Is the Internet the New WAN? (continued)
Ensuring High Performance
Some IT managers are reluctant to move critical services from leased lines, concerned that a broadband IP connection may not provide the level of performance they require. Migrating from a DS3 leased line to a DSL broadband line with equivalent bandwidth may not present a problem, but migrating from a high-capacity fiber leased line might degrade performance unless fiber-based Internet access is available. "You have to make sure what you're moving is compatible with the network performance criteria of the network you're going to," Hansen says.
Bandwidth isn't the only requirement for high performance. In applications where quality of service (QoS) is the driving factor, such as voice, videoconferencing and an increasing number of data applications, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is emerging as the preferred standard. Many enterprises are finding that with a VPN based on MPLS, they can more easily meet service-level agreements for metrics like latency (the time it takes for a packet to get from one point to another), packet loss (signal degradation due to congestion) and other equally important components of QoS.
The bottom line: Implementing and managing a broadband-based network is not a trivial task. Before migrating enterprise applications from a dedicated-line infrastructure to an Internet-based VPN, you will need to address issues of security and network performance, and put a team in place -- using in-house or vendor resources, or some combination of the two -- that can set and meet appropriate service levels for the network.
About the Author
Masha Zager, formerly the IT director of a government agency, is a freelance writer specializing in business and technology.
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