ETHERNET VS. T1S FOR INTERNET ACCESS A MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND FLEXIBLE ALTERNATIVE

                                          INTRODUCTION
The Internet is an integral part of doing business – from  sending emails to hosting a web site to setting up IP VPNs to interconnect locations. Today, more than ever,organizations require reliable Internet connectivity with increasingly higher speeds to satisfy growing application requirements. They must accomplish all of this while carefully managing their IT costs. Internet usage continues to grow and evolve significantly from its simpler web browsing and email origins. Organizations large and small now extensively rely on the Internet as a critical component of their business operations. They use the Internet to increase productivity,provide Business-to-Business (B2B) or Businessto-
Consumer (B2C) services, streamline their supply chain, and outsource IT applications to reduce costs.Internet bandwidth requirements continually increase as organizations adopt new, innovative ways to leverage the Internet utilizing Web 2.0 Internet-based applications.The adoption of new technology can help drive costs out of business operations as well as serve as a path to new revenue generation. For example, by moving applications to hosted or “cloud-based” services, an organization
can eliminate the capital expense of the application servers and operational expense of software licenses and support while reducing the burden on their IT support staff.

According to IDC’s recent report “Worldwide and Regional Public IT Cloud Services 2010–2014 Forecast” spending on public IT cloud offerings exceeded $16B in 2009 and is forecast to reach $55.5B in 2014 representing a 27.4% compound annual growth rate. This rapid growth rate is over five times the projected growth rate for traditional IT products (5%). Usually, this requires a costlier, higher speed Internet connection. However, the CapEx and recurring OpEx savings of cloud-based services typically provide a better return on investment than the additional Internet bandwidth costs. During times of accelerated growth, organizations can leverage the Internet to rapidly respond
to the need to quickly increase productivity and supply chain while carefully managing costs.
A popular way for organizations to connect to the Internet has been via a T1-based dedicated Internet
access (DIA) service. T1 DIA services are typically offered over 1 or 2 T1 circuits so the bandwidth options are limited, inflexible and costly as an organization’s bandwidth and application requirements grow. To be competitive, you need to quickly and cost-effectively adapt your Internet access bandwidth. T1 DIA services are challenged to meet these elastic bandwidth requirements.
There is, however, an alternative cost effective and more flexible option to connect to the Internet using an Ethernet dedicated Internet access service. Organizations require operational agility toquickly adjust to changing business demands .
ETHERNET VS. T1S FOR INTERNET ACCESS A MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND FLEXIBLE ALTERNATIVE .

                            INTERNET ACCESS SERVICES
To contrast and compare the different approaches to Internet access services, one must first understand what each service provides. Below is a review of the different services, how they are designed and delivered, and how to increase Internet access bandwidth with each option.
T1 Dedicated Internet Access T1 DIA service is delivered over either a single T1 circuit (to achieve 1.5Mbps) or two bonded T1 circuits (to achieve 3Mbps of bandwidth). The service requires a router with one or two T1 WAN interfaces which is typically part of the initial service setup cost. This T1
WAN router typically provides a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port to connect to your router or an available Ethernet port on your Ethernet LAN switch.The monthly recurring cost (MRC) for the service will
depend on whether you purchased the service using 1 or 2 T1 circuits.  In order to keep entry costs low and eliminate interoperability issues, the service provider will include a router supporting a single T1 circuit when you purchase a T1 DIA service with a single T1. If you need more bandwidth, you need to purchase an upgraded service which may require you to purchase a new T1 router to support the bonding of the two T1 circuits. Typically, there will be another setup cost as well as a higher MRC for the additional bandwidth. With a T1 DIA service you purchase bandwidth in T1 (1.5Mbps) increments.
Note that the cost of a T1 DIA service with 2 T1 circuits can have up to twice the MRC of a T1 DIA service with 1 T1 circuit. This cost is associated with the leasing of an additional T1 circuit from the incumbent telecommunications service provider.Many T1 DIA service providers cannot provide Internet access beyond 2 T1s. If your Internet access bandwidth needs increase beyond 3 Mbps, you will have to switch your service to a different technology that offers higher bandwidth choices for Internet access. An organization’s Internet bandwidth requirements may increase for many different reasons, including: • Increasing number of visitors to your locally hosted public web site for eCommerce transactions • Increasing use of cloud-based services where you move applications from running locally to running from a remote data center or hosted server in the cloud
Upgrading to a higher bandwidth may require an additional T1 or a higher speed circuit such as a T3. This will result in a service disruption if you must replace the existing T1 DIA customer premises equipment to support the higher bandwidth connection. If new equipment or circuits are required, it may take days or even weeks to upgrade your Internet connection. 1 Required if existing router cannot support additional T1s. Initial T1 DIA service installation
Adding additional (T1) bandwidth LAN End User’s Router DIA Service Router 10Mbps Ethernet 1 or 2 T1s Internet Upgrading a T1 DIA service to a higher bandwidth may take days or even weeks

                         ETHERNET VS. T1s FOR INTERNET ACCESS

Ethernet Dedicated Internet Access Ethernet DIA services are typically delivered over a single Ethernet fiber optic connection to achieve any amount of bandwidth between 1Mbps and 10Gbps. The service typically provides either a 10/100Mbps, 1Gbps or 10Gbps Ethernet port from an Ethernet DIA Service Demarcation Device used to attach your router. The Ethernet port speed you select will depend upon your initial bandwidth requirements and your anticipated incremental bandwidth needs for the duration of the service agreement. A 10/100Mbps Ethernet port speed is sufficient for most organizations. Note that unlike T1- based DIA services that operate at 1.5Mbps (the speed of a T1 circuit), Ethernet DIA services are not offered based on the circuit speed. An Ethernet DIA service
can be purchased in bandwidth increments up to the Ethernet port speed. Bandwidth increments are also related to the port speed.  The Ethernet DIA service demarcation device is included in the initial service setup cost and hence no capital expense is required to connect to the service if you can use an available Ethernet port on your router. Ethernet DIA services are typically delivered via a fiber optic connection. If your building does not have a fiber optic connection, your Ethernet DIA service provider will deliver a fiber optic connection to your building. There will be a one-time cost associated with the installation of the fiber optic connection2. There is also a monthly
recurring charge based on the amount of bandwidth your organization requires.

 An Ethernet DIA service enables you to better manage your IT CapEx and OpEx during varying economic cycles. Cost savings can be achieved using Ethernet DIA because unlike T1-based DIA services, you don’t have to switch Internet access technologies or providers when your organizations’ bandwidth needs exceed 3 Mbps (2 T1s). Additional cost savings can be achieved by migrating select in-house IT applications to cloud-based implementations. 

Unlike a T1-based DIA service, Ethernet DIA service bandwidth can be added simply and quickly by your Ethernet DIA service provider who can remotely reconfigure the Ethernet service demarcation device to support the new Ethernet DIA bandwidth you require. You can continue to use the service up until the bandwidth upgrade. If the Ethernet service demarcation device needs to be restarted after the bandwidth upgrade, you may experience a minimal service disruption. If not, your bandwidth upgrade may be accomplished transparently to you. Contrast this to a T1 DIA service where new
equipment and new, higher speed circuits are required which may take days or even weeks to get implemented.
                                           SUMMARY

Organizations increasingly utilize the Internet as a critical business tool and Ethernet-based DIA services provide many benefits over T1-based DIA services. The most obvious benefit is higher bandwidth. In addition, Ethernet DIA services enable organizations to more quickly and ost-effectively add Internet access bandwidth to balance their business needs. This elastic bandwidth
capability of Ethernet DIA services enables organizations to optimally manage their IT costs while they grow their business.


Source Taken from Other Blogs & expert comments .

Virtualization

The Different Types of Virtualization

This can be where confusions creep in so it is important to remember the fundamental concept of virtualization (and again I refer to the article, The Fundamental Concept of Virtualization, on this website): It represents an abstraction from physical resources. All uses of virtualization are centered around this concept.
There are three major types of virtualization:

1. Server Virtualization.   This type is where most of the attention is focused right now in the world of virtualization and is where most companies begin an implementation of this technology. That’s not very shocking in light of the fact that server sprawl has become a very large and legitimate problem in enterprises throughout the world. Where a company is simply running out of room in which to place all of their servers, this type of virtualization would of course get viewed with strong interest.
   Because each server typically serves one function (i.e., mail server, file server, Internet server, enterprise resource planning server, etc.), with each server using only a fraction of its true processing power, server virtualization breaks through the “one application, one server” barrier and facilitates the consolidation of numerous servers into one physical server. This equates to (a) less physical servers required, and (b) 70 to 80 percent or higher utilization of existing hardware as opposed to the previous 10 to 15 percent.
   Server virtualization lets one server do the job of multiple servers by sharing the resources of a single server across multiple environments. The software lets a company host multiple operating systems and multiple applications locally and in remote locations, freeing users from physical and geographical limitations.
   How are the servers moved over?
   Most, if not all, virtualization solutions offer a migration tool to take an existing physical server and make a virtual hard drive image of that server to the driver stack. Then that server will boot up and run as a virtual server. There is no need to rebuild servers or manually reconfigure them as a virtual server.
   Without a doubt, the greatest advantage of server virtualization is cost. In addition to energy savings and lower capital expenses due to more efficient use of hardware resources, you get high availability of resources, better management, and improved disaster-recovery processes with a virtual infrastructure. You save on physical space, reduce power consumption and the need for as much cooling, and are able to rapidly deploy a new application without ordering new hardware.
   There are three different methods that can be employed under the server virtualization category but I’m not going to get into them right now because I’m trying very hard to be as simple about this as I can possibly be. Whichever method is used, the goal of server consolidation is the same.
2. Client (or Desktop) Virtualization This type of virtualization technology has to do with a client (a workstation desktop or laptop pc – an end user machine). These can be very difficult for a systems administrator to manage. Whereas any machine in the company’s data center has very strict procedures regarding what gets loaded on them and when they get updated with new software releases, it is often a quite different scene when it comes to the end-user machine. Even if there are supposed to be procedures followed for the above actions on an end-user machine, those procedures are often not followed or paid much heed. A CD or DVD slot makes it easy for non-approved software to be installed that can create problems on that machine. Quite aside from that, end-user machines are more susceptible to malware in numerous ways – via e-mail viruses, unwitting spyware downloads, etc. Last but not least, most end-user machines run on Microsoft Windows which is well known for attracting attacks from hackers and cybercriminals.
   IT has to not only deal with all those problems but also attend to the normal problems inherent in client machines: keeping approved software up-to-date, patching the OS, keeping virus definitions current, et al.
   All of these factors make an IT guy’s job quite challenging. So client virtualization, with the hope of easier client machine management and security, attracts the interest of IT.
   Because there is no single solution for end-user computing, there is more than one method or model that can be employed:
   
   1. Remote (Server-Hosted) Desktop Virtualization In this model, the operating environment is hosted on a server in the data center and accessed by the end user across a network.
   2. Local (Client-Hosted) Desktop Virtualization In this model, the operating environment runs locally on the user’s physical pc hardware and involves multiple flavors of client-side virtualization techniques that can monitor and protect the execution of the end user system.
   3. Application Virtualization This is a method of providing a specific application to an end user that is virtualized from the desktop OS and which is not installed in a traditional manner. An application can be installed and/or executed locally within a container that controls how it interacts with other system and application components. Or an application can be isolated in its own virtualized “sandbox” to prevent interaction with other system and application components. Or applications can be streamed across a network. Or applications can be delivered across the network to a web browser with most processing executed on a centralized web server. This latter method will support almost any user, with no installation requirement, on almost any platform, in any location, but it only supports a limited set of applications.
3. Storage Virtualization Storage virtualization is a concept in System Administration, referring to the abstraction (separation) of logical storage (virtualized partitions of stored data) from physical storage (storage devices that hold, spin, read and write magnetic or optical disks such as CD, DVD, or even a hard disk drive, etc.). This separation allows the Systems Admin increased flexibility in how they manage storage for end users.
   Virtualization of storage helps achieve location independence by abstracting the physical location of the data. The virtualization system presents to the user a logical space for data storage and itself handles the process of mapping it to the actual physical location.
   There are three basic approaches to data storage:
   
   1. Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) This is the traditional method used in data storage where hard drives are attached to a physical server. Because this method is easy to use but hard to manage, virtualization technology is causing organization to have a second thought with regard to its viability.
   2. Network-Attached Storage (NAS) This is a machine that resides on your network and provides data storage to other machines. It can be thought of as the first step toward storage virtualization. This approach provides a single source of data, facilitating data backup. By collecting your data in one place, it also avoids the problem of multiple servers needing to access data located on another server.
   3. Storage Area Network (SAN) This ultra-sophisticated approach deploys specialized hardware and software to transform mere disk drives into a data storage solution that transfers data on its own high-performance network.
      Companies shift over to a SAN when they recognize that corporate data is a key resource that must be available 24/7 and needs to be conveniently managed. The price tag for this approach is very high indeed.

How Cloud Computing Works

Let's say you're an executive at a large corporation. Your particular responsibilities include making sure that all of your employees have the right hardware and software they need to do their jobs. Buying computers for everyone isn't enough -- you also have to purchase software or software licenses to give employees the tools they require. Whenever you have a new hire, you have to buy more software or make sure your current software license allows another user. It's so stressful that you find it difficult to go to sleep on your huge pile of money every night.
Soon, there may be an alternative for executives like you. Instead of installing a suite of software for each computer, you'd only have to load one application. That application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs. It's called cloud computing, and it could change the entire computer industry.
In a cloud computing system, there's a significant workload shift. Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user's side decrease. The only thing the user's computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system's interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud's network takes care of the rest.
There's a good chance you've already used some form of cloud computing. If you have an e-mail account with a Web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail, then you've had some experience with cloud computing. Instead of running an e-mail program on your computer, you log in to a Web e-mail account remotely. The software and storage for your account doesn't exist on your computer -- it's on the service's computer cloud.

Cloud Computing Architecture

When talking about a cloud computing system, it's helpful to divide it into two sections: the front end and the back end. They connect to each other through a network, usually the Internet. The front end is the side the computer user, or client, sees. The back end is the "cloud" section of the system.
The front end includes the client's computer (or computer network) and the application required to access the cloud computing system. Not all cloud computing systems have the same user interface. Services like Web-based e-mail programs leverage existing Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox. Other systems have unique applications that provide network access to clients.
On the back end of the system are the various computers, servers and data storage systems that create the "cloud" of computing services. In theory, a cloud computing system could include practically any computer program you can imagine, from data processing to video games. Usually, each application will have its own dedicated server.
A central server administers the system, monitoring traffic and client demands to ensure everything runs smoothly. It follows a set of rules called protocols and uses a special kind of software called middleware. Middleware allows networked computers to communicate with each other. Most of the time, servers don't run at full capacity. That means there's unused processing power going to waste. It's possible to fool a physical server into thinking it's actually multiple servers, each running with its own independent operating system. The technique is called server virtualization. By maximizing the output of individual servers, server virtualization reduces the need for more physical machines.
If a cloud computing company has a lot of clients, there's likely to be a high demand for a lot of storage space. Some companies require hundreds of digital storage devices. Cloud computing systems need at least twice the number of storage devices it requires to keep all its clients' information stored. That's because these devices, like all computers, occasionally break down. A cloud computing system must make a copy of all its clients' information and store it on other devices. The copies enable the central server to access backup machines to retrieve data that otherwise would be unreachable. Making copies of data as a backup is called redundancy.

Cloud Computing Applications

The applications of cloud computing are practically limitless. With the right middleware, a cloud computing system could execute all the programs a normal computer could run. Potentially, everything from generic word processing software to customized computer programs designed for a specific company could work on a cloud computing system.
Why would anyone want to rely on another computer system to run programs and store data? Here are just a few reasons:

• Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time. They could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the Internet. Data wouldn't be confined to a hard drive on one user's computer or even a corporation's internal network.
• It could bring hardware costs down. Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for advanced hardware on the client side. You wouldn't need to buy the fastest computer with the most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you could buy an inexpensive computer terminal. The terminal could include a monitor, input devices like a keyboard and mouse and just enough processing power to run the middleware necessary to connect to the cloud system. You wouldn't need a large hard drive because you'd store all your information on a remote computer.
• Corporations that rely on computers have to make sure they have the right software in place to achieve goals. Cloud computing systems give these organizations company-wide access to computer applications. The companies don't have to buy a set of software or software licenses for every employee. Instead, the company could pay a metered fee to a cloud computing company.
• Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store servers and databases because they don't have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these companies the option of storing data on someone else's hardware, removing the need for physical space on the front end.
• Corporations might save money on IT support. Streamlined hardware would, in theory, have fewer problems than a network of heterogeneous machines and operating systems.
• If the cloud computing system's back end is a grid computing system, then the client could take advantage of the entire network's processing power. Often, scientists and researchers work with calculations so complex that it would take years for individual computers to complete them. On a grid computing system, the client could send the calculation to the cloud for processing. The cloud system would tap into the processing power of all available computers on the back end, significantly speeding up the calculation.

• Cloud Computing Concerns

  Perhaps the biggest concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. The idea of handing over important data to another company worries some people. Corporate executives might hesitate to take advantage of a cloud computing system because they can't keep their company's information under lock and key.
  The counterargument to this position is that the companies offering cloud computing services live and die by their reputations. It benefits these companies to have reliable security measures in place. Otherwise, the service would lose all its clients. It's in their interest to employ the most advanced techniques to protect their clients' data.
  Privacy is another matter. If a client can log in from any location to access data and applications, it's possible the client's privacy could be compromised. Cloud computing companies will need to find ways to protect client privacy. One way is to use authentication techniques such as user names and passwords. Another is to employ an authorization format -- each user can access only the data and applications relevant to his or her job.
  Some questions regarding cloud computing are more philosophical. Does the user or company subscribing to the cloud computing service own the data? Does the cloud computing system, which provides the actual storage space, own it? Is it possible for a cloud computing company to deny a client access to that client's data? Several companies, law firms and universities are debating these and other questions about the nature of cloud computing.
  How will cloud computing affect other industries? There's a growing concern in the IT industry about how cloud computing could impact the business of computer maintenance and repair. If companies switch to using streamlined computer systems, they'll have fewer IT needs. Some industry experts believe that the need for IT jobs will migrate to the back end of the cloud computing system.
  Another area of research in the computer science community is autonomic computing. An autonomic computing system is self-managing, which means the system monitors itself and takes measures to prevent or repair problems. Currently, autonomic computing is mostly theoretical. But, if autonomic computing becomes a reality, it could eliminate the need for many IT maintenance jobs.
  
  

  How Cloud Computing Works

  This article was part of a suite of pieces about cloud computing, cloud storage and the future of personal computing. When I wrote the article, cloud computing was a buzz phrase that only computer scientists, engineers and a few tech journalists used. It's now well on its way to becoming a household term. We see cloud computing applications everywhere. Smartphone apps use cloud computing technology to let you store and access data that normally wouldn't fit on your handheld device. Research institutions use cloud computing to house massive libraries of information. And video game companies are experimenting with ways to let you access state-of-the-art games without requiring a hefty investment in a gaming rig. It can be difficult to tell when a particular computing model will take off, but I think we can make the note that cloud computing is a huge success.
  
  

  Cloud Computing: Cheat Sheet

  Stuff you need to know:
  • Cloud computing systems generally have a front end, which is what the user sees, and a back end, which does all the work.
  • Cloud computing shares some similarities with an older model of computing called timesharing. A timesharing computer system connects multiple users to a single computer processor through dumb terminals, which have a keyboard and monitor, but leave the computing to the central machine.
  • While cloud computing promises to offload tasks like data storage and processing power, the model raises questions about data accessibility and security. How can you insure that you can get to your data and keep it safe if it's on someone else's computer?