RSS
  To download an
Adobe Acrobat format version of the Centerfold graphic
, click here.
Network Computing Scores In Real-World Tests By Mona R. Litt Network Computing's Real-World Labs strive to duplicate the dynamic environments of actual network systems. The labs form a distributed network that spans six locations and is made up of a variety of systems, networks, applications and WAN technologies, both cutting edge and tried and true. The magazine's technology editors test new products in a real-world environment and provide the staff with the best methods of communication and information sharing. "We need to provide a lab test scenario that closely models and takes advantage of production -type facilities," says Robert J. Kohlhepp, Network Computing's strategic labs director. "This way, we can more accurately report on any product's given features." Network Computing has lab partnerships with the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Syracuse University, a Fortune 10 energy company in the San Francisco Bay Area and a multinational corporation in Florida. Technology editors also work from a test lab in San Mateo, Calif. A corporate testing alliance with MCI's Developers Lab enables the editors to test enterprise WAN products. More than 30 technology editors use a variety of applications to test network computing products. Custom-written Perl scripts and the FileMetric/Coffee Computing benchmark let them examine real-time file and Web server activity. Other benchmark tools include Ganymede Software's Chariot and Netcom Systems PowerBits, according to Kohlhepp. The network is not only critical to the features, reviews and workshops in this magazine, it also provid es production services t o the editorial staff. The network utilizes Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP), Post Office Protocol (POP), SMTP and Univerica Mail Transport Agent for its mail services, and Oracle Corp. and Sybase Corp. databases for testing middleware. Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP OpenView and Cabletron Systems' Spectrum Element Manager serve as the network management tools. The labs also use Entrust Technologies' Entrust for certificate management. Network Computing's network continues to evolve and test the limits of new technologies. "We look forward to the collaboration between labs to build cohesive directory services using Novell Directory Services, DCE and Microsoft's Active Directory Services within the next six months," Kohlhepp says. Over the past year, Network Computing has developed its online services, including launching the Interactive Report Card ® and Interactive Buyer's Guide (see www.NetworkComputing. com). CERFnet hosts all Web services, but Web design and site management occurs in-house. Netscape Com
munications Corp.'s custom application, Workbench, acts as the Web management tool. Adobe Systems' Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and text editors help editors to design the Web site's many ever-changing features.
Updated October 24, 1997  |
