SD-WAN products have been available for the better part of five years. Early adopters of the technology focused primarily on transport-related issues such as replacing or augmenting MPLS with broadband. As any technology matures and moves out of the early adopter phase, the buying criteria changes — and SD-WAN is no different.In 2018, a ZK Research survey asked respondents to rank SD-WAN buying criteria, and security came out as the top response, well ahead of technology innovation and price. (Note: I am employee of ZK Research.) To better understand this trend and what it means to network professionals, I sat down with Fortinet’s executive vice president of products and solutions, John Maddison, who sets the company’s product strategy, making him well versed in both SD-WAN and security.To read this article in full, please click here
Dell EMC has introduced new software for its Data Domain and Integrated Data Protection Appliance (IPDA) products that it claims will improve backup and restore performance from anywhere from 2.5 times to four times the previous version.Data Domain is Dell EMC’s purpose-built data deduplicating backup appliance, originally purchased by EMC long before the merger of the two companies. The IPDA is a converged solution that offers complete backup, replication, recovery, deduplication, with cloud extensibility.Performance is the key feature Dell is touting with Data Domain OS 6.2 and IDPA 2.3 software. Dell says Data Domain on-premises restores are up to 2.5 times faster than prior versions, while data restoration from the Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud to an on-premises Data Domain appliance can be up to four times faster.To read this article in full, please click here
Today, connectivity to the Internet is easy; you simply get an Ethernet driver and hook up the TCP/IP protocol stack. Then dissimilar network types in remote locations can communicate with each other. However, before the introduction of the TCP/IP model, networks were manually connected but with the TCP/IP stack, the networks can connect themselves up, nice and easy. This eventually caused the Internet to explode, followed by the World Wide Web.So far, TCP/IP has been a great success. It’s good at moving data and is both robust and scalable. It enables any node to talk to any other node by using a point-to-point communication channel with IP addresses as identifiers for the source and destination. Ideally, a network ships the data bits. You can either name the locations to ship the bits to or name the bits themselves. Today’s TCP/IP protocol architecture picked the first option. Let’s discuss the section option later in the article.To read this article in full, please click here
The term “computer virus” calls to mind imagery of pathogenic creepy-crawlies bringing down a device’s operating system, their flagella wriggling as they multiply into hordes that infiltrate its chips and wires. And while it’s true that our computers can be infected with literal biological bacteria like staphylococci, per Science Illustrated, the threat of malicious codes and programs intent on corrupting data and files looms far larger: According to a recent study from the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering, attacks on computers with internet access is virtually ceaseless, with an incident occurring every 39 seconds on average, affecting a third of Americans every year. To read this article in full, please click here
Hyperconvergence is an IT framework that combines storage, computing and networking into a single system in an effort to reduce data center complexity and increase scalability. Hyperconverged platforms include a hypervisor for virtualized computing, software-defined storage, and virtualized networking, and they typically run on standard, off-the-shelf servers. Multiple nodes can be clustered together to create pools of shared compute and storage resources, designed for convenient consumption.The use of commodity hardware, supported by a single vendor, yields an infrastructure that's designed to be more flexible and simpler to manage than traditional enterprise storage infrastructure. For IT leaders who are embarking on data center modernization projects, hyperconvergence can provide the agility of public cloud infrastructure without relinquishing control of hardware on their own premises.To read this article in full, please click here
There are numerous ways to get information on the memory installed on Linux systems and view how much of that memory is being used. Some commands provide an overwhelming amount of detail, while others provide succinct, though not necessarily easy-to-digest, answers. In this post, we'll look at some of the more useful tools for checking on memory and its usage.Before we get into the details, however, let's review a few details. Physical memory and virtual memory are not the same. The latter includes disk space that configured to be used as swap. Swap may include partitions set aside for this usage or files that are created to add to the available swap space when creating a new partition may not be practical. Some Linux commands provide information on both.To read this article in full, please click here
Electrical currents are best created using semiconductor crystals that absorb light, say researchers who have announced a significant, potential computer-speed breakthrough. The team obtained ultrafast clock rates in the terahertz of frequencies, using light. That is significantly higher than existing single-gigahertz computer clock rates.The “bursts of light contain frequencies that are 5,000 times higher than the highest clock rate of modern computer technology,” researchers at the Forschungsverbund research association in Germany announced in a press release last month. A chip's oscillating frequencies, called clock rate, is one measurement of speed.To read this article in full, please click here
Everyone agrees that backups must be sent off site in order to protect your data from large disasters such as fire, earthquake, tornado, hurricane or flood.To read this article in full, please click here(Insider Story)
IPv6 has characteristics lacking in IPv4 that make it advantageous for internet of things deployments, such as supporting large IoT networks, helping preserve battery life of IoT devices and reducing administrative and maintenance burden. Could IoT be helping to drive IPv6 adoption in enterprise networks?To read this article in full, please click here(Insider Story)
When coming up to speed as a Linux user, it helps to have a cheat sheet that can help introduce you to some of the more useful commands.In the tables below, you’ll find sets of commands with simple explanations and usage examples that might help you or Linux users you support become more productive on the command line.[ Also see Invaluable tips and tricks for troubleshooting Linux. ]
Getting familiar with your account
These commands will help new Linux users become familiar with their Linux accounts.To read this article in full, please click here
Technology is always evolving. However, in recent time, two significant changes have emerged in the world of networking. Firstly, the networking is moving to software that can run on commodity off-the-shelf hardware. Secondly, we are witnessing the introduction and use of many open source technologies, removing the barrier of entry for new product innovation and rapid market access.Networking is the last bastion within IT to adopt the open source. Consequently, this has badly hit the networking industry in terms of slow speed of innovation and high costs. Every other element of IT has seen radical technology and cost model changes over the past 10 years. However, IP networking has not changed much since the mid-’90s.To read this article in full, please click here
Introduced in 1997, the IEEE 802.11 standard, more commonly known as Wi-Fi, has continually evolved to address the need of increased speeds in enterprise Wi-Fi networks. Of late, however, data rate and throughput have become table stakes in any high-density WLAN deployment.That's because there has been an explosion in the number of client devices per household. Offices and public spaces like malls, stadiums, and concert venues also boast of highly dense client environments. The demand has shifted from "high speed Wi-Fi" to "fast and efficient Wi-Fi in extremely dense environments."Enter 11ax. With the introduction of 802.11ax (also known as Wi-Fi 6), the wireless industry is now delivering bandwidth and efficiency several times that of the legacy 802.11b.To read this article in full, please click here
It was a busy week for Intel as it announced the promotion of CFO Bob Swan to CEO, ending a seven-month search, set a deadline for the life of its ill-fated Itanium processor, and is now reportedly in the running to buy Mellanox.I don’t think for a second these are unrelated. Swan is a money guy. Ending the life of Itanium and making a strategic acquisition are right in his wheelhouse.Swan’s elevation is just what analyst Jim McGregor called for a few weeks ago when I asked what was taking so long in the CEO search. Swan, 58, who joined Intel as CFO in October 2016, becomes Intel’s seventh CEO and only its second non-engineer. The first was the late Paul Otellini, and he worked out very well.To read this article in full, please click here
Why are customers moving to SD-WAN? With more than 70 percent of applications having already moved to the cloud, forward-thinking enterprises are re-thinking their WAN strategy to attain the best return from their cloud investments. Many have discovered that traditional router-centric architectures that backhaul all application traffic to headquarters is impairing the performance of SaaS applications and IaaS services. By shifting to a business-first networking model where the network enables the business, rather than the business conforming to the constraints of the network, enterprises can realize the full transformation promise of the cloud. A business-driven SD-WAN edge platform can deliver compelling cost savings, too.To read this article in full, please click here
Cisco is significantly spreading its data-center technology to help customers grow and control hybrid, multicloud or hyperconverged edge environments.In a series of announcements at its Cisco Live! customer gathering in Barcelona, the company sought to expand its data center-influence by extending its Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) to the cloud, extending its hyperconverged HyperFlex offering to the edge and bolstering the management capabilities of its CloudCenter offering.To read this article in full, please click here
There’s excitement building around 802.11ax, and for good reason. Newly designated as Wi-Fi 6 by the Wi-Fi Alliance, the next-generation 802.11 technology will deliver a better user experience, especially as the number and diversity of mobile and IoT devices continue to grow.There’s no question that mobility and Wi-Fi have become an essential part of life. More than 35 billion Wi-Fi devices will ship by 2020—that’s four times the number of people on the planet. People already have laptops, phones, and tablets, and they are buying other devices like wearable health monitors and smart watches. The IoT market is set to soar, with some 20 billion IoT devices to be sold in the next few years for everything ranging from helping people to make healthier choices; creating workplaces that automatically adapt to our personal preferences; and helping farmers increase crop yields and to feed the eight billion people who will live on our planet by 2020. To read this article in full, please click here
Efficiency is the name of the game in today’s fast-paced digital world; and whether you’re leading a team—or an entire company—you should always be looking for new and creative ways to get more done in less time. That’s the goal, right? While there are plenty of pricey tools like Slack and Skype that promise to fine-tune your productivity, few are as quick and impactful as Glip, and it won’t cost you a dime.To read this article in full, please click here
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer some futuristic thing that’s years off from being something IT leaders need to be concerned with. The IoT era has arrived. In fact, Gartner forecasts there will be 20.4 billion connected devices globally by 2020.An alternative proof point is the fact that when I talk with people about their company's IoT plans, they don’t look at me like a deer in headlights as they did a few years ago. In fact, often the term “IoT” doesn’t even come up. Businesses are connecting more “things” to create new processes, improve efficiency, or improve customer service.As they do, though, new security challenges arise. One of which is there's no “easy button.” IT professionals can’t just deploy some kind of black box and have everything be protected. Securing the IoT is a multi-faceted problem with many factors to consider, and it must be built into any IoT plan.To read this article in full, please click here
Today, the wide area network (WAN) is a vital enterprise resource. Its uptime, often targeting availability of 99.999%, is essential to maintain the productivity of employees and partners and also for maintaining the business’s competitive edge.Historically, enterprises had two options for WAN management models — do it yourself (DIY) and a managed network service (MNS). Under the DIY model, the IT networking and security teams build the WAN by integrating multiple components including MPLS service providers, internet service providers (ISPs), edge routers, WAN optimizers and firewalls.The components are responsible for keeping that infrastructure current and optimized. They configure and adjust the network for changes, troubleshoot outages and ensure that the network is secure. Since this is not a trivial task, therefore many organizations have switched to an MNS. The enterprises outsource the buildout, configuration and on-going management often to a regional telco.To read this article in full, please click here
The Internet of Things (IoT) is everywhere these days, from smart houses to smart cities to industrial applications. And now it’s coming to the coolers in a drugstore near you.Walgreens is testing innovative, IoT-powered "smart coolers" that combine cameras, facial recognition software, and display screens in the cooler doors to serve targeted ads depending on what it can tell about shoppers rooting around for cold drinks and frozen treats.[ Read more about IoT: Download a PDF bundle of five essential articles about IoT in the enterprise ]
Bringing the online ad experience in store
According to the Wall Street Journal, the system attempts to recreate the online advertising experience in brick and mortar stores, using facial recognition software to determine the age of the shopper and what products they’ve already selected — as well as environmental factors — to determine what ads to show. Supplied by Chicago-based Cooler Screens, the technology is designed to transform “retail cooler surfaces into IoT-enabled screens and [create] the largest retail point-of-sale merchandising platform in the world.”To read this article in full, please click here