Network Computing

Upcoming Events

In most data centers, DCIM rests on a shaky foundation of manual record keeping and scattered documentation. OpManager replaces data center documentation with a single repository for data, QRCodes for asset tracking, accurate 3D mapping of asset locations, and a configuration management database (CMDB). In this webcast, sponsored by ManageEngine, you will see how a real-world datacenter mapping stored in racktables gets imported into OpManager, which then provides a 3D visualization of where assets actually are. You'll also see how the QR Code generator helps you make the link between real assets and the monitoring world, and how the layered CMDB provides a single point of view for all your configuration data.

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A Network Computing Webinar:
SDN First Steps

Thursday, August 8, 2013
11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET

This webinar will help attendees understand the overall concept of SDN and its benefits, describe the different conceptual approaches to SDN, and examine the various technologies, both proprietary and open source, that are emerging. It will also help users decide whether SDN makes sense in their environment, and outline the first steps IT can take for testing SDN technologies.

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Next Gen NetworkTech Center

Your company has always made demands on the network, but in the last ten years, the biggest demand has been for more bandwidth. While increasing bandwidth is still important, supporting the diverse set of applications now coming onto the scene is going to impact how you design and manage your network from edge-to-core. Our Next Generation Network Tech Center delivers best practices, emerging trends, new products and strategies to help you prepare for the next generation network.

News and Analysis

Cisco's Chambers Conjures Future of Network

Cisco CEO John Chambers talks up application-centric infrastructure and the continued role of hardware.

10 Ways Software-Defined Networking Will Change IT

When networking professionals converge upon New York for Interop this week, software-defined networking (SDN) stands to establish itself as a major theme throughout session talks and informal conversations. As the industry watches the results of early adopter case studies and hears pundits advocate for this new means of controlling the network fabric, consensus is building for the potential that SDN could be an IT game-changer. Here's how, in the words of experts from around the industry.

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Blogs

Real-World Troubleshooting At InteropNet

September 30, 2013 05:21 PM

Posted by

InteropNet gets new monitoring capabilities to ensure high performance as it provides network connectivity to Interop exhibitors and attendees.

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Tags: monitoring, management, PathSolutions, Avaya, SFPs, hot stage

Channel: Networking & Mgmt, Data Center, Next Gen Network, Interop

SDN Meets Data Analytics

September 20, 2013 01:05 PM

Posted by Tom Hollingsworth

Plexxi's Data Services Engine takes software-defined networking to the next level by collecting data in the network and analyzing it to aid traffic flow.

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Tags: Plexxi, software defined networking, SDN, data center, Plexxi Data Services Engine, data analytics

Channel: Networking & Mgmt, Next Gen Network, Virtualization, Data Center

9 Immutable Laws of Network Design

September 17, 2013 06:54 PM

Posted by Jennifer Minella

Follow these simple rules to ensure your network is stable, secure and built to last as you overlay new services and applications.

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Tags: network design, network infrastructure, virtualized environments, VLAN, software-defined networking

Channel: Next Gen Network, Data Protection, Virtualization, Security, Networking & Mgmt, Wireless

In Defense Of VMware NSX And The Overlay Approach

September 11, 2013 02:46 PM

Posted by Kurt Marko

By using a network overlay architecture, NSX cleanly segments SDN approaches into two realms: the physical and virtual. The overlay strategy has been criticized, but it makes the most sense.

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Tags: VMware NSX, SDN, software defined networks, Martin Casado, Cisco, network overlay

Channel: Virtualization, Next Gen Network, Networking & Mgmt, Data Center, Security

VMware NSX: Game Changer for Data Center Networks

August 26, 2013 01:38 PM

Posted by Greg Ferro

VMware's network virtualization product, NSX, may upend data center networks the same way the hypervisor changed servers.

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Tags: VXLAN, STT, Nicira, overlay network, hypervisor, Open vSwitch

Channel: Private Cloud, Virtualization, Next Gen Network, Networking & Mgmt

Will NFV Kill Hardware Load Balancers?

August 22, 2013 11:10 AM

Posted by Tom Hollingsworth

As load balancing and other network functions get delivered via virtual appliances, does the hardware ADC have a future?

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Tags: NFV, hypervisor, hardware, application delivery controller, Cisco, Brocade, F5

Channel: Networking & Mgmt, Virtualization, Servers & Storage, Next Gen Network,

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Next Gen Network Reports

Data Center Interconnects: An Overview

It's common for organizations of a certain size to have two data centers as part of a disaster recovery or business continuity plan. A data center interconnect extends an Ethernet network between two physically separate data centers. While the idea is simple, Ethernet wasn't designed to run across a WAN. Thus, a DCI implementation requires a variety of technological fixes to work around Ethernet's limitations. This report outlines the issues that complicate DCIs, and examines the variety of options companies have to connect two or more data centers, -including dark fiber, MPLS services and MLAG, as well as vendor-specific options such as Cisco OTV and HP EVI.

Is Hosted VoIP Right for You? 6 Must-Ask Questions

We outline six questions you must ask when deciding whether to move your telephony system to a hosted VoIP provider, including questions about reliability, branch survivability, E911 capability and whether you�re looking for additional collaboration services. We also outline how to price a hosted VoIP option.

Understanding Flat Networks

A flat network or fabric provides more paths through the network and can maximize bandwidth and better support a highly virtualized data center. We'll look at standards-based approaches to designing a flat network, including TRILL and SPB, as well as proprietary implementations. We'll also discuss the implications of moving to a flat network and provide guidance to help you decide if this approach is right for your data center.

3 Paths To Network Convergence

Separate data and storage networks might have been necessary when Fast Ethernet was pitted against speedy, special-purpose Fibre Channel, but Ethernet's evolution has obviated most of the performance differences. We'll examine the trends behind network convergence, share exclusive research, and outline three deployment scenarios for those who want to merge data and storage networks.

Networking In A Virtualized World

Virtualization is rapidly evolving into a core element of next-generation data centers. This expanded role places new strains on the network. This report explore the technical issues exposed by virtualized infrastructure and looks at standards, technologies and best practices that can make your network ready to support virtualization.

Research and Reports