Critical Infrastructure in the Cloud? Absolutely!
Yes, big chunks of your WLAN in fact belong in the cloud
By Craig Mathias on Fri, 11/13/09 - 4:34pm.
It's an argument familiar to many in the mobile world - sure, you can put all kinds of functionality on your handset or other highly-mobile device, but what happens when you can't get a connection (to be fair, a problem in the wireless world still, quite remarkably, with us all too often)? Your shiny iPhone/BlackBerry/whatever goes into involuntary paperweight mode, doing you little good beyond being prepared for a stiff breeze. So, following this line of reasoning, suppose you move other, typically stationary, critical services into the cloud and your link (typically, in this case, wired) goes down. Whatcha gonna do then, bunky?
This is the core argument against what is becoming a small-scale trend in WLAN management, which is essentially moving the management plane into the cloud. This approach first surfaced with an announcement back in May from Meraki, which, according to some interpretations, also moves elements of the control plane into the cloud as well. Regardless, Meraki offers a remarkable degree of functionality at a very low price, but many I've spoken with expressed the above-mentioned discomfort with, again, critical infrastructure implemented as a Web service. And yet:
* Aerohive in late October announced HiveManager Online, which they described quite aptly as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) approach to the management of their WLAN products. No equipment or the installation thereof is required. Software is automatically kept up to date and the solution is also (again, aptly) described as "green".
* Aruba's AirWave division also recently announced their Web-based multi-vendor management solution, AirWave OnDemand. Like other SaaS services, this one is subscription-based and provides all of the functionality that would normally be resident on an enterprise network in a server or appliance. We're currently evaluating some of the Aruba branch-office products, and we'll give AirWave OnDemand a try - so more on this one shortly.
* Motorola recently announced a set of branch-office solutions with a strong emphasis on centralizing expertise while managing widely-distributed operations via the Web.
A (somewhat counterintuitive) trend? You bet. But one you should fear? No way! Most reservations are unfounded, and for a very simple reason: the bottom line here is that Web connectivity is now required for just about every application by everyone all the time, and not just for network management - no link, no work. On the fixed side, Web access to network operations and management consoles shouldn't represent much of a challenge if a failover strategy is in place - as one should be for a corporation of any size. The real challenge is on the mobility side, and I believe this will be addressed by dual-radio handsets (Wi-Fi to the rescue) and inter-carrier agreements allowing load-sharing and failover (these are a possibility, anyway). The convenience of a Web-based approach to operations, regardless, is undeniable. Why shouldn't the traditional NOC be doomed? Why shouldn't one be able to mange one's network from, if necessary or desirable, Starbucks (and I still like Peet's better myself)? What you're really seeing here is a very natural evolution of IT itself that began long go and will continue to gain steam for many years to come.
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Mathias is a principal at Farpoint Group, a wireless advisory firm in Ashland, Mass.
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(Comment deleted, as
(Comment deleted, as original message was deleted by moderator.)
No
What?
"if a failover strategy is in place - as one should be for a corporation of any size."
Yeah. All the thousands of 20-employee small businesses can afford a backup internet connection.
Right.
Want network operation control outside the office? Setup a VPN. Why have it in the 'cloud'?
Sure, for LARGE organizations, such offerings could result in some cost savings. For the vast majority of US business, I don't see it.
In my business, if the net connection drops, we're still productive. Customers may get delays in rollouts or communication, but a call from a cellphone settles that.
I doubt my business is the exception.
KM
And your point is?
1. A failover strategy is important even for small businesses. I'm a small business, and, if I lose my connection to the Internet, I am down. Period. You must have very forgiving customers. Personally, every time I hear "our computer is down [which often means the network, not the computer]; you have to call back" from a customer service rep, I think about changing suppliers. Sometimes I do.
2. VPNs are required no matter what. But the point here is flexibility and eliminating the need for at least some capital equipment and associated services.
As I noted, I am going to try the Aruba/AirWave approach myself. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thank you for the note.
Craig.
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