What does ever-increasing Wi-Fi client volume mean to your enterprise?
By Kevin Secino, HP Networking
It’s no surprise that Wi-Fi access continues to explode. With this explosion come networking challenges for IT administrators, network managers and CTOs.
In a world where instant connectivity is expected, it’s a given that in order for your clients to be pleased with network performance, your Wi-Fi network should be providing an experience that keeps pace with today’s Instant-On Enterprise. I know that as more clients get introduced into a network coupled with heavy bandwidth applications like HD video, network performance begins to suffer.
One way of mitigating the heavy load to your Wi-Fi network is to check out HP’s new dual 802.11n MSM 460 and 466 access points and an ideal 800 access point configuration . All are designed to help alleviate the high bandwidth and high-density performance hit as well as address the support for larger access point deployments.
Do you have flexible network architecture?
Consider this metaphor: I believe that you can compare how much flexibility you have with your network to the design and quality of the foundation of your home as well as the future vision of what you have in mind for changes and upgrades down the road.
I am certainly not a licensed builder, but it makes perfect sense to me that a high-quality building foundation mirrors your network architecture. Having a sound architecture with plans for expansion will determine how easily and cost effective future changes that can be made. In both cases, ask yourself: What additions/enhancements can I make to my network? How much flexibility do I have in making these changes? What is the cost to execute these changes?
In my opinion, your network architecture can make or literally break your networks performance. The flexibility you have in introducing new Wi-Fi technology into your network environment is dependent on your network architecture.
Whether you want to overlay new technology into your existing core or if you have multiple networking vendor equipment in your environment, or if your moving to cloud computing, HP’s Mobility Optimized Architecture provides efficient traffic distribution models that offer flexible choices on how and where your want network traffic to flow.
Don’t wall yourself in with vendor lock-in
Whether you’re an all HP customer or not, HP’s mobility optimized architecture. As part of HP FlexNetwork Architecture, it is an integral part of the mobility controllers HP offers and can easily co-exist with legacy architectures.
According to a recent Gartner report, “clients that don't segment their network infrastructure will see higher costs and increased vendor lock-in” *
*Source: Gartner Research, Clients That Don't Segment Their Network Infrastructure Will Have Higher Costs and Increased Vendor Lock-in; by Tim Zimmerman; date: 15 March 2011
Layered network considerations
Once the appropriate building blocks have been defined, the most important technical consideration is to ensure that there are no proprietary or other forced linkages between the building blocks. Networking emerged as a set of layered technologies for a reason: Different functions are required, and a layered architecture ensures innovation, choice and an ability to meet various business requirements.
Within building blocks, it is acceptable to use proprietary technologies, as long as organizations compare vendors against their requirements and maintain sufficient ROI against potential lock-in costs. It is important to make the needed functionality a requirement, rather than making a specific proprietary technology a requirement. That keeps alternatives open and allows more choice.
In my opinion, the challenge in optimizing network performance spans across all sizes of enterprise environments. How can the IT administrator address larger Access point deployments and yet manage these deployments within a single easy to use configuration, a configuration that can be managed via a single management platform all via a single IP address that addresses your wired and wireless network?
One answer is to take a look at the HP 800 Access Point (AP) Series solution. The E-Series 5400 chassis can support up to 4 MSM765zl modules for large enterprises. Each 765zl module supports up to 200 Access Points.
The 800 AP controller solutions will consist of some of the items below based on your deployment requirements. This component-based approach provides the greatest flexibility for large enterprise customer deployments
- E-Series 5400zl chassis
- E-MSM765zl modules
- Minimum of one switching module
Here is a quick ordering configuration guide:
Combine flexible network architecture and the ability to address the ever-increasing number of Wi-Fi devices in your network.
>>Learn more about switches and wireless solutions from HP Networking.
Intelligent Management is key
Another point: Whether you’re an all-HP customer or in a multivendor environment where you need to manage multiple platforms, check out HP’s Intelligent Management Center (IMC) management tool. Word on the street is that IMC does a better job at managing multivendor equipment than the original equipment vendor’s themselves.
>>Learn more about the Intelligent Management Center.
Next steps?
If you’re interested in deploying larger scale wireless solutions that can easily be managed, please contact HP sales or an HP channel partner.
>>For additional information, visit HP Networking.
