10 New Technologies to Boost Your Network

1. 10 New Technologies to Pump Up Your Network Carrie Higbie, Siemon Global Network Applications Market Manager Ask the Expert , TechTarget – SearchNetworking, SearchEnterprise Voice, SearchDataCenter President, BladeSystems Alliance

2. 10 new technologies to pump up your network • Intelligent patching • Better cabling • 10G is reality • Gigabit to the desktop • Security appliances • Layer 7 products • Wireless, especially WiMax • Blades • Advancements in switching and routing • VoIP/IPT • Grid computing

3. 1. What is intelligent patching? • Adds the physical layer to your management capabilities • Allows you to see where devices are on your networks • Real-time MAC management • Real-time upgrades to labeling and documentation • Significantly decreases troubleshooting and fault detection

4. Discoversall devices • Logs all events • Reports by object class, event type, location • Triggersand escalates alarms or alerts via email, voice, page, messaging, cameras etc. • Dispatches SNMP commands to switches or other network devices • Enforces methodologiesfor best practice change control and management • Extends third party, in-house, NMS, asset management, help desk

5. Patch panel Switch with sensor strip • Sensor technologyembedded in patch panels and patch cords • LAN sensor strips mount over switch or router ports • Analyzerscollect connection data from the physical layer and LAN port connections and feed to the sensor software • System cablesconnect patch panels and LAN sensor strips sensors to analyzers • Softwaremonitors network connections and devices Analyzer

6. 2. Better cabling • Class F/Category 7 • Noise immunity • Now approved for government installations that used to require conduit due to noise • 10G Category 6 • Will really last 10 years • Category 5e is not approved for this technology • Shielded systems • 50-micron fiber, laser optimized fiber • Standards are now recommending Category 6 minimum

7. Why does this increase performance? • Downtime is expensive • Heartier cabling is less susceptible to problems • Recabling is expensive and requires downtime • Retransmissions increase latency and network traffic loads • Auto-negotiation due to poor cabling can keep expensive electronics from performing as expected • ANEXT is not an issue with shielded systems • External noise such as factory machines are not an issue with shielded systems • Initial investment is 5-7% of network costs, but poorly installed cabling is 70% of network problems! • Any time you revisit your cabling you are investing in LABOR – the most costly factor!

8. DCLCC cabling NFPA codes and standards represent a set of minimum fire safety requirements for the protection of buildings

9. NFPA 90A is responsible for plenum spaces in buildings • NFPA 90A – Standard for air conditioning and ventilation equipment • Sets requirements for flame, smoke and fuel load • 4.3.10.2.6 -- “All materials exposed to the airflow shall be non-combustible or limited combustible and have a maximum smoke developed index of 50...” • Combustible (CMP, etc.) cables allowed as exception • Requires listing of limited combustible cable

10. NFPA 70 is responsible for plenum cable products and applications • National Electrical Code (NEC) • Recognizes hazards associated with cables in plenums • Requires removal of abandoned cable from plenums • Fine print note (FPN) points to NFPA 13 requirements for plenum sprinklers with combustible loading

11. NFPA 13 standard for the installation of sprinkler systems • In sprinklered buildings, use of combustible cables in concealed spaces, including plenums, requires installation of sprinklers in these spaces. • Use of limited combustible cable does not require sprinklers in these spaces. • The options: 1. Sprinklers in concealed space 2. Cable in conduit 3. LCC cable (most cost effective)

12. Why does this matter? • May affect your ability to occupy the building • Abandoned cable can deplete your cooling resources or cause an air dam • In faults 95%+ is due to smoke only 5% is actual fire • Fire spreads on parallel cabling

13. 3. 10G – It’s here! • Fiber-based options • Utilize SMF or 50 micron laser optimized fiber • Copper twisted-pair versions are in alpha • Based on 10GBASE-T standard to publish in June 2006 • Copper 10GBASE-CX4 products have been out for some time • Predominantly in storage • Limited to 15m (twinax) • May be replaced by 10GBASE-T alternatives

14. Difference between copper and fiber • Fiber does not auto-negotiate • Copper will auto-negotiate between 10/100/1000/10G • Copper limited to 100m on augmented Category 6, Class F/Category 7 • Limited to 55m on legacy 6 • No support for Category 5e • Fiber will be 10X the cost of a 1G fiber port • Copper will be 3X the cost of a 1G copper port • Photons versus electricity

15. 10G early adopters • Data centers • Vertical infrastructures • High-demand applications • Graphics • Simulations • CAD/CAM/CAE • Teleradiology and telemedicine • New non-compressed video applications

16. Gigabit to the desktop • All PCs come with Gigabit capabilities • Chip costs have decreased significantly • Many companies are already moving to gigabit • Power users see immediate benefit • Some are already 10G • Provides additional throughput and decreases latency • Saves on transfer times and increases productivity

17. 4. Security appliances • More than a firewall • Examines port activity • Can be in the NIC or at the switch • Shuts down offending systems • Integrated management for many security options • Can include spam and malware filters • Can stop problems before they propagate • Most include radius services • Provides additional logging and audit trails for compliance

18. Where can I build in security? Business Servers: Files, Applications, E-mail, Web, Storage User accessinfrastructure LAN coreinfrastructure EMBEDDED FIREWALL Users, PCs, NICs, etc… Wired Desktop Server Farm LAN Core RADIUS, Policy, & Directories Servers 10/100/1000 ADVANCED HIGH DENSITY Telephony Servers& Gateways Phones IP Voice WAN Routers, Firewalls, VPN, Anti-Virus, IDS, Wireless Switch Remote Sites Internet Access Network Management WAN & Internetinfrastructure

19. What’s under the hood? • Application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) • Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) • Utilizes pattern matching • Specialized processors • IPS/IDS • Intrusion protection/intrusion detection • SSL/VPN

20. 5. Layer 7 products • Build on QoS from Layer 3 by adding application-specific routing • Can assist with bandwidth-hungry applications by providing specific routing based on priority as the application sees it • Use content management such as HTTP headers, SSL, Session IDs, cookies and URI • Distribute content and services among different servers to balance loads • Can be proxy or transparent

21. Differences between proxy and transparent modes • Proxy • A single point of entry • Centralizes security • Consolidates logging • Performance advantages • Transparent • Reverse of Web cache • Can add some minor latency

22. 6. Wireless – In particular, WiMax • Designed primarily for last mile • Can offer increased performance for some last-mile and/or campus applications • Still shared bandwidth • Still wireless • Can be operated in protected/licensed spectrum • Part of IEEE BWA (Broadband Wireless Access) • New Intel chip for WiMax introduced • Point to multi-point distribution

23. 802.16 WiMax

24. 7. Blades • BladeSystems Alliance • All things blade • Racks • Enclosures • Interoperability booths • Servers and storage • Cooling and power • Data center considerations

26. 14 South Networks     3UP Systems   Advanced Premise Technologies   American Power Conversion Corporation* Amphus   Apple Computer   Artesyn Technologies  * Avocent   Berg Software Design   ClearCube Technology, Inc.* CoroSoft* Coughlin Associates    Emulex Corporation* F5 Networks* Chris Hipp   IBM* IMEX Research* InfiniCon Systems   Kashya, Inc.* Mellanox Technologies* Nacio Systems   Network Appliance Nexcom International    nStor Corporation* OSA Technologies* PLX Technology   Q4 Company* QLogic* Raritan Computer Inc.   SharkRack, Inc.   The Siemon Company   Silicon Mechanics* StarGen Inc.   StoneFly Networks   Sun Microsystems   Tatung Company   Topspin Communications   Unigen* Unisys Corporation* VERITAS Software* Wind River   Wright Line Inc.   XIOtech   Zetta Systems, Inc. Other members

27. IT budgets – Where are the dollars spent? Courtesy of Intel

28. Why consider blade servers? • Reduced complexity • Streamlined deployment and ease of management • Scalable • Increased density of processing power in smaller footprint • Consolidated management • Clusters with additional processing power • Increased I/O at wire speed for all on same backplane • Increased storage options

29. Differences between blades and traditional servers

30. 8. Advancements in switching and routing • Increased wire-speed processing • Ethernet on the backplane work in progress in IEEE • 10G switches and 10G uplink ports are available from most manufacturers • Some include layer 7 capabilities • PoE addition and significant decrease in costs • PoE gigabit only works on end-span (power provided from the switch)

31. Better routing protocols and ELECs • In many areas, WAN speeds are greater than LAN speeds • Can be used to cluster resources • Higher levels of traffic now move at increased speeds • Greater competition in this space has allowed for greater functionality • Ethernet local exchange carriers mean conversions/encapsulations are now avoidable

32. 9. VoIP and IP telephony • It’s not new, but is being readily adopted • E911 is still an issue • Product sets are proving to be more scalable and interoperability is increasing with SIP and product maturity • 75% of voice traffic expected to be VoIP by 2007 (IDC Research)

33. VoIP and IP telephony • IPT includes things such as fax, universal messaging, etc. • Takes voice and samples it into packets for delivery across a network • Provides a significant cost savings to companies especially office to office • Needs some type of gateway to the POTS network

34. VoIP and IP telephony • Switch may be in phone, may be separate cable • Standards recommend two outlets per work area • One for phone, one for PC in this case • If switch is in phone, cable channel becomes shared media • Phones may be powered via data cable • Voice traffic is sensitive and requires dependable bandwidth • Video conference may be part of system • Category 7 cable allows PC and phone to operate at 10/100 over one single cable • New wireless IP phones are being introduced

35. Routing for VoIP • Call is digitized in phone • Each packet is about 20ms of voice • Packets move to IP PBX • If in house, sends packets to other phone • If out of house and on VoIP system, sends call to other system • If not in house, not VoIP – moves to POTS network

36. Universal messaging • Part of SIP • Calls can follow a user • URL dialing • Voice mail in e-mail • Voice system can read you your e-mail • Single connectivity solution for messaging

37. VoIP and the LAW • Is it data? • Is it voice? • Public service commissions seek tariffs • EU says quality is too poor to regulate like PSTN/cell • Origination of call is tariff point • How do you track this with mobile workforces? • SIP allows location by URL • Internet allows calls to originate anywhere • Similar to proceedings from cable industry several years ago

38. Using the switch in the phone • Cost of phone (average retail) $360.00 • Avg. cost of not running a new cable - 150.00 • Stated “cost” of phone after savings $210.00 • Cost to replace phone once over lifetime of system $360.00 • Actual cost with one replacement ($210.00 + replacement) $570.00 • Average cost of running an additional cable $150.00 • Average cost of phone without switch $200.00 • Average cost of one replacement over lifetime of cable $200.00 • Total cost with additional cable $550.00

39. 10. Grid computing

40. What’s a grid? • The ability to group/cluster many systems together to increase processing power • Do not have to be the same computers • Reaching mainstream corporate environments • Share processing loads • Share storage pools • Virtualization is a great fit for this technology • Can process requests remotely and send solution sets

41. TeraGrid – Open scientific computing

42. Allows shares of significant data stores • Full image of the earth once every 24 hours • Some are a terabyte in size • Lawrence and Berkley labs built a grid out of PCs that nearly equaled the processing power of a small Cray for under $20k • Becoming an option for large ERP/CRM systems • Check out www.top500.org for a listing of resources

43. Thank you Carrie Higbie, Siemon Global Network Applications Market Manager Ask the Expert , TechTarget – SearchNetworking, SearchEnterprise Voice, SearchDataCenter President, BladeSystems Alliance