Networks Could be 10,000 Times More Efficient…Really?????

Did you know the global network currently generates 300 million tons of carbon dioxide a year -- about as much as 15 million cars? I didn’t either until I came across an article on Market Watch. The number is increasing as Internet traffic continues to grow along with a worldwide user base. I was surprised by how much of an impact the network has on the environment. But, there is good news…


Global networks could theoretically run on 10,000 times less energy than they do today according to scientists and engineers at Bell Labs (the research arm of Alcatel-Lucent). The estimate came from the scientists when they decided to find out the minimum amount of power required to run the network. This isn’t my field of expertise, but it seems like a staggering amount of inefficiency.


Why are networks so energy inefficient? Bell Labs says that networks weren’t designed with energy efficiency in mind, but were optimized for performance and simplicity (not too surprising).


So where does this leave us? Alcatel-Lucent and Bell Labs have decided to launch a global consortium called Green Touch whose goal would be to develop the technologies needed to make networks much more efficient.


How much more? 1,000 times more efficient than it is now within five years. It's an aggressive goal, considering that a thousandfold reduction is roughly equivalent to being able to power the network for three years with as much energy as it currently takes to run it for a day.


This is great news. It’s going to be interesting to see if the consortium can deliver on their goals. I’m cautiously optimistic – how about you? If you want more details check out the Green Touch press release.

Taking Advantage of Network Virtualization

I’ve been hearing a lot about the benefits of virtualization for network management. From improved productivity to increased efficiency, network virtualization holds much promise. However, for all the benefits that virtualization brings to the field of network management, it also brings a few challenges.

How do you keep track of your virtual assets and real ones? Do you need a special team, tools or hardware to get the job done? It turns out that the most popular virtualization system (VMware), makes this an easy job for most network management systems when configured correctly.

VMware’s workstation product gives you three choices for network virtualization: Bridged, NAT and Host Only.

Bridged: This mode creates a virtual switch that sits between the host NIC and the VM instance. The VM instance looks like another PC on the network, it shares the host NIC resources and has an IP Address assigned via DHCP or static entry. A bridged VM instance looks and feels very much like a separate server on the network. It provides full monitoring capabilities similar to that of the host.

NAT: NAT mode uses the host machine's IP address to communicate with the network. As a result, no external IP address is assigned and the VM instance is not visible to the external network. This method provides a high level of security, but does not allow you to poll the VM instance directly. This method requires additional specialized software and agents.

Host Only: This method sets up a network that is completely contained within the host. It has no ability to communicate with the outside world. You will not be able to see the VM instance at all.

As you can see, the methods used for setting up networking on a virtual instance will determine what an IT management application will “see” and monitor. While this example is specific to VMware, most products offer similar options.

If you’re a dopplerVUE user you can create a group and associate the virtual devices to a physical device. dopplerVUE groups provide a view of all alarms and performance overlays in a single view, and allows drill down access into the performance of each virtual server.

Cisco Live…Great Training, but Not Much New Technology

Cisco Live 2009 was this week, if you didn’t attend here are a few observations:

There were MASSIVE amounts of training sessions, high quality keynotes, but not much new in terms of technology at this event. It’s not just a show, it’s a training session. While many of the educational items cost money, not all of them do. Even some of the vendor presentations can offer you insights into the types of thinking you should be considering (see OPNET and their explanation of the types of problems that can cause application delay). Much of the free educational content can be had by getting an online account at the CiscoLive Virtual center.

Cisco recently launched a wiki providing simple content and clear explanations. It still needs to grow some but, the content is a good start for key Cisco products and technologies.

Counted only 3 green/power saving programs – Really in S.F? I expected more considering all the talk about green computing in the industry.

The B-52s and DEVO were the bands for Wednesday night – WOW!!!

If you came looking for new technologies, you would be disappointed. I didn’t see anything that wasn’t at Interop or some of the other shows earlier in the year. I think it’s more about making do with what we have and squeezing out all the value possible.

The next post will be a continuation on how to monitor bandwidth – helping you pack more through the pipes you already own.

Can you Spend Less Money, Time and Effort and Still Go Green?

Recently I've had several people ask me for advice on how to use their network to become more green without spending lots of time, money or effort. I came across an article that had some common sense ideas that supported many of my favorite thoughts on the topic. Tech Republic’s – IT Cost Cutting: The Ninja Guide is worth a quick browse if you have a few minutes. There are some great suggestions for using VoIP, telepresence, and web meetings to cut phone and travel costs and to embrace telecommuting to go green. Of course, a reliable network is critical to making these initiatives work, so I always mention network monitoring as a key ingredient to success.