Don’t forget to stress test

22 Aug 2012

Marcus Jewell of Brocade shares with IP EXPO the importance of network testing in an age where virtualization and cloud computing are changing data centre set-ups for good.

The rise of virtualization, cloud computing are placing unprecedented pressures on corporate networks. For network administrators, understanding whether the network is ready to support new initiatives and planned business growth has never been more important, according to Marcus Jewell, UK & Ireland country manager at networking specialist Brocade.

“Whilst cloud computing and virtualization deliver considerable efficiencies, this has only added to the demands imposed on the corporate network infrastructure. Both clearly mean more traffic travelling across corporate network and beyond the firewall. Whilst virtualization relies on one server to host multiple virtual machines (VMs) and to keep up with demand during peak times, the cloud has its distributed applications, residing on different machines and each performing different parts of vital business processes.

Now is the time to really think about your organisation’s network and whether it is up to the job, he says, asking: “Could your network let you down at the worst possible time, or is your business taking smart (and often simple) measures to mitigate disaster?”

Smart companies, says Jewell, plan, test and build simulations to ensure that business applications are resilient against stress and aren’t close to falling over anytime soon. “Network managers are concerned with what the network is doing, while not knowing and not being able to do anything about it,” he says. “Knowing about bottlenecks and where they are, whether the network is near its limits, and whether a component is near the end of its useful life, are key to keeping the network robust.”

Business leaders need to recognise the corporate network as the foundation on which all progressive businesses depend, and acknowlege its vital role in underpinning future growth, according to Jewell. “Being able to flex and react to change without affecting performance, whether that’s to increase capacity with 24 hours’ warning or simply add a few more users to a system, will give an organisation a core edge on competitors,” he says.

It is for these reasons that technologies such as Ethernet Fabric are making significant in-roads in achieveing converged, highly reliable, robust and resilient, low-latency networks.

“Keeping well-maintained and monitored networks that deliver continued resilience if something does go wrong means a certain amount of trust needs to be imparted onto the network manager, so that budget is not released at the last minute, by which time it may be too late,” says Jewell. “Visibility (of the network team and the network itself), preparation and planning and keeping a firm grip on projects, upgrades and applications can ensure the network is fit for the future and cemented on the corporate agenda.”