- Bank Web sites full of security holes
- SCO Group: Its future is all used up
- Maligned feature being added to IPv6
- I returned my iPhone 3G after six days!
- VPNs: Six burning questions
News | Newsletters | Podcasts | Chats | Opinions | RSS Feeds | This Week In Print | IT Careers | Community | Reports | Downloads | Slideshows | New Data Center
Partner Sites:App Performance | On Demand Security | Networking Solution | SOA | Value of WDS
![]() |
| Issy Ben-Shaul of Cisco. |
Organizations today employ widely distributed IP networks that deliver Web-based and client/server applications worldwide. Even with ample bandwidth, application performance can slow to a snail's pace in this environment, seriously hindering a company's ability to do business.
To address this challenge, networks need to become more application-aware. That is, intelligent networks must be able to identify and understand Layer 7 application protocols to optimize or carry out application-specific messages. By identifying types of application messages, such as high-priority and latency-sensitive signaling messages, or by recognizing message content, such as a purchase order or stock trade, a network can apply message-specific optimization, security or routing policies. With greater application-aware functionality, remote offices can experience LAN-like performance, boosting employee productivity.
Application-aware networks also enable IT managers to monitor application performance constantly and optimize bandwidth and spot trouble early. This enhances application operation and the overall IT infrastructure - all without the huge expense of building out a network or reworking applications.
For example, a major insurance company began to deploy a homegrown, Web-based application that had taken more than two years to develop. The application tested well in the data center, so the company was optimistic about delivering an important claims-processing function to its many branches across North America. The deployment hit a serious snag, however, when employees tried to access the application over their WAN. Application performance slowed to a crawl, and frustrated workers began to miss their quotas. An application that was supposed to boost productivity reduced it instead, forcing a premature halt to the rollout.
Upgrading the network itself was irrelevant, as bandwidth utilization was less than 20%, and upgrading would have done nothing to mitigate the latency. Alternatively, the company could have rewritten the claims application to minimize the number of traversals, but it rejected this option. Instead, it chose to deploy affordable application-aware network devices that understood its Web protocol. By so doing, the network became more efficient in delivering the performance employees needed. In fact, application response time improved 2.5 times without changes to the application or user systems.
If the IT manager is knowledgeable regarding Cisco technology, he would have 2 options. Option 1 - Consult...- Anonymous
Partner Content
CA Network & Voice Resource Center
Comprehensive Network & Voice Management Visit CA Network & Voice Management Resource Center and get insights into industry best practices, information that helps you to address your challenges.
CA Network & Voice Management Resource Center
Managing Voice Over IP for Successful Convergence
Voice over IP (VoIP) has much to offer in cost savings but some customers have concerns about VoIP call quality compared to the quality of traditional voice services. This white paper will help you learn how to take the right steps so that voice quality is assured.
Managing VoIP for Successful Convergence
The Changing Face of Network Management
Managing your network is serious business. This paper discusses the benefits of integrating configuration change-awareness into your network fault management solution
Download Whitepaper
Comment