A confluence of trends is ushering in a new design center for building and operating enterprise networks. Some of these trends are the continued downward price points of Ethernet switching, “integrated” network security, enterprise WLAN deployments,
maturity of IP Telephony solutions and most importantly, the severe budget constraints and increased requirement demands placed upon IT managers. Most if not all IT managers have to close network vulnerabilities, ensure business continuity in case
disaster strikes and implement network solutions that improve business or public sector employee productivity. Many of these edicts from above are un-funded projects placed upon IT managers at a time when 2003 IT spending will be +/- 3% of 2002
budgets, according to IDC www.idc.com.

Some of the large enterprise players such as 3Com www.3com.com , HP www.hp.com and Enterasys www.enterasys.com see opportunity in closing what I call a growing IT gap of less budget dollars to spend while requirements continue to increase. Because of the IT gap all network design rules have changed. For example, network service placement, packaging and form factor of ethernet switching, how security is implemented, the types of wide and local area connections used to link up sites and
connect in are different and the tools used to manage are all under going fundamental change. In short, there is a realignment of network features, functions and control points aimed at closing the IT gap.

Network intelligence, or network services, such as security, quality of service, power over ethernet, directory, content aware switching, presence, traffic management, etc is being distributed so they are closer users. This is in stark contrast to the centralization of network services manifested in collapsed backbone network structures or the reliance of centralized services delivered via service provider networks. The value of DIN is realized in three important ways: 1) lower acquisition and operational cost of networking products on multiple levels, 2) improved user network experience via network services close to users, and 3) the ability to support new productivity increasing IT applications such as IP Telephony.

The Distributed Intelligent Network or DIN architecture is made up of six components:

1. Smart workgroups
2. Distributed core backbones
3. Wireless networking
4. Network services
5. Virtual WAN or VWANs
6. IP telephony

Network security is an “integrated” service within a DIN architecture rather then a separate box or software image providing authentication, key distribution, encryption, firewalling, etc. Some have argued that SAN/NAS should be a component of DINs. I’m
on the fence on this. Yes DINs will improve SAN/NAS installments with smart workgroups switching traffic based upon content in addition to destination IP address. Also a more distributed directory that locates content will also improve SAN/NAS installations.
So I come down on the side of SAN/NAS installations will improve with DINs rather then being a separate component.

In this Lippis Report we’ll cover Smart workgroups, distributed core backbones and wireless networking. In Lippis Report Volume 13 Network Services, VWANs and IP Telephony will be explored along with a final DIN wrap up.

Smart Workgroup Networking

Workgroup networks are becoming more switched, intelligent and wireless. Price points for switched LAN products continue to drop. For example, a 1Gbs Ethernet port on a fixed configuration switch is approximately $137 today. Pricing pressure will only
increase thanks to companies like Dell and Intel who have entered the networking market. Traditional equipment vendors are therefore seeking differentiation by increasing value. Value is being added into the once dumb workgroup switched network. Value is the inclusion of wireless LAN connectivity, the delivery of network services and price efficiency. The new smart workgroup design allows IT managers to deliver productivity boosting wireless mobility and business continuity. Another feature of smart workgroup networks is the enforcement of network services such as QoS, directory, security, network monitoring and configuration plus the delivery of power for IP phones. This distribution of intelligence of network services at the workgroup level
delivers powerful control of network resources to IT managers. It allows IT managers to:
?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨¬¢ Control access to the switched infrastructure,
?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨¬¢ Deliver QoS at the ingress of the network,
?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨¬¢ Lowers the traffic load on the backbone network,
?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨¬¢ Enables secure wireless mobility services,
?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨¬¢ Centrally configure and monitor workgroup resources.

Distributed Core Networking

The role of the core backbone network is to provide a high reliability transport service. In effect as workgroup networks increase in intelligence core networks become simpler, less expensive and distributed. Today’s core switched networks are dominated by chassis/modular based designs which offer high cost of acquisition and complexity. During the mid to late 90s these designs offered a degree of freedom to IT managers as LAN standards were in consent flux. While the networking industry was working its way through various LAN standards such as token ring, versus FDDI, versus Ethernet versus ATM plus shared versus switched networks, IT managers needed a way to migrate and transition between these standards. Chassis offered a network design that allowed network managers to experiment and change directions with the change of a module. IT managers were willing to pay the high price of a chassis in exchange for the flexibility to change LAN standards and migrate between them.

A new simpler core design with distributed switching is emerging. This core design is not based upon the exclusive use of chassis/modular based switching placed into a collapsed backbone structure, but on distributed switching, delivering lower cost of
acquisition and increased network design flexibility. With decreasing price points of switching across the packaging spectrum, core network devices can now be cost effectively distributed. This avoids network traffic bottlenecks and increases reliability by eliminating centralized single points of failure. From a cost point of view, core networks designed with distributed switched networking products are less expensive to acquire since IT managers purchase what they need when they need it. Also, as
requirements increase, efficient distributed core networks scale up more cost effectively thanks to their improved price/performance metrics over chassis. For high port density applications, chassis based switching solutions are most effective and are an important part of the new distributed core backbone design. Network services such as VLAN tagging, load balancing, link aggregation, QoS, security, monitoring, configuration etc are either embedded in the switches or delivered
through a centralized network management system in distributed core networks.

Distributed core switches are represented in network management as a single entity streamlining the management of the core. This allows the core to transport the enforcement of network services at the workgroup level throughout the business network.
There’s a wide choice of vendors delivering products for distributed core network implementations. 3Com’s www.3com.com eXpandable Resilient Networking or XRN for its SuperStack 4900 family of switches plus the 4060 and 4050 switches are
distributed core networks products. HP’s www.hp.com Procurve 9315M/9308M/9304M, 5372xl and 4148gl can also be implemented in distributed core network architecture. Enterasys’s www.enterasys.com N & C series switches are built for distributed core backbones.

It is possible to distribute a collapsed backbone core network, however, the cost is high in both capital and operational cost. The price per port for fixed versus modular layer 3 configurations supporting 1Gbs is $287 vs $791, respectively. Distributed core
networks leverage fixed configuration switches affording lower cost per port switching. Multiple high cost chassis can be deployed around and within a building, but at a high cost. Operationally these chassis would have to be configured as virtual routers. This
would require operations to understand and administer virtual router redundancy protocols, virtual router IP addresses and virtual router IDs. Also, configuration and management of collapsed backbones is performed on each switch versus as a total system. In short, capital and operational cost is high to build a distributed core backbone out of a collapsed backbone network.

Wireless Networking

In the Lippis Report Volumes 9, 10 & 11 www.lippis.com we covered wireless networking in depth. Wireless LANs are finally maturing, thanks to 802.11i (network security) & 802.11e (quality of service) WLANs can be incorporated into an enterprise network framework such as DIN. Over the next 12 to 18 months access point placement will be deliberate to assure connectivity. But as wireless LAN switches hit the market from 3Com, Proxim www.proxim.com , Symbol www.symbol.com , et al access point pricing will plummet to sub $100 allowing pervasive placement. Low access point pricing coupled with hardened security, thanks to 802.11i, increased bandwidth and range plus WLAN features managed through enterprise management software will link WLANs into DIN architecture. Smart workgroups and distributed core networks will increasingly become a back haul mechanism for WLAN traffic. Over this same time period manufactures such as Avaya www.avaya.com , Mitel www.mitel.com , Nortel www.nortel.com , 3Com www.3com.com , Symbol www.symbol.com et al will be offering IP phones with WLAN interfaces allowing knowledge workers to roam around the enterprise with their IP phones. These same companies working with firms
such as Motorola www.motorola.com will increasingly offer multi-model handsets that link IP Telephony, WLAN and mobile carriers. In short, voice features will be unleashed from desktops and distributed to mobile users or put another way WLAN will enable the distribution of network intelligence closer to users.

This expansion of wireless data options increases a business’s continuity and survivability. This expanse of wireless network diameter increases its overall importance and utility to business networks over the next business cycle from a
productivity and disaster recovery perspective. The computer networking industry is entering a new age by developing networking products and applications, which allow businesses and public sector concerns be more mobile and productive via DIN.

In the next Lippis Report we’ll finish our discussion of DIN components and return to how DIN closes the IT gap.

Posted 2 April 2003 at 7:01 pm under Lippis Report, Enterprise Mobility. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.