|
Sure, fast computers, great software, e-mail, FTP sites,the intranet and Internetmay provide access to theinformation superhighway,but if the network dealingwith all of these on-rampscan’t handle the trafficefficiently, then companies graduallydeal with productivity slowdowns thatcan ultimately result in lost information,crashing computers, and non-billable hours.
Sure, fast computers, greatsoftware, e-mail, FTP sites,the intranet and Internetmay provide access to theinformation superhighway,but if the network dealingwith all of these on-rampscan’t handle the trafficefficiently, then companies graduallydeal with productivity slowdowns thatcan ultimately result in lost information,crashing computers, and non-billablehours. Without regular, or at least periodic,review of information technology issuessuch as wide area networks (WANs), thisscenario is repeated virtually dozens oftimes every day throughout the country. Traffic Shaping
Imagine a large metropolitan city with amodern well-designed transportationinfrastructure. Some desirable featureswould be that there are sufficient trafficlanes on major streets and highways,well-placed signals and signs to controltraffic, and access for emergencyvehicles. Generally, these design features facilitatethe efficient flow of traffic from oneplace to another. It is not hard to picturewhat would happen if there were notraffic lanes or signals and no signs oremergency access for critical vehicles. Unsupervised traffic would be veryinefficient and quickly become a snarledmess. Unfortunately, many corporatewide area networks (WANs) resemblethis picture. Just as there are many vehicles traversingand competing for our various streetsand highways, there are many types ofnetwork traffic that traverse andcompete with one another for preciouscompany bandwidth; they include butare not limited to the following: HTML,audio/video, voice, FTP, Telnet,push/pull updates, graphics, applicationdata, thin client protocols, chatprograms, peer-to-peer applications, ande-mail. And, like a crowded city with notraffic management, a jam-packedcorporate network with no trafficcontrols or policies in place would besubject to natural restrictions. The resultmay be an inefficient business networkthat can result in lost productivity andrevenue. How do you get your network traffic inshape? You can program your networkrouter(s) to perform some basic networktraffic shaping; however, this canbecome quite cumbersome andcomplex. In addition, most basic routerswill only execute Layer 3 (NetworkLayer) traffic shaping. There are,however, specialized network appliancesavailable that efficiently perform trafficshaping. They offer an intuitiveinterface, are more granular, and provideLayer 7 (Application Layer) control andvisibility into your existing corporate network. Identifying Network Traffic
When shaping your WAN, it isimperative that you identify what trafficis traversing your network. Passivemonitoring and reporting by a trafficshaper will provide visibility into yourcorporate network. You may besurprised at what you find. There will beall the usual approved network traffic,but you may also find severalunapproved applications andunidentified application port numbers. Peer-to-peer applications, streamingmedia, and chat programs are especiallynotorious and counterproductive. Theseapplications can and do pose potentialsecurity risks due to their “porthopping” nature. This on-the-fly portallocation attribute renders mostfirewalls ineffective against applicationsof this type. Additionally, many virusescan exploit open application ports togain entry into your corporate network.Active traffic monitoring will also revealhow your company WAN bandwidth isutilized. Packet shapers can providevaluable information to the followingquestions: Are your businessapplications utilizing companybandwidth appropriately and efficiently?Are there non-business applicationshoarding available bandwidth? Who areyour top bandwidth users? What applications are they utilizing? Classify Traffic
Once you identify what traffic istraversing your corporate WAN, you canthen classify this traffic according tobusiness priorities and objectives. Inaddition, it is important to identify theattributes of each identified traffic type. Is the traffic bursting? Does the trafficrequire a guaranteed quality of service(QOS), such as voice and video? For example, certain types of networktraffic, such as voice, are very susceptibleto network latency. Traffic classificationcan be very specific. For example,classes can be based on the IP address orport number. Traffic classification can also be verybroad. For example, classes can be basedon application type and/or protocol.The goal, in a nutshell, is to identifynetwork traffic that is critical to yourcompany’s business operations, andimplement a plan that will minimizetraffic contention with bandwidthhungry, less critical applications. Set Rate Policies and Priorities
With network traffic classes identified,you can then set policies and prioritiesfor each type of traffic class. Forexample, WAN bandwidth can beallocated and apportioned according tobusiness need. Non-critical applicationscan be limited to a small portion of thecompany’s bandwidth, while criticalapplications can be allocated sufficientbandwidth to prevent businessdisruptions. Applications and/orprotocols can also be assigned a prioritynumber that will govern importance andprecedence across the WAN. Finally,security can also be enhanced by denying non-approved applications altogether. Benefits of Traffic Shaping
In conclusion, network traffic shapinghas many business benefits. Traffic shaping will maximize companybandwidth utilization and eliminateexpensive bandwidth upgrades bycontrolling network congestion, latency,and application response times. It willalso ensure available bandwidth is usedappropriately among applications.Security is also enhanced because peerto-peer “port hopping” applications likeKaZaA and Yahoo Messenger can bedenied altogether. Productivity isimproved because employees are notconstantly engaged in musicdownloading, chatting, or videostreaming. Finally, a properly shaped network willfacilitate convergence of heterogeneoustraffic. For example, data, voice, andvideo can effectively and efficientlycoexist and utilize the samenetwork circuits. Like a well-designedmetropolitan transportationinfrastructure, a well-designed andproperly shaped network infrastructurewill facilitate efficient traffic flow from one place to another. SLDT |
Sustainable Land Development Today 
