* Users give advice on choosing WAN emulation technologies
Today we have the last in a series if newsletters looking at the use of WAN emulation technologies and this time, we hear the advice of users on selecting a WAN emulation tool. It’s important to choose a tool that is not overly complex. This is the same for any type of management tool but is particularly true for a tool that’s based on modeling or simulation. Such tools follow a distinct 80/20 rule: 80% of the insight can typically be provided, yet incur just 20% of the complexity. However, in order to add additional insight, the tool becomes very complex and usually requires a level of granular input that either does not exist or is incredibly time consuming to create.
The Performance Engineer highlighted that importance: “One of the most important characteristics of a WAN emulation tool is simplicity. I want it to be simple enough that support people can use it without my help. It is important that the WAN emulation tool does not require me to have to install and configure extra routers just to use it.” The Consultant agreed with The Performance Engineer and said: “Ease of use is a major consideration when choosing a WAN emulation tool. I want a variety of people to be able to be able to use it.”
The Technology Manager agreed that simplicity is important, adding: “When choosing a WAN emulation tool it is also important to choose one that has the ability to automatically analyze the existing network.” He also emphasized the importance of choosing a tool that supports effective reporting.
As demonstrated in the last several newsletters, WAN emulation tools can provide significant value to IT organizations. In order to start the process of deploying WAN emulation, IT organizations need to identify the characteristics they are looking for in a WAN emulation tool (i.e., ease of use) and use those characteristics to choose the appropriate tool to meet their needs. The next step is to both create a compelling business case that quantifies the benefits of WAN emulation and to use that to get management buy-in. The final steps are to implement the tool and then market its use widely inside the organization in order to ensure that the organization gets the maximum benefit out of the tool.
If you want to read more about WAN emulation, you can download the 2008 Application Delivery Handbook, available at no cost at Webtorials.
