Webtorials Announcements

Evaluating and Enhancing Green Practices with Cisco Catalyst Switching

2009-12-03T13:00:10Z

National security, environmental, and resource supply issues will drive governments to implement green initiatives and incentives. There will be business ramifications as a result of policies implemented by local, state, and federal governments around the world. As traditional energy supplies decrease and newer, but more costly, renewable supplies are brought online, organizations will be forced to look for more efficient ways to deploy their data networks to meet stricter government regulations and prevent a bottom-line impact.

Cisco has recognized this impending impact on the IT community for some time and has been building products and developing new technologies to assist organizations in this transition. This document describes the Green Operations and Characteristics of the Cisco Catalyst Series Switches. These switches include the 6500 Series, 4500 Series, 3750 Series, 3560 Series, and 2960 Series Switches. These Cisco Catalyst switch families offer the latest technologies to enable organizations to meet the green requirements of today while providing flexible architectures to address the necessities of tomorrow. This paper covers the following topics:
- Energy Savings
- Operational Efficiency
- Innovative Business Practices

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Securing the Smart Grid

2009-11-20T23:39:08Z

The smart grid promises a more efficient way of supplying and consuming energy. In essence, the smart grid is a data communications network integrated with the power grid and collects and analyzes data about power transmission, distribution, and consumption - all in near-real time. Based on this data, smart grid technology then provides predictive information and recommendations to utilities, their suppliers, and their customers on how best to manage power.

At the heart of the smart grid is integration of the data communications networks of the generation, transmission, distribution, and customer components of the electrical grid. Increased connectivity presents many benefits, including giving consumers greater ability to control their power consumption and their energy bills. The smart grid also gives distribution and transmission grid operators more visibility and control over power supply, source, quality, and costs.

Increased connectivity also presents challenges, especially in security. Because of the critical nature of the technology and the services it provides, the grid becomes a prime target for acts of terrorism and vandalism. Therefore, the transformation of traditional energy networks to smart grids requires an intrinsic security strategy to safeguard this critical infrastructure.

As a result, a security vision must include a sound design for proactive security as well as resilience in the event of a security breach.

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Is an Oracle Upgrade Right for You? The Power of Planning Ahead - A Systematic Assessment Can Streamline the Shift to Oracle R12

2009-11-18T21:54:39Z

Oracle R12 has standard features and functions to support and enable global operations, global management, and global decision-making. But upgrading is a step that can affect the organization, processes, and underlying technology.

To avoid significant costs and delays and to take full advantage of what the software can deliver, companies need to take a systematic approach to upgrade-related decisions. In this paper, AT&T experts outline key steps to help decision-makers assess readiness for an upgrade, including:

	Assessing the business value of upgrading
	Determining readiness in regards to skills, documentation, and hardware
	Creating an action plan

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Can Cisco's WAN optimization scale your business?

2009-11-16T20:49:31Z

Jennifer Geisler and Mark Weiner discuss how Cisco WAN Optimization technology has been successfully used by multiple businesses to scale across several hundred sites.

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Managing Communications Change in Utility Operations - A New Approach

2009-11-13T16:41:37Z

Change is being forced on the utilities industry. Business drivers range from stakeholder pressure for greater efficiency to the changing technologies involved in operational energy networks. New technologies such as Intelligent Networks or Smart Grids, Distribution Automation or Smart Metering are being considered. The communications network is becoming the key enabler for the evolution of reliable energy supply. However, few utilities today have a communications network that is robust enough to handle and support the exacting demands that energy delivery is now making.

It is this process of change, including the renewal of the communications network, that is vital for each utility's future. But for the utility, this is a technological step change requiring different strategies and designs, as well as new skills. The problems facing today's utility include understanding the new technologies and assessing their capabilities and applications. In addition, the utility has to develop an appropriate strategy to migrate legacy technologies and integrate them with the new infrastructure in a seamless, efficient, safe, and reliable manner.

This paper highlights the benefits utilities can realize by adopting a new approach to their customers' needs and engaging a network partner that will take responsibility for the network upgrade, its renewal and evolution, and the service transition.

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A Guide for Understanding Cloud Computing

2009-11-13T14:57:17Z

The hyperbole-to-reality ratio that currently surrounds cloud computing is the biggest this ratio has been since the initial development of ATM. The main difference between these two ratios is that when ATM was first being discussed there were agreed to definitions as to what was meant by ATM. That is not the case with cloud computing.

This is the first of two closely-linked reports the goal of which is to reduce the hyperbole-to-reality ratio that currently surrounds cloud computing and hence enable IT organizations to rationally plan for its implementation and adoption. In order to achieve that goal, this report will:
- Describe a set of characteristics that are typically associated with a cloud computing solution.
- Define what is currently meant by private, public and hybrid cloud computing solutions and describe how those definitions are likely to change over time.
- Identify the potential cost savings and other benefits that are associated with cloud computing.
- Describe the three primary classes of public cloud computing: Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service.
- Provide multiple examples of each class of public cloud computing, along with representative pricing and service level agreements.

The second report, which is entitled The Cloud Reality Report, will be available in December, 2009.

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Managing EnergyWise Using CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution

2009-11-12T12:36:31Z

Cisco EnergyWise is a new energy management architecture that will allow IT operations and facilities to measure and fine-tune power usage to realize significant cost savings. Cisco EnergyWise focuses on reducing power utilization on all devices connected to a Cisco network ranging from Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices such as IP phones and wireless access points to IP-enabled building and lighting controllers. It uses an intelligent network-based approach, allowing IT and building facilities operations to understand, optimize, and control power across an entire corporate infrastructure, potentially affecting any powered device.

This white paper illustrates how businesses can utilize CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution (LMS) to effectively get started with enabling EnergyWise on a network enabled by Cisco and to better understand the power footprint of their organizations and optimize to reduce energy costs.

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Wi-Fi Management in the Cloud

2009-11-10T21:21:06Z

A hot new trend in Wi-Fi is for WLAN systems makers and resellers to host Wi-Fi management services in the cloud. The idea is to minimize enterprises' on-site expenses so they can afford to ramp up their Wi-Fi rollouts. Such services move management servers and appliances and, where relevant, WLAN controller functions into the cloud so that you donąt have to house, administer and update any equipment other than access points (APs). You buy and install the APs and, other than that, just pay between $60 and $110 per AP in a yearly service charge.

The latest company to make such a service available is Aerohive. The company's vice president of product management, Adam Conway, sat down recently with Webtorials analyst Joanie Wexler, and chatted about the "Wi-Fi in the cloud" trend and Aerohive's offering. Listen to the podcast.

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How to Avoid the Most Common Pitfalls of an SAP Solution

2009-11-06T21:19:38Z

If you're thinking about deploying SAP applications in your company, your first thoughts might be about increasing productivity, reducing costs and gaining strategic advantage. However, your second thought might be this: How do I do all that with the least business disruption?

Thats a good question, considering the depth and breadth of SAP applications. As an enterprise suite, SAP links and tightly integrates every business process across your company. Since it touches so many business functions, the potential for problems during the implementation, management and upgrade cycles is that much greater and there are many pitfalls along the way.

The first step to avoiding these pitfalls is to gain a full understanding of what they are.

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Can a Small Business Switch Meet All Your Networking Needs?

2009-11-05T21:01:09Z

With Marie Hattar and Rick Moran. Jennifer Geisler looks at the differences between the Cisco Catalyst and Cisco Small Business lines of Ethernet switches. Marie Hattar is Cisco's Vice President of Network Systems and Security Solutions. Rick Moran is Cisco's Vice President of Small Business Marketing.

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The Need for IPTV End-to-End Solution Integration - Learned the Hard Way

2009-10-20T20:57:03Z

It has been more than a decade since service providers first tried bringing IPTV services to their customers. But despite advances in technology and tools, many of the issues that derailed those initial efforts continue to pose challenges.

Thats because the delivery of reliable, revenue-generating IPTV services is an inherently complex undertaking. It spans a variety of deployment and operational requirements - from video quality and ease of use to provisioning and support. Further, the end-user environment has changed since those early attempts: Broadband penetration now approaches 50% of U.S. households, and equipment like encoders, set-top boxes and DVD- and HD-based screens are more sophisticated. Providing a viable commercial IPTV service means addressing all of these issues in a comprehensive manner thats based on lessons learned the hard way: from realworld IPTV deployments.

Thats where end-to-end (E2E) solution integration (SI) comes in. E2E SI makes use of proven, repeatable processes and methodologies to ensure the smooth implementation, operation and maintenance of IPTV services. In short, it addresses every part of the IPTV projectfrom the consultation and planning stages through rollout and beyond. E2E SI can be thought of as a golden thread that elegantly ties together all deployment lifecycle phases, weaving project work packages and workflows together for maximum efficiency and making IPTV deployments and enhancements predictable, reliable and successful.

However, because E2E SI is so wide-ranging, it typically requires the help of a third party. While many vertical solution vendors can address specific components of IPTV integration, only professional integrators with experience and expertise in every aspect of IPTV can give service providers the thorough, all-encompassing help that they need. Such a partner can draw on knowledge gained through hard-won, first-hand experience in IPTV implementation to make the right decisions every step of the way. This is a vital consideration given the competitiveness of todays market, where E2E SI isnt a luxury - but a necessity.

See more at Webtorials.