Chapter 1

Introduction

Information & Communication

The generation, storage, and movement of information are central to managing an

enterprise’s business processes

As a result, businesses must ensure that they are using information and

communication technologies (ICTs) that best satisfy their information and

management needs

Connectivity, integration, and ease of access to information are essential for

effective communication among workers and business partners

Many enterprises are assimilating social media such as Twitter and Facebook to enhance communication and business

processes

Networking technology is making inter-organizational business processes more

transparent by facilitating the flow of information

TrendsThree different forces have consistently driven the architecture and evolution of data communications and networking facilities:

1. Traffic growthGrowing at a high and steady rateNo longer limited to voice and dataIncreasing business emphasis on Web service, remote access, online transactions, and social networking

2. Development of new servicesRange of services that business users desire is expandingIncreasing data traffic due to smartphones and tabletsDemand for services to support high-resolution camera phones, video streams, and high-end audio

3. Advances in technologyMore powerful computers and clusters of computers capable of supporting more demanding applicationsNetworks are more “intelligent”The Internet and the Web have led to intranets and extranetsMobile devices have become drivers of the evolution of business networks and their use

Services versus

ThroughputRates

Ethernet Bandwidth Trends

Enterprise Network Drivers

Table 1.1

Emerging Enterprise Network

Applications

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K1uj9VmCzo

ConvergenceRefers to the merger of previously distinct telephony and information technologies and marketsThree layer model:

ApplicationsSeen by the end users of a businessIntegrates communications applications

Enterprise servicesSeen by the network managerEnsures that users can take full advantage of the applications that they use

(privacy mechanisms, authentication services, support remote print services and network storage facilities, setting up collaborative environments)

InfrastructureConsists of the communication links, LANs, WANs, and Internet connections available to the enterpriseAlso includes private and/or public cloud connections to data centers

Business-Driven Convergence

Key Benefits of IP Network Convergence

Cost savingsCan provide a significant reduction in network administration, maintenance, and operating costsEnables better use of existing resources and implementation of centralized capacity planning, asset management, and policy management

EffectivenessHas the potential to provide users with great flexibility, irrespective of where they areMobile workers can use a virtual private network (VPN) to remotely access business applications and communication services on the corporate network, secure from other Internet traffic

TransformationCan easily adapt to technological advancements without having to install new infrastructureEnables the enterprise-wide adoption of global standards and best practices

12

Unified Communications (UC)

Enterprise network convergence focuses on the consolidation of traditionally distinct voice, video, and data communications networks into a common infrastructureFocuses on the integration of real-time communication servicesSystems are built on Internet ProtocolKey elements:

UC systems typically provide a unified user interface and consistent user experience across multiple devices and mediaUC merges real-time communications services with non-real-time services and business process applications

Unified Communications

Architecture Elements

Mobile Employee Profiles

Table 1.2

Business Benefits of Unified

Communications

Business Information Requirements

Voice communicationsRefers to telephone related communicationsEnhanced by computer-based services such as voice mail and the voice over IP (VoIP) protocol

Data communicationsRefers to virtually any form of information transfer other than voice

Image communicationsAn example would be facsimile (fax)Images can be attached or embedded in e-mail messagesSmartphones enable users to take and send high-resolution digital images across mobile networks

Video communicationsHigh-resolution telepresence systems enable geographically dispersed users to conduct business matters as if they were physically present in the same room

Information Transmission

The basic building block of any enterprise network infrastructure

is the transmission line

One of the basic choices for business network users is the transmission medium• Fiber-optic• Wireless transmission

Transmitting voice, data, image, and video traffic across enterprise networks continues to consume a major chunk of the communications budget for most businesses• Multiplexing

• Ability of a number of devices to share a transmission line

• Compression• Squeezing the data into a smaller

form so that a lower-capacity, cheaper transmission line can be used to transfer it between computing devices

Businesses need to be concerned with two dimensions of computer communications software:

The application software that is provided to the business users’ commuting devices over enterprise networks

The underlying interconnection (networking) software that allows these computing devices to work together cooperatively

The Internet and Distributed Applications

The Internet

The Web provides a myriad of ways for businesses to communicate with consumers and

to market their products and services

Intranets and extranets enable secure communication both within an enterprise and

with customers, suppliers, and partners

TCP/IP

Universally used for the communications software function across multiple vendor

equipment

The basis for the operation of the Internet

Client/Server Architectures, Intranets, Extranets, and SOA

Separate computers (servers) provide specialized services on a shared basis for many

users (clients)

An intranet is confined to authorized users within the organization with no access to

outsiders

Extranets enable outside clients and business partners to access corporate computing

resources

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) enables customers to get access to their business

software products at hosted sites

Networks

Local Area Network (LAN)Wide Area Network (WAN)

Circuit SwitchedPacket SwitchedFrame RelayAsynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)

Wireless NetworkMetropolitan Area Network (MAN)

ANetworking

Configuration

Management Issues

Network SecurityConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability

Network ManagementHighly distributed peer-to-peer networksComplexity of managing and maintaining Reliable operation at all timesSkilled personnel and communication costs

Communications StandardsImportance

Choice of vendors and productsCompetition leads to lower costEnovation through open standards

OrganizationsInternet Society (ISOC)International Organization for Standardization (ISO)IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Committee The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Summary Information and

communication Data communications and

networking for today’s enterprise Trends Business drivers

Convergence Unified communications Business information

requirements Transmission and transmission

media Communication techniques

Chapter 1: Introduction

Distributed data processing

Internet and distributed applications The Internet TCP/IP Client/Server

architectures, intranets, extranets, and SOA

Networks Network security Network

management Standards