technology revealed!€¦ · •your organization’s needs and resources will help shape your...

Technology Revealed!

An exploration into some hidden gems in today’s

local and wide area networks.

Who is Lou Melograna?

• CTO/VP/co-founder of StarNet Solutions, Inc. 2001

• 26 years of hands on local and wide area networking.

• Traveled the globe to deliver solutions to clients.

• Lots of certifications…it will probably bore you to list them!

• Happy to be here today!

2StarNet Solutions, Inc. (732) 919-3446 /

www.StarNetSolutions.com

In the Beginning…

• The Golden Days of Yesteryear…

StarNet Solutions, Inc. (732) 919-3446 / www.StarNetSolutions.com

3

This used to be the latest and greatest technology…do you remember?


4

Didn’t everybody have one?

Technical information came from…

– Dial up BBS…(W.I.L.D.C.A.T. anyone?)

– Technical “Get-togethers”/Information sharing with peers.

– Technical Support Calls.

– Paper Media/Manuals/CDs, etc..


5

Where Do We Look Now?

A formerly unknown “place” surfaced with a strange name and hence was born the phrase “Google it!”


6

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiawcXjmLHOAhVCYyYKHR40DyMQjRwIBw&url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps&psig=AFQjCNFhUq3NDKnY0I2jfMz8yiC_DIh_iA&ust=1470724048537259

So….????

• So, what is my point you ask (great question by the way!)?:

• Today I hope to bring you some information on technology that you may not have heard

of, but can benefit almost every business today. Use this information to find new ways

to expand your knowledge, make your networks better, stronger, faster…


7

(Oscar Goldman had the right idea!)

Virtualization

• “In computing, virtualization refers to the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, including virtual computer hardware platforms, operating systems, storage devices, and computer network resources.”…blah,blah, blah.

• What does it really mean to us?: We build what used to take many, many expensive physical machines running a single operating system and one computer and change it into a high-powered single computer running an array of servers that provide greater uptime, performance and reliability. Most cloud services today run on some sort of virtualization platform.

• VMware, Xen, Hyper-V, Oracle.• Server & Desktop: Very different requirements!• Virtual desktop (VDI) requires much higher IOPs than virtual servers.• The best virtual platforms perform best when built properly.• Discuss “No-No’s” and best practices.• Application virtualization on top of VDI.• Myths: “MS Exchange, SQL and Oracle are not supported on virtual platforms.”


8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_hardware

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_storage_device

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

The Cloud….

• At this point in time, there may not be a single person on the planet that does not know of the magical, mystical, ethereal “Cloud”….

• According to some people I meet, it might as well have been built by unicorns and leprechauns in the “Land of Oz”.

• Actually, just to be clear it is a facility that hosts “yours or theirs” hardware and software, or allows you to buy/lease from a provider. (SaaS, BaaS, DRaaS, IaaS, DaaS, PaaS, MBaaS, ITMaaS)


9

The Cloud continued..

• Great benefits!: Typically costs less in hardware, software, power, support (staff onsite/maintenance contracts), and licensing. The burden may fall to the cloud provider who’s job is to sell a solid solution – and one that requires less effort on your behalf! –SOUNDS…..GRRRRRRRREAT! Could it be the silver bullet to all of our IT problems??

• Fact of the matter is that the cloud is just someone else’s datacenter, not a magical place. And sometimes it can get “real” very fast…….how much can you trust your cloud provider?----you might want to think carefully about this one….


10

Think Before Putting All of Your Eggs In One Basket...

• Well, …..what happens when that provider has issues? Oh yes, it happens, despite what you may think you know or have heard….

• “It’s Google, it never goes down…they own the Web”

• Microsoft can’t go down..they have super computers…

• Amazon web down?? You must be joking!


11

• Your organization’s needs and resources will help shape your network:

• Private, Public and hybrid cloud solutions.

• Full cloud should use multi-WAN/ISP or you will be down at the office and may need to pack up and head over to Starbucks for your Internet!

• What does this involve?


12

The Cloud still Continued….

Next up…my favorite: WAN!

• Traditional methods of using multiple ISPs or WANs for redundancy:

• i.e. BGP: Not exactly simple and not for the feint of heart….complicated and difficult to troubleshoot for most.

• The WAN aggregator (aka Link Balancers…NOT LOAD BALANCERS!..yes there is a difference!) is born to offer multi-isp control without “one active, one standby..” all can be active-active! Usually deploy in minutes to hours instead of days to weeks.

• SD WAN: one of the newer terms to hit the IT world…I am sure someone you know asked about it..!

• If you are not thinking multi-wan, then you obviously did not experience Hurricane Sandy!


13

Next up…my favorite: WAN! (cont.)


14

• WAN aggregators

• Redundant too!

Some Common WAN Technologies

• Old School: t1, t3, frame, x.25, ISDN, POTS

• Better: Cable, Fiber (i.e.: FIOS), dark fiber, MPLS, SD-WAN, Ethernet, Sync vs. Async lines.

• Depends on availability in area and price of course!

• Which should you choose? Well, what’s your goal? What do you need to travel over the WAN? How secure do you need it?

• Remember: GOOD Security is NEVER

cheap and NEVER convenient!!!


15

Secure Your Wan

• Remote access/mobile access:

• Make it secure…even if you think “I have nothing anyone really wants” do not be so sure! The smallest amount of information or that one PC you have at your office or home can be used by many, many “disreputables” for harm..don’t be naïve!


16

Secure Access (inside and out)!

• Dual/multi factor authentication (fobs, soft tokens)• SSL certs • PKI • Endpoint Analysis• Content Filters• Secure Appliances (not just traditional firewalls), but above

Layer 3-4 (up to 7!)• UTM: antispam, antivirus, data loss prevention, intrusion

detection/prevention, firewalling, content filtering.• Web filters: url, domain, IP, keyword, content, time of day,

day of week.• SSO – yes you can use it securely, even with AD!


17

Load Balancers

• Virtual or physical.

• Provide single point or redundant DNS name/IP address to multiple resources.


18

End Result

• Give yourself time to be proactive instead of reactive..

• Increase network production, security and efficiency.

• Increase your skillset!

• And heck, learn something new!


19

Can we know it all?

• Of course not! Even in my 26 years I still find new things every day…and you should keep an open mind and ear…there is so much to learn!

• Technology changes so fast today that we are literally overwhelmed with the wealth of information!

• Here are some great places to find some of this information today.


20

Network Security Resources

• http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/resource_center/articles/secure_my_business/what_is_network_security/index.html?referring_site=smartnavRD

• http://www.interhack.net/• https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/documentation/gl

ossary/what-is-network-security• https://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Portfolio/net

work-security/• http://thehackernews.com/• http://www.hackersnewsbulletin.com/


21

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/resource_center/articles/secure_my_business/what_is_network_security/index.html?referring_site=smartnavRD

http://www.interhack.net/

https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/documentation/glossary/what-is-network-security

https://www.business.att.com/enterprise/Portfolio/network-security/

http://thehackernews.com/

Places to Check for Internet Outages

• These are some sample places you can check for information on outages:

• (Legal disclaimer: There accuracy is good but I do not personally check every source…)

1. http://www.isitdownrightnow.com2. https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/status/3. http://downdetector.com4. http://www.outageanalyzer.com/5. http://internetpulse.keynote.com/6. http://ipnetwork.bgtmo.ip.att.net/pws/index.html

(don’t forget “Google It” for plenty more!)


22

http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/status/

http://downdetector.com/

http://www.outageanalyzer.com/

http://internetpulse.keynote.com/

http://ipnetwork.bgtmo.ip.att.net/pws/index.html

THANK YOU!!

• Web: www.starnetsolutions.com

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: 732.919.3446


23

http://www.starnetsolutions.com/

mailto:[email protected]

technology revealed!€¦ · •your organization’s needs and resources will help shape your...

Documents