Network Diagramming Channel Feature

Network Diagramming Critical to Enjoying Server Virtualization Benefits

By Susan J. Campbell
TMCnet Contributing Editor

With all the talk surrounding the virtues of server virtualization, the importance of network diagramming can be easily overlooked. It is true that server virtualization can deliver significant cost benefits while streamlining operations, but the reality is that these networks still have to be able to communicate.  

A recent Network World (News - Alert) piece highlights the need for network diagramming. The real issue is performance as server virtualization drives higher server utilization, more network I/O and are mobile by nature. This higher density, server-to-server traffic, more I/O and VM mobility all make tuning performance a significant challenge. 

According to one network engineering vice president captured in the Network World piece, network tuning is taking place all the time. Another stated that his team must dive deep on network flows and traffic analysis to gain an understanding of how server virtualization impacts network performance. The fact that things were running slow was a known, but it was a challenge to determine why.

A recent ESG survey found that 25 percent of organizations list performance management as one of their top server virtualization challenges. While a number of companies want to make the move to the cloud, network diagramming is still lacking to make this move one that can support network performance goals.

Network diagramming helps to provide the necessary visibility up and down the server stack in real-time. It also helps to provide a better baseline for the understanding of typical network behavior. There is a clear need to extract operations data from virtualization and cloud platforms, as well as the ability to store more packet capture data. IT managers also need to marry big data analytics with network performance management, as well as standard ways to share and exchange network behavior data with ISPs and cloud providers.

The process of identifying and providing the necessary tools is already underway for companies like SolarWinds, Opnet and NetScout (News - Alert). These companies recognize the importance of network diagramming and are moving swiftly through their processes to capitalize on market opportunities. The challenge, of course, is capturing and analyzing data to a far greater degree than past efforts to drive LAN/WAN performance management.

In the constant move to transition to the cloud, much of the industry talk surrounds security concerns. While this is a critical topic, performance management and network diagramming must also be key for companies seeking to drive effective server virtualization and capture the benefits of this migration.