The edge or access of a network connects all end-points into an enterprise network infrastructure. The network edge is made up of wiring closet switches, which are usually fixed Ethernet switching devices. The market for wiring closet switches is evolving.

In the previous decade IT organizations had traditionally pursued an edge network that utilized shared hubs and switches to provide connectivity to end-points. The primary buying criteria was price per port with low price being paramount. These switching devices possessed few network services such as layer 2 forwarding, Virtual Local Area Networking (VLAN), Routing Information Protocol (RIP) and a configuration tool as their primary network management capabilities. In short the old network access model provided best effort connectivity services with little to no operational control.

As a result of these past decisions, edge/access security was limited, with Layer 2 security measures often implemented haphazardly. Multiple VLANs were relied upon to maintain separation of user traffic and provided limited access control. Most switches relied on RIP as an interior gateway routing protocol but limitations in its algorithm could lead to sporadic outages that would render the network unusable.

From Commodity to Strategic

IT departments saw wiring closet switches as commoditized networking equipment, with little differentiation between vendors. As a result, purchasing decisions were typically made solely on the basis of upfront acquisition cost with little regard for the increased lifecycle costs these purchases incurred on operations. Large organizations that focused their decisions on acquisition costs had soon assembled an enterprise network made up of equipment from different vendors throughout their wiring closets, distribution and core. Equipment from multiple vendors made effective management difficult and the multiple management systems required that these organizations keep a large staff with diverse skills to maintain network functionality.
Wiring closet switch manufacturers have been driven to deliver increased network services in their products due to changing enterprise network demands, discussed below. As a result wiring closet switches and the network edge in particular have transitioned from being a commodity connectivity service to a strategic enabler of new IT applications and services while being the first level of defense to mitigate against internal network threats and attacks. This is a fundamental change in enterprise network design upon which business and IT leaders need to assess and review their infrastructure.
A new category of wiring closet switches has recently begun to appear on the market. These switches are not to be viewed as commodities. Instead, these switches offer a host of new features that allow vendors to compete on multiple different fronts beyond traditional price per port metrics. It is important for executives responsible for purchasing decisions to understand this new basis of competition and to take into account not just their organization’s current needs but also heretofore unconsidered future needs before selecting wiring closet switches and designing the next generation edge network.

Enterprise Trends

A new set of enterprise trends are forcing IT executives to review projects, programs and priorities as they seek to drive down Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while extracting additional value from their enterprise network. Business executives expect their IT departments to meet continually growing demands for an increased number of networked applications and associated performance without significant year over year network expenditures. To manage this requirement IT leaders seek to purchase network switches that possess more forward-looking designs and significant upgradability than what was provided by the previous generation of equipment.

IT Application Infrastructure Changes: There are fundamental changes taking place with IT applications and communications, which are forcing new network edge requirements into the market. New applications, communications and data center strategies are creating a new dynamic in mixed traffic patterns and increased desktop bandwidth requirements.

A New Era in Communications Has Emerged: IP telephony and now Unified Communications (UC) offer strong economic advantages, prompting business and IT leaders to adopt this technology.

Power Over Ethernet (PoE) Distribution: The demands on the network continue to grow as additional devices are deployed throughout the enterprise. WLAN access points, video surveillance, IP phones, specialty devices such as health care instrumentation, point of sale devices and soon even laptops will require power distribution from the edge of the network.

The Network Edge Is The First Level of Defense: All prior generations of wiring closet switches are less secure than today’s devices. Network Access Control (NAC) and application policing has increased in importance for organizations committed to protecting the integrity of their network, the privacy of their data and providing compliance to various government and industry regulations.

Total Cost of Ownership: The network edge and wiring closet switches in particular have a total cost of ownership break down of 20% capital spend and 80% operational spend according to Gartner Group. While new wiring closet switches may be more expensive from a capital acquisition point of view, their operational cost is lower and the total dollar spend over a three-year period will also be lower while delivering increased value to the enterprise.

A New Class of Wiring Closet Switches Emerges

Wiring closet switch suppliers have recognized the above enterprise trends and responded to the growing needs of their customers with a new type of wiring closet switch that adds significant functionality over and above previous switch generations. These suppliers are succeeding at delivering increased value to IT organizations and in the process transforming the commoditized network edge into a strategic IT asset. These new switches build upon the capabilities of the previous generation and enable a host of new applications such as UC, enterprise-wide mobility and enhanced security features that provide a new degree of protection against internal security threats.

Intelligence and network services are being distributed to the network edge or access, allowing wiring closet switches to support enterprise transitions in IT application infrastructure and communications, adding business value in the process. This new class of wiring closet switches includes the following characteristics:

Quality of Service: New wiring closet switches tag applications at access to guarantee priority throughout an internal network and active monitoring.

Power over Ethernet (PoE): Power is distributed over Ethernet cables, enabling new classes of devices to emerge and operate in environments that lack electrical infrastructure.

Integrated Security: Both integrated security features and the support of security appliances implement strong access control and application-policing, bolstering internal threat defenses.

Wireless Local Area Networking: WLAN integration, which includes access point PoE and controller support, increases WLAN coverage. Further common network management interfaces streamline operational support for both wired and wireless networks.

Unified Communication (UC): UC support via PoE to power IP phones and UC end-points plus unique UC configuration profiles to ensure reliable and stable UC operation.

Application Intelligence: Application intelligence or the categorizing of applications as they enter the wiring closet and either mark them with QoS or discard the application, affording application policing at the network edge.

Layer 3: Full layer 3 forwarding enabling all the value associating with routing including segmentation and aggregation are now included in some wiring closet switches.

In addition to the above network services, wiring closet switches have become more powerful from a performance point of view, while engineers have increased switch reliability, availability and manageability designs. Power supplies are more efficient and serviceable, reducing power consumption and service outage. Bandwidth and packet processing performance have increased to support higher densities of 1 and 10 Gbs Ethernet while offering clever approaches to ease the transition to higher LAN speeds.

The New Basis of Competition Emerges

This new category of switches has redefined the basis of competition among switch vendors. These advanced features allow for a degree of differentiation that was not possible for the previous generation. Organizations must assess their needs and begin making decisions based on a host of new factors besides initial acquisition cost. The following nine items are the new basis of competition among wiring closet switch suppliers.

Future Proofing: Future proofing is found in backward and forward migration strategies to utilize past investment as part of upgrades. Another aspect of future proofing is acquiring wiring closet switches with more than enough packet processing performance to meet existing requirements and those unforeseen demands.

Transitioning From 1Gb Ethernet to 10Gbs Ethernet: 10Gbs Ethernet is the future of networking, with more than 1 million 10Gbs capable ports shipped in 2007. If the past is a guide to the future, then over time more and more 1 Gbs Ethernet ports will upgrade to 10 Gbs placing strain on wiring closet packet processing performance while driving up 10Gbs port density requirements plus downstream distribution and core switch capabilities.

Power over Ethernet (PoE): PoE is a standard wiring closet requirement as it enables a wide range of devices to exist in areas that are not wired for electrical power in addition to being convenient and an efficient power distribution method.

High Reliability and Availability: High availability switch features ensure that the network edge does not suffer downtime. Some wiring closet switches implement a stacking feature to increase port density when needed, avoiding larger than needed capital acquisitions. This is an effective approach to scale and in some cases availability; however care must be applied when researching the stacking mechanism.

High Performance: As an ever-increasing amount of traffic is placed upon the network, performance remains an important differentiator between switches. The ability of this latest generation of switches to handle the load imposed by voice and video traffic in addition to the standard application demands is critical.

Reduced / Contained Operational Costs: To reduce the largest and most expensive component of the network edge’s TCO, switch features that minimize operational impact should be exploited.

Consistent Network Management: Consistent network management means leveraging the same supplier for the network edge, distribution and core.

True Layer 3 Support: To support all the above-mentioned trends and unforeseen applications, wiring closet switches are required to support full layer 3 forwarding.

Support of UC, Mobility and Security: This basis of competition is one of the most important attributes to the new network edge. Wiring closet switches need to support both standard interfaces and services for UC, mobility and security so that mixed vendor solutions may occur.

The new basis of competition among wiring closet switch suppliers is based upon switch attributes, scale, and features which reduce operational requirements and spend plus possess the ability to not only support but add value to UC, mobility and security. In the upcoming Lippis Report “Wiring Closet Switches Enable New Applications And IT Services: Intelligence Enters Network Access” we review various suppliers against the above basis of competition.

Posted 7 April 2008 at 4:28 pm under Lippis Report, Network Access Control and Protection, Unified Communications & Comm.-Enabled Business, 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.