don’t forget the network

8/2/2019 Dont forget the network

1/9

Copyright Quocirca 2011

Bob Tarzey

Quocirca Ltd

Tel : +44 7900 275517

Email:[email protected]

Rob Bamforth

Quocirca Ltd

Tel: +44 7802 175796

Email:[email protected]

Dont forget the network

How to manage your organisations constantly evolving IT network requirements

October 2011

The overall IT networking requirements of a given organisation are not

provided as a single utility. Instead they comprise a constantly evolving

patchwork of technology and services, some maintained in-house and

some provided by third parties, the availability and performance of which

are often taken for granted until something goes wrong.

Over time this network has become embedded in nearly every business

process; when the network fails the processes fail too. To prevent thishappening, businesses need their networks to be managed with the same

diligence that would be applied to any fundamental asset. Only when this

is the case can they be sure that availability, performance and security

levels will be maintained as the demands on the network increase. This

requires proactive monitoring and maintenance; a network can only be

effectively managed if its performance is first measured.

This report looks at the range of factors that can lead to an organisations

network failing to serve as well as it should and what organisations withlimited resources can do to ensure that it does so in the future.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


2/9


Quocirca 2011 - 2 -


How to manage your organisations constantly evolving IT network requirements

The network services that an organisation relies on should be managed with the same diligence that would be applied

to any fundamental business asset. This is a challenge because the total networking requirements for a given

organisation are not provided as a single utility, but are a complex mix of constantly evolving technologies and

services. This requires constant monitoring and management to maintain availability, performance and security levels

and to ensure future requirements can be met. Many organisations lack the time and/or in-house skills to do this and

their overall business may be suffering as a result.

A given IT network

comprises a complex

mix of constantly

changing technology

and services

The total IT networking requirements of any given organisation comprise a complex

mix of in-house infrastructure and third party services. Taken as a whole, all this

comes together to form an organisations IT network, a key asset that nearly all its

business processes rely on to some extent. The network is rarely planned from

scratch, but has evolved over time to keep up with the ever-increasing technology

and business demands placed on it.

Network availability,

performance and

security need to be

assured

The network cannot be taken for granted. The availably of most network services has

improved over time, but this does not mean a guarantee of constant performance

levels. Indeed, as capacity requirements increase, service levels will often degrade if

demand is not monitored and managed; standing still will, in effect, mean going

backwards. An organisation will also be vulnerable if it does not keep on top of the

security issues that threaten all IT networks.

Business applications

and user apps are the

drivers for network

traffic volume

increases

Businesses themselves are putting more pressure on networks through the

introduction of bandwidth-hungry applications, for example those using video.

However, users and lines-of-business are now often able to introduce their own pay-

as-you-go or free apps; this is often done from mobile devices, increasing the data

volumes transmitted over mobile network services. IT departments no longer havefull control over which applications consume network resources.

The virtualisation of

data centres and use

of cloud-based

services add further

network demands

Data centre virtualisation means more workloads running on individual physical

servers. The increased network input/output and bandwidth requirements this

imposes are often poorly considered; networks need to evolve to support this.

Furthermore, some applications are moving to the cloud whilst others rely on internet

feeds. This has broken down the once-clear interface between internal and public

network services. Traffic moving between the two needs monitoring to ensure end-

to-end security and performance and that the given organisation is truly cloud-ready.

Many networks are

not effectively

monitored and

managed action

should be taken now

Those without the appropriate in-house resources, tools and/or skills should consider

using a managed service to ensure network performance, availability, security and the

maximum use of available resources. This involves an upfront network-discovery

process because existing infrastructure is often poorly documented and flexibility isneeded to adapt as new network components are introduced. The service levels and

cost controls expected from outsourcing network management should be clearly laid

out from the start.

ConclusionsNo organisation can afford to neglect its IT network, those that do will fall behind at all sorts of levels. A

functional network is imperative for a 21st

century business. A well-managed high-availability, high-

performance and secure network can be a distinct competitive advantage, a poorly managed one a

fundamental business risk.


3/9


Quocirca 2011 - 3 -

The networking Holy Grail;

high-availability, high-performance and security

The network is the system, averred the Digital Equipment Company (DEC) as far back as 19871. If it was becoming

true then, it is certainly true now. The IT network system that underpins the use of information technology (IT) in

any organisation is an asset that is fundamental to nearly all daily operations. The overall networking requirements

of a given organisation are not provided as a single utility service. Instead, they comprise a constantly evolving

patchwork of technology and services, some maintained in-house and some provided by third parties, the

availability, performance and security of which are taken for granted until something goes wrong. Overall these

comprise a given organisations IT network.

The network DEC was speaking of was proprietary

and mainly deployed within the premises of a given

organisation, those with multiple premises

connected the main ones with leased lines, smaller

premises were often not deemed worthy of beingon the network.

Today the internally deployed network

infrastructure is usually based on the IP (internet

protocol) standard but is comprised of equipment

from a range of suppliers. Within an organisation,

any facility, indeed any individual, can be permitted

to connect to the internal network with ease, using

widely available public internet and mobile

network services. Network access is now pervasive

and the predicted on-going growth of traffic

volumes on both public and private networks(managed IP) speaks for itself (Figure 1).

In the early days of such widespread access, which can be dated back to the mid-1990s, the principle concern, when

it came to gauging the user experience, was availability. Network communications failure may be rarer than it used

to be but it is still the most common reason that applications fail to deliver (Figure 2). However, there are two other

issues which have sometimes been paid less attention; network performance and security. As we enter the age of

100 gigabit/second Ethernet and 100

megabit/second broadband, why are users still

wasting time staring at devices waiting for a

response? They find this even more galling given

that many will be used to seamless high speed

network services being delivered to their ownhomes; individuals are often better served as

consumers than they are as employees.

Furthermore, the number of incidents of network

security breaches being reported has been

increasing rapidly.

The reason user experience degrades is not

necessarily because businesses have under-

invested in their networks in the first place, but

because the demands on them have been growing

so fast that performance degrades over time simply


4/9


Quocirca 2011 - 4 -

through standing still. This is further impacted by ad hoc additions to networks, for example wireless routers; if

unplanned these not only extend network access in an uncontrolled way, but increase the security risk.

To maximise the user experience, constant network monitoring is needed to ensure that all network ports are used

to the full and that every last drop of available bandwidth is consumed before more capacity is purchased.

Furthermore, when network traffic increases, and the reasons for this are understood (and accepted), upgrades canbe planned rather than implemented in a hurry whilst fire-fighting. The network needs to be managed as a business-

critical asset and its potential as a corporate business continuity and security risk understood and controlled.

Meanwhile, users should be able to take the network for granted, like they do utilities such as water and electricity

despite the complex infrastructure that ensures their delivery. Only when this is the case can an IT department

consider itself to be effectively supporting its users. Many organisations struggle to achieve this Holy Grail because

they lack the time, resources, tools and/or skills to do so.

The rise and rise of the app(lication)

There are two forces that generate the growing demands on the network; the business itself and its employees. The

business is relying on the network more and more to underpin business processes and is deploying bandwidth-hungry applications that make use of video and other network-intensive services. Furthermore, the availably of

cloud-based services means lines-of-business can invoke and pay for IT services and applications directly, without

reference to the IT department.

This is exacerbated by the employees themselves,

who use network services in ever more imaginative

ways to do their jobs and, it must be said, to bring

their personal lives to work. This will often include

peer-to-peer applications that also make use of voice

and video. They may be doing this from mobile

devices, sometimes owned by the business, but

increasingly they are using their own (Figure 3).There is a quid quo pro here; many employers want

their employees to take their working lives home

with them too further increasing demand on

network services.

When considering overall access needs, businesses

are now dealing with requirements that must mix

public and private network services seamlessly and

securely. Gone are the days of reasonably predictable client-server data flows and bandwidth demands.

Even though the imposition of many of these high-bandwidth multimedia applications, on top of the more

traditional IT requirements, is often beyond the control of the IT department, the network is still expected to cope.At the same time, the IT department is expected to guarantee the performance of services such as IP-telephony,

web/video conferencing, unified communications packages (UC), customer and partner web portals,

document/image management systems etc. There is also the increasing use of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI),

which is very network-reliant as the actual processing of user activity is carried out in data centres remote from a

users access device (some see VDI as the best way to support the use of employee-owned devices).

IT departments are also loading the network beyond its planned operating capabilities with their efforts to improve

the use of data centre resources through virtualisation. This allows them to rapidly increase the number of virtual

servers running on individual physical devices, often without taking into consideration the extra burden this places

on the network through increasing the network input/output and bandwidth required for each physical server.

Furthermore, in many areas businesses are forsaking the data centre altogether and turning to cloud-based services


5/9


Quocirca 2011 - 5 -

(Figure 4), either for the complete delivery of a given application or to enrich ones still running in-house. When

accessing such services, all users are, in effect, remote, and the reliability of external network access is paramount.

Cloud-readiness should be a part of any medium term network requirements planning and the network services to

enable this need to ensure that the interoperation between public and private networks is transparent and secure.

The network is central to delivering other businessgoals too. These include meeting environmental

targets (for instance improving supply chain efficiency

and reducing employee travel) and quantum business

changes such as mergers and acquisitions.

In the past, diligent IT departments have been able to

rely on pre-deployment testing of new business

applications to gauge their likely impact on the

network. However, today, with the user-driven

deployment ofapps and/or lines-of-business invoking

cloud services, this is harder to achieve with available

in-house skills. The network just has to cope, ideally

absorbing the new requirements without impacting

existing use. The truth is that many organisations have

no idea what is running on their networks and how the

day-to-day experience of their users is changing over

time.

Gauging performance

The real danger with declining network performance is that it often happens slowly and users become inured to it.

The efficiency of business processes declines over time, productivity drops and no one is quite sure why. As

Quocirca points out in its 2010 report, User Experience Monitoring5

, with respect to IT there are two main reasonsfor this; a problem with a given application itself or a problem with the network.

The way to overcome the network contribution to this is to take a pro-active approach to network monitoring and

management. There are plenty of tools around to help with this, but they are often vendor-specific or pre-date the

widespread use of virtualisation and low latency applications such as voice. Furthermore, many are expensive to

licence being primarily aimed at enterprises. Even if the best tools were affordable to smaller businesses, many

would lack the time and/or skills to use them effectively.

Mid-sized businesses and smaller organisations that want to ensure they reap the benefits of a reliable scalable

network can consider outsourcing the task to third party service providers, who can scale the use of enterprise class

tools and services across multiple customers. Such providers should be measured against well-defined service level

agreements (SLA) to ensure the expected performance, availability and security is being consistently delivered.

To gauge the impact the change in performance of the network is having on an organisation over time requires

constant monitoring, which must be set against a measured benchmark. This should identify changing usage

patterns, but also proactively identify faults, the under-utilisation of equipment and/or services and security

vulnerabilities. That network equipment is underused often goes unnoticed; whilst many businesses have diligently

focussed on improving server use in data centres, they may be failing to get the most out of their network

equipment, as a 2011 port assessment survey6

shows. Initially, network performance may be improved with no

investment in new internally-deployed infrastructure.

Network monitoring services will almost always be put in place retrospectively. Networks are seldom built from

scratch but evolve over time. The information about them is usually poorly documented and carried in the heads of


6/9


Quocirca 2011 - 6 -

a succession of IT network managers, who may have had only a short term or partial involvement in network set-up.

By the time the need to upgrade the network is recognised, the underlying tangle of equipment and services is

already complex. This complexity changes through time as hardware components are changed and/or services are

introduced, upgraded or replaced; both monitoring and management need to be flexible enough to respond to this.

The first requirement is to discover and map the network and set the benchmark for gauging future performance.This has to be repeated periodically as it is not just the initial topology that needs to be understood, but also how it,

and the demands being placed on it, is changing through time. Only with an assessment of the existing network and

its workload - and some appreciation of likely future requirements, in so far as that is possible - can a network

transformation plan be enacted.

To this end, part of the discovery process should be to identify the end points that are attached to the network.

These will include not only assets owned by the organisation in question; PCs, printers, wireless routers, branch

servers etc., but also user owned devices; smartphones, tablets etc. Whether or not a given organisation approves

of this trend towards the consumerisation of IT, it is a reality - as has already been pointed out (Figure 3). Only when

the range of end points attaching to the network over time is fully recorded can the full burden on the network be

understood. This is also the basis for putting in place effective network access control (NAC) and data security

measures.

A network transformation may not involve expensive upgrades but better use of existing resources, such as changes

to usage patterns or the changing of network service suppliers (e.g. from an expensive leased line to a cheaper SDSL

line or VPN service). The effectiveness of any such service should be measured on how well it improves network

performance, availability and user experience whilst controlling costs and minimising new investments.

Conclusion: a value proposition for network services

Whatever steps are taken to ensure the on-going performance, availability and security of a network, the cost of

doing so must be justified by three factors. First, it must be possible to reduce running costs, or at least ensure

better on-going performance, without excessive short to medium term investments in new equipment and/orservices. Second, the business risks posed by the network and problems with its performance and security must be

mitigated and minimum service levels guaranteed. Third, a stable network that performs well and has excess

capacity should be able to be relied upon to provide new business value as and when required. These expectations

are summarised below.

Reduced/stabilised running costs

Ensuring existing physical assets (routers, switches etc.) are being used fully and effectively. This should, at

least, delay the need to replace or upgrade existing equipment, which is often the approach taken in fire-

fighting mode.

Third party network services can be reviewed and, where more cost effective ones are available, replaced

(e.g. replacing leased lines).

The setting of a minimum agreed service level that the business can rely on for future requirements, whichprovides a benchmark against which on-going improvements can be measured.

Better ability for the network to support data centre efforts to improve server use levels etc., through

ensuring the network resources are available for the growing number of virtual machines per physical

server.

Ability to support virtual desktops and use cheaper access devices (e.g. thin clients in call centres). Some

also see this as a way to help support the consumerisation of end user devices.

Virtualisation in the data centre and at the desktop directly reduces energy usage, providing further cost

savings and a feed for environmental reporting.

Support for remote and home working indirectly reduces energy consumption through reduced travel.


7/9


Quocirca 2011 - 7 -

Mitigated business risk

Recognising, at an early stage, patterns of increased network use and either accommodating or blocking

them depending on the business need.

Ensuring business continuity is not impacted by network availably and/or performance.

A holistic view of the network allows effective security posture around users, devices and data.

Effective network access control, which is essential to support the secure consumerisation of user accessdevices.

The ability to understand network traffic at the application level and limit the use of certain apps and

internet resources.

Making sure the deployment of wireless routers is authorised and controlled and that they are not a

security risk.

Major new applications need pre-deployment testing to make sure they function as expected and do not

impact other network services.

Planned changes in the way existing applications are deployed and accessed should also be tested before

implementation; for example if applications are to move off-site to a hosted data centre, or more mobile

access to a given application is expected.

Increased business value Cloud readiness the ability to use on-demand applications and services as and when they offer the best

value for the business.

The confidence to embrace consumerisation, through allowing controlled access to the network of users

personal devices and apps.

Better overall user experience/satisfaction.

More reliable business processes.

Readiness to cope with quantum business changes such as mergers and acquisitions.

Freeing up of IT resources to focus on core business value.

The network can be a platform for building a more sustainable business.

The majority of businesses will not have the in depth understanding of their networks to be sure of achieving many

of these goals. Most will not even have had a recent network assessment. If they did, they may well be surprised athow poorly it is serving them and how much may be gained from addressing this. A functional network is imperative

for a 21st century business. A well-managed high-availability, high-performance and secure network can be a

distinct competitive advantage, a poorly managed one a fundamental business risk.

References

1 Network World Sep 7th

1987, page 18

2 Cisco Visual Networking Index, June 2011:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns827/networking_solutions_sub_solution.html

3 The data sharing paradox, Quocirca Sept 2011 unpublished

4 Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research; A paradigm shift for IT: The Cloud November 2009

5 Quocirca, User Experience Monitoring, March 2010:

http://www.quocirca.com/reports/466/user-experience-monitoring

6 Networks First port assessment blog:http://www.networksfirst.co.uk/blog/?p=71
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns827/networking_solutions_sub_solution.htmlhttp://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns827/networking_solutions_sub_solution.htmlhttp://www.quocirca.com/reports/466/user-experience-monitoringhttp://www.quocirca.com/reports/466/user-experience-monitoringhttp://www.networksfirst.co.uk/blog/?p=71http://www.networksfirst.co.uk/blog/?p=71http://www.networksfirst.co.uk/blog/?p=71http://www.quocirca.com/reports/466/user-experience-monitoringhttp://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns827/networking_solutions_sub_solution.html


8/9

About Networks First

Networks First Do More Guaranteed

You need a network that can support your current business needs and adapt to embrace new challenges and new technologies.

Everything we do is geared to ensuring you can meet your internal and external customers expectations. New technologies such

as cloud, mobile working and multi-vendor environments, combined with reduced budgets and headcount restrictions, all take

their toll on service delivery. We work with you to understand your businesses requirements and enable you to ensure your

network evolves with your business.

As a proven specialist in secure converged network infrastructures we guarantee business critical communications by managing

the life-cycle of your network. Whether its individual projects, transformational changes or on -going out-tasked support,

Networks First have the right resources, skills and facilities to help support your network through steady state and changing

environments.

Networks Firsts commitment to Do More is achieved through our multi-vendor engineering skills in both voice and data, quality

service delivery, guaranteed SLAs and the dedication of every single member of our team to go that extra mile.

Our Service Portfolio

Managed Services

Network Management - Networks First pro-actively manage your network, LAN and WAN, to guaranteed service

performance and availability.

Support Service - Networks First Support Service provides a restoration guarantee through our fixed SLAs, multi-vendor

engineering team, regional office spares and remote diagnostics.

Managed Firewallon-going and complete management to optimise use of existing hardware.

Professional Services

Networks Firsts portfolio ofprofessional services will help you manage your network throughout its lifecycle and includes:

Pre-deployment services for voice, video and wireless implementations.

Pre-deployment services for consolidation or expansion network programmes.

Security services for firewalls and advanced LAN security.

Health checks and audits on your existing estate.

Project consultancy and delivery.

Specialist expert services such as Network Maturity Assessments.

Our Service Commitment

Networks First guarantees to deliver peace of mind. We have a 99% record against our Service Level Agreements (SLA) in the last

12 months, with over 87% of network problems solved remotely. Our engineers and service desk have a score of 4.5 out of 5.0

for customer satisfaction.

Our secure networks operation centre (NOC) can monitor and administer your systems remotely 24/7, so that you dont have to

tie up staff and resources in-house. This means that we can resolve many issues before youre even aware a problem exists, and

we guarantee to fix 99% of the rest with our SLA. Covering 100% of the UK means we deliver a truly national service.

Our multi-vendor experience, and accreditations from all major manufacturers, gives us the knowhow, and our ISO 9001 certified

internal processes and ITIL adoption ensure the quality of our work. Because we go beyond the break-fix model to a restoration

of service principle, we can minimise downtime and maximise stability of service.

Networks First guarantees business communications through advanced network services. We understand technology and how

important it is for your company, which is why Networks Firsts innovative solutions Do More to meet the unique requirements

of your business.


9/9


About Quocirca

Quocirca is a primary research and analysis company specialising in the

business impact of information technology and communications (ITC).

With world-wide, native language reach, Quocirca provides in-depth

insights into the views of buyers and influencers in large, mid-sized and

small organisations. Its analyst team is made up of real-world

practitioners with first-hand experience of ITC delivery who continuously

research and track the industry and its real usage in the markets.

Through researching perceptions, Quocirca uncovers the real hurdles to

technology adoption the personal and political aspects of an

organisations environment and the pressures of the need for

demonstrable business value in any implementation. This capability to

uncover and report back on the end-user perceptions in the market

enables Quocirca to provide advice on the realities of technology

adoption, not the promises.

Quocirca research is always pragmatic, business orientated and

conducted in the context of the bigger picture. ITC has the ability to

transform businesses and the processes that drive them, but often fails to

do so. Quocircas mission is to help organisations improve their success

rate in process enablement through better levels of understanding and

the adoption of the correct technologies at the correct time.

Quocirca has a pro-active primary research programme, regularly

surveying users, purchasers and resellers of ITC products and services on

emerging, evolving and maturing technologies. Over time, Quocirca hasbuilt a picture of long term investment trends, providing invaluable

information for the whole of the ITC community.

Quocirca works with global and local providers of ITC products and

services to help them deliver on the promise that ITC holds for business.

Quocircas clients include Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, O2, T-Mobile, HP,

Xerox, EMC, Symantec and Cisco, along with other large and medium-

sized vendors, service providers and more specialist firms.

Details of Quocircas work and the services it offers can be found at

http://www.quocirca.com

REPORT NOTE:This report has been writtenindependently by Quocirca Ltd

to provide an overview of theissues facing organisationsseeking to maximise theeffectiveness of their networks.

The report draws on Quocircasknowledge of the technologyand business arenas, andprovides advice on theapproach that organisationsshould take to create a moreeffective IT network to supportfuture growth.
http://www.quocirca.com/http://www.quocirca.com/http://www.quocirca.com/

don’t forget the network

Documents