eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
1Seven Notable Challenges of Managing 100G Networks
The move from standard 10- or 40-gigabit-per-second to 100G-bps Ethernet transport networks is on a faster growth ramp than many industry observers expected, and the use cases for transport at 100G bps are multiplying. The timing appears right: As companies continue to scale, and as their data needs become more complex, 100G bps (“100G”) offers the bandwidth and efficiency they require. But 100G also brings with it a new set of challenges; rules that apply to 10G networks don’t apply at networks running 10 times that speed. Companies must build out their networks carefully to adapt to these changing needs. This eWEEK slide show, using industry information from real-time performance monitoring provider cPacket Networks, points out the key challenges of making this switch.
2Bottlenecks
It’s a misconception that having more bandwidth will solve most of the problems that we experience in networks. Doubling bandwidth doesn’t double network throughput, just as doubling the number of lanes on a freeway doesn’t double vehicle throughput. When traffic is placed on 100G lanes or taken off 100G lanes, congestion occurs and effective speeds drop.
3Packet Drops
4Traffic Build-up
5Packet Analysis
6Data Visibility
7Speed Variations
8SLAs at Risk
On 100G networks, unlike 10G, service providers may find it difficult to meet their service-level agreements (SLAs) because they don’t have the network visibility or the tools needed to enforce them. At what point will customers defect? At higher speeds, therefore, service providers may have to select between an uptime SLA and a speed SLA—to the customer’s disadvantage.