Testing the Limits
The creation of a virtual lab with MIMIC™ and how this can address the needs of various companies, from evaluation, testing and disaster simulations to software development, partner support and certification, is the subject of this paper.
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Taking Control of Secure Application Delivery
If a company's CIO has a recent technical background it is usually in the arena of applications. It is also widely understood that a company's business and functional managers care much more about the applications that they use on a regular basis than they do about any component of the IT infrastructure. These managers either set or heavily influence the IT budget, and IT organizations should therefore ensure their satisfaction. Ensuring that these managers perceive that they get value from IT in general, and from the IT infrastructure in particular is of paramount consideration for any IT organization. To achieve this goal, IT organizations must be able to relate the value of the IT infrastructure to the applications with which these senior managers are concerned.
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Practical Strategies to Accelerate Business Applications Across the WAN
More business than ever is done in branch offices and remote sites, but fewer and fewer IT resources (applications, personnel, servers, etc.) are hosted there. Applications are being consolidated (sometimes centralized, sometimes outsourced) - cost is a driver, but compliance is the catalyst.
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Facilitating Compliance Through a Configuration Management Database
The growing number of complex regulatory requirements, international standards, industry frameworks, and. codes of good corporate practices, together with the internal policies needed to manage the organization's business processes, are increasing the burden and cost of doing business. Organizations must not only achieve compliance with the requirements set forth in these regulations, standards, and policies, but also be able to demonstrate that compliance well after the activities have been completed.
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The Myth of Bandwidth and Application Performance
Moore's Law states that data density doubles approximately every 18 months, and Metcalfe's Law says that the value of a network grows as the square of the number of users. Because these postulates have held true in practice, global enterprises have found it advantageous to embed information technology into every aspect of their operations, and the worldwide data communications services industry now generates revenue in excess of $19 billion annually, with an increasing portion derived from IP VPN services.
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Bandwidth Management for Peer-to-Peer Applications
With the increasing proliferation of broadband, more and more users are using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) protocols to share very large files, including software, multi-media files, and applications. This trend has exponentially increased traffic flows across a very wide area network.
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Benefits of BIG-IP Application Optimization Over the WAN
One of the main challenges with web-based applications is trying to keep up with the exponential increase of users accessing these applications remotely. Not only does this introduce new security concerns, but remote users demand the same level of performance as they experience when connecting to applications via the LAN. Solving performance and security issues through customizing each application is not only extremely expensive, but an inefficient use of time and resources. With its strategic location in the network infrastructure, the new BIG-IP system provides a quick, easy and much more cost-effective solution to these challenges
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Protocol Analyzers vs. Logic Analyzers: Using the Right Tool for the Job
There is no one tool which serves every need, no matter what the field. Using the right tool for the job is simply more efficient and produces superior results. Certainly, one can use the back of a screwdriver to drive a nail into the wall, but a hammer does the job better.
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Deploying new technologies and applications safely and efficiently
Today's networks are typically very stable. The problem is they aren't static. New network technologies and applications are challenging IT departments to rapidly integrate into existing networks with minimal disruption and degradation of performance.
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New Developments in Network Management
Network management is a prime candidate for the move to appliances, as long as configuration and maintenance are kept simple.
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Demonstrating the ROI for Management Systems
Don't Let Disaster Sell Your Management System
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Selecting an Enterprise Systems Management Solution
To successfully navigate the complex support requirements inherent in the current reality of heterogeneous environments, regulatory requirements, and business centric support models that require rapid deployment, problem resolution and return on investment, IT managers must utilize detail-oriented, automated tools that are customizable to their specific needs. The challenge is in choosing enterprise systems management tools that provide the flexibility of functionality to administer the broad needs of each unique IT infrastructure while at the same time provide simplicity in their use and implementation.
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Unleash the Power of Performance Management
A Guide for Selecting a Network Management Solution
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Rogue Applications
Pinpoint the Root Cause of Rogue Streaming Media Problems
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Monitoring and Managing Network Application Performance
Ensuring timely access to business-critical application servers is what justifies having a network (and an IT staff) in the first place. To effectively manage application performance means measuring how well key components of the IT infrastructure are performing over time, and identifying and efficiently correcting deficiencies before they affect your business.
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Optical Signal Attenuation and Network Performance
Network administrators who manage optical links have the added challenge of dealing with signal attenuation-the rate at which light dissipates over a network. Attenuation is caused by a number of factors and can affect both network performance and the ability to analyze the network. This paper explains what signal attenuation is, what causes it, and how it affects a network.
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Analyzing Full-Duplex Networks
There are a number ways to access full-duplex traffic on a network for analysis: SPAN or mirror ports, aggregation TAPs (Test Access Ports), or full-duplex TAPs are the three most common. This paper discusses the issues involved in deciding which type of technology to deploy. In short, your answer will depend on the rate of traffic being monitored, and the level of visibility you require.
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Best Practices for Selecting WAN Optimization Solutions: Benchmarking Performance ROI
As businesses become increasingly dependent on the effective delivery of IT services over far-flung enterprise networks, technologies that optimize the performance of applications over the WAN have become increasingly attractive. In fact, this type of technology may be indispensable for companies operating on a global scale.
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How to Kick the Tires in Your Network Systems
Modern networks comprise a great variety of devices and applications connected together to serve personal or business functions. Each of these network components will have its own behaviors, configurations, and abilities. Extracting the maximum reliability and performance out of these different network components requires tweaking, and often redesigning. Having the facility to "kick the tires" during and after these tweaks will produce more reliable performance improvements, ultimately creating a better network
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