagging for vSphere VLANs

  Virtual Switch Tagging is the most commonly used method of 802.1Q VLAN tagging for VLANs for vSphere. In this tip, learn how to configure a switch for VLAN Switch Tagging.  Continue Reading