| WAN optimization and application acceleration | | | | innovations open the way for IT organizations to |
| solutions are the hottest topics in IT these days. | | | | build security and scalability into their data protection |
| Many IT professionals are scrambling to get budget | | | | architecture. Yet without the use of WAN |
| money approved to deploy these solutions in their | | | | acceleration to extend these benefits to distant |
| environment as quickly as possible. You too can take | | | | remote branches, centralized backup cannot operate |
| advantage of this powerful, business enabling | | | | beyond the LAN without also creating congested |
| technology once you understand the driving reasons | | | | pipes and soaring bandwidth costs. |
| why this game changing other IT professionals have | | | | #5 Data Protection and Regulatory Requirements - |
| to get their hands on these solutions. | | | | "SOX, SAS, PCI, and FISMA - Calgon take me away!" |
| In this article, you and I will review some of the key | | | | Regulatory compliance is forcing organizations to |
| reasons why most businesses need to deploy a | | | | increase the security and maintainability of data |
| WAN Optimization and WAN Application Acceleration | | | | center passwords. Customers report that by |
| Solution quickly. | | | | implementing the WAN Acceleration appliances, they |
| Here is the list: | | | | are able to handle data protection in a completely |
| #1 - Server and Storage Consolidation | | | | different way. Instead of having to risk the loss and |
| #2 - Disaster Recovery | | | | damage to tapes and with physical transportation to |
| #3 - Reduce WAN Bandwidth | | | | a backup facility, they can automate the process |
| #4 - Backup Consolidation and Data Replication | | | | over the wide area. Not only does it save time, but it |
| #5 - Data Protection and Regulatory Requirements | | | | brings a new level of protection to sensitive company |
| #6 - Increased Productivity Gains | | | | information. Keeping the auditors off your back! |
| #7 - Mobile Workers and Traveling Executives | | | | #6 Increased Productivity - "My computer is slow, |
| #8 - Network Growth and Management | | | | can you make this program work faster?" WAN |
| #9 - IT Efficiency | | | | Acceleration increases user productivity by speeding |
| #10 - COST SAVINGS! | | | | the performance of applications between distributed |
| Now let's dive into each one in more detail: | | | | sites and between remote offices and enterprise |
| #1 Server & Storage Consolidation - It's no | | | | data centers, allowing faster access to centrally |
| secret that server sprawl and the "never delete | | | | located applications and facilitating collaboration within |
| anything" mindset is causing big headaches for IT | | | | a distributed workforce. The appliances also have a |
| professionals. Many companies either already have, or | | | | number of features designed to optimize the work |
| are in the process of consolidating servers and | | | | of IT. IDC (a research firm) found recently that |
| storage out of branch offices and into centralized | | | | improved user productivity accounted for the |
| data centers or host locations using virtual machines | | | | greatest benefits from deploying WAN Acceleration |
| and storage area networks (SANs). This consolidation | | | | appliances. On average, users increased their |
| typically reduces cost and enables IT organizations to | | | | productive time by 7.4%, saving 10.6 hours annually. |
| have better control over the company data. While | | | | These savings averaged $102,741 per 100 users per |
| server and storage consolidation produces many | | | | year. |
| benefits, it can also produce some significant | | | | #7 Mobile Workers and Traveling Executives - |
| performance issues. Server consolidation typically | | | | Businesses are becoming increasingly distributed. |
| results in chatty protocols such as CIFS (Common | | | | We've found that companies must support a large |
| Internet File System), Exchange or NFS (Network File | | | | number of branch locations, vendor relationships, and |
| System), which were designed to run over the LAN, | | | | employees that are simply no longer in the traditional |
| running over the WAN. For most of our customers | | | | headquarter location. As more and more users work |
| we recommend that they deploy WAN accelerators | | | | outside of the traditional office, the need for them to |
| before beginning to consolidate the server and | | | | connect to the critical corporate applications with |
| storage environment so that end users do not have | | | | "LAN like" performance is overwhelming. Mobile WAN |
| to deal with the performance impact associated with | | | | Acceleration is allowing more and more employees to |
| centralizing servers and data. At the end of the day | | | | work in a productive manner outside of the standard |
| you are able to get control of server sprawl, control | | | | office environment. A recent survey found that 23 |
| the ever growing storage needs while simultaneously | | | | percent of American workers regularly do their jobs |
| giving your end users LAN like application | | | | from someplace besides the office, and that 62 |
| performance. | | | | percent of respondents who cannot work off-site |
| #2 Disaster Recovery - Have you deployed and | | | | would like to. The survey also found that workers |
| tested a real DR strategy? Are you getting increased | | | | prized the ability to telecommute more highly than |
| pressure from management to ensure resilient | | | | stock options or on-site child care. This demand will |
| business continuity? With the growing importance of | | | | only continue. |
| disaster recovery, businesses are relying heavily on | | | | #8 Network Growth and Management - The IT staff |
| WAN-based backup and data replication to secure | | | | of most businesses has not really grown over the |
| important files and data. Backup and replication over | | | | past 5 years, yet that same staff is responsible for |
| the WAN ensures that data can be safely protected | | | | maintaining more and more network infrastructure as |
| at a distance to the primary site, but also introduces | | | | the business grows and the bottom line becomes |
| new performance challenges that require companies | | | | more reliant on that network. With WAN |
| to seek out methods that accelerate WAN backup | | | | Acceleration, the IT staff can simplify the setup and |
| applications. Disaster recovery and business continuity | | | | management of new and existing branch offices as |
| strategies can improve dramatically when businesses | | | | well as set up regular reporting to easily keep track |
| deploy a WAN Acceleration solution. This allows for | | | | of the branch offices application usage and available |
| the use of existing WAN bandwidth and allows IT to | | | | WAN bandwidth when the need to roll out a new |
| leverage an existing branch office as their DR site, | | | | application presents itself. All of the WAN |
| rather than resorting to expensive 3rd party disaster | | | | Accelerators can be centrally managed and updated |
| recovery options. Now for the first time, even small | | | | by the single WAN Acceleration management |
| organizations can leverage the combination of WAN | | | | appliance. |
| acceleration, virtual servers, and IP SANs to be | | | | #9 IT Efficiency - In addition to seeking to reduce |
| prepared for the worst scenario. | | | | costs and drive new revenue, organizations use WAN |
| #3 Reduced WAN Bandwidth - "We'll just increase | | | | Optimization and Application Acceleration Solutions to |
| the bandwidth!" Ever made that statement? Now you | | | | enable operational efficiency. Reducing calls to the IT |
| have another option that actually works. Whether it's | | | | help desk is a very concrete benefit to the IT |
| the inability to upgrade bandwidth at a few locations, | | | | organization in multiple ways. Also, IT can now quickly |
| or just the sheer amount of applications needed, | | | | roll out new applications across the enterprise without |
| there is a seemingly constant concern for managing | | | | the application performance concerns that have |
| bandwidth. By accelerating application performance, | | | | slowed the deployment of new apps in the past. |
| and reducing bandwidth utilization, WAN Accelerators | | | | #10 COST SAVINGS! - The Return on Investment |
| enable the delivery of applications despite bandwidth | | | | (ROI) can be impressive and immediate. Businesses |
| limitations. The magnitude of the change is significant | | | | save money immediately on the reduction in server |
| enough to change the end-user experience and also | | | | maintenance (and of course replacement costs since |
| the nature in which they work. With WAN | | | | they are no longer present). They avoid the costs of |
| Accelerators deployed you can reduce your current | | | | upgrading the WAN in an effort to increase |
| WAN bandwidth by up to 95%. This allows for easy | | | | performance, the cost of a WAN link to a branch can |
| deployment of new applications such as voice and | | | | easily be thousands of dollars per month. Even the |
| video over IP. This can really an eye opener when | | | | costs of backup and associated tapes and off-site |
| you see it in action! | | | | media storage can be very significant. Lastly, it allows |
| #4 Backup Consolidation and Data Replication - Does | | | | the business to avoid making new infrastructure |
| the thought of restoring corrupted data keep you up | | | | purchases and reduces the need to hire new |
| at night? For faster and more reliable access to | | | | employees as the business grows because |
| protected data, backup technology has moved | | | | productivity of the business' existing staff has been |
| beyond tape cartridges to spinning disk. Disk-to-disk | | | | enhanced tremendously. |
| and more scalable volume management systems | | | | I hope this has been an informative review of the |
| allow for low-latency data to be backed up or | | | | key reasons why you need to deploy WAN |
| restored in a fraction of the time required with tape. | | | | optimization and application acceleration in your |
| Data backup and recovery windows with WAN | | | | network environment. |
| acceleration can go from 1 day to 2 hours. These | | | | |