SAN is an acronym for Storage Area Network, which is a high-speed
specialized network that links different storage devices at particular
data servers. The system connects a number of virtual hard drives
referred to as LUNs. It provides a channel for a large network of users
to store and retrieve information from particular servers on the
network. SAN storage systems are part of the many resources owned by
many elite business enterprises. They offer access to merged, block data
storage operations as opposed to file abstraction operations. In some
cases, these additional systems can be designed on top of the SAN
systems to provide access to the files and are referred to as SAN file
systems. This system simplifies storage management and increases
flexibility as the data cables don't have to be moved physically to
change storage from one server to the next. Therefore, it makes
administration of data easier. There are many companies that offer
quality SAN storage products that meet diverse storage needs. Choice of a
SAN system depends on your storage needs. This technology has found
wide application in contemporary data center enterprises.
Advantages of
SAN Storage Systems
SAN
systems offer many benefits to business enterprises. The main benefit
of this system is that it allows easy management of storage resources.
In addition, you can change from one storage divide in an associated
server to another without much hustle.
This system also allows
servers to boot from the resources of linked within. They allow for
faster replacement of servers that are down since the storage area
network can allows the replacement servers to use the virtual hard disks
of the replaced servers.
Moreover, SAN systems enable high
efficiency in the disaster recovery process. This system can link up
with secondary storage device at a distant server to enable storage
replication. The SAN Storage system can use many Internet Protocols to
transport data to different locations. These include Fiber Channel over
Internet Protocol (FCIP) and iSCSI.
Companies that Offer SAN Storage Products
The
most common computer companies such as HP, Dell and IBM produce SAN
products tailored to serve corporate needs. These systems ensure
continuance of the business enterprises even in the event of disaster by
providing backup data storage facilities. Below are some of the most
popular computer technology companies and the SAN products they offer.
1. HP Storage Area Network
This
company is a global leader in the provision of SAN systems that are
compatible to most corporate computer infrastructure. They offer open,
flexible and standard-based product that can suit any scale of business
operations. Their products can be customized according to your
specifications. They include SAN switches, SAN directors, routers etc.
2. IBM SAN Systems
IBM
offers SAN solutions that are tailored to integrate both enterprise and
SMB SAN solutions. Their products include enterprise SAN directors,
mid-range SAN switches, entry SAN switches, Converged switches and more.
3. Oracle SAN Systems
This
company offers many SAN storage products that suit all sizes of
business. An example of its products includes the Pillar Axiom 600,
which offers consolidation of storage devices at high performance and
efficiency. This equipment supports multiple applications and i very
suitable for any business.
These are just but a few companies in a
market that has numerous companies and products. The choice of a
SAN storage system will depend on the pricing, your needs and the features
offered. Basically, a SAN system requires the purchase of SAN switches,
routers, SAN directors and many other hardware components and software
programs.
You can get more information about
SAN Storage Systems by
IT Services.
With increasing IP telephony service and equipment options, there has
never been a more opportune time for businesses to find communication
solutions to fit their business needs. A communication solution must be
able to provide flexibility to the workforce, refocus IT staff,
consolidate vendor and provider relationships and lower cost.
With
premise-based onsite solutions, the infrastructure should be installed
and maintained by the company, and the external voice lines should also
be provisioned. With hosted PBX services, the management of the entire
system rests with the service provider, and the voice connectivity runs
over either dedicated or shared IP connections to single or several
locations.
Hosted PBX Services
In addition, hosted PBX service providers go beyond
ordinary telephony service, bundling their products with a host of
features and capabilities that incorporate elements of fully unified
communications solutions. Such capabilities entail business application
integration, video solutions, remote collaboration, mobility, web
conferencing and integrated audio.
Hosted PBX services ensure that
there is business continuity. For instance, if a business premise
becomes inaccessible, it is possible to relocate a phone line without
complex hardware installation. If the Wide Area Network (WAN) is lost
and all communications within the premise are cut off, service providers
can use mobile unified communications to reestablish a connection.
With
hosted PBX solutions, staffs that were traditionally dedicated towards
maintaining the hardware based system can be relocated to other mission
critical areas, allowing the organization to re-focus on other
initiatives, enabling them to reduce their overall operating costs.
For
organizations with multiple satellite offices, hosted PBX solutions
will deliver a centralized online portal connecting the different
locations and remote employees, enhancing internal communications.
Some
of the common features with hosted PBX providers include caller ID,
call accept/reject, music on hold/transfer, text message notification,
fax to e-mail, voicemail to e-mail, dial by name, simultaneous calls,
multiple extensions, call routing and auto attendant.
Additionally,
one factor to consider is cost analysis. In order to quantify the real
benefits of a hosted PBX solution versus a premise based solution,
scenarios should be compared on a midterm basis (this could be between a
three to five year period).
In evaluating various cost components, various primary categories should be thoroughly reviewed. These include:
Upfront and installation costs.
The organization should factor in the onetime software and hardware
purchases including items such as routers/gateways, IP Phones, PBX's,
dedicated broadband connection and installation and training charges.
Hosted service fees. Here
the organization should carefully evaluate the monthly fees over the
three to five year period and compare them to the cost of an in-house
managed solution.
Equipment maintenance and upgrade. This involves annual maintenance contracts and the costs involved with upgrading the IP PBX to the latest software.
Operations and administration. This
involves the cost of maintaining a staff that can administer the IP PBX
system versus maintaining in-house solutions that consume physical
space and power.
You can get more information about
Hosted PBX Services,
Network Monitoring Services by visiting
Opentek
Networks should support both volume traffic as well as the increased
requirements for security, analytics and compliance. As networks expand
exponentially, there is a natural tendency for the network traffic to
increase at each monitoring point. With today's business needs, business
applications are hosted on these same networks. In addition, these same
networks also host critical clients, product, and business information.
With such vital resources in one place, ensuring uptime is a challenge
because there are various threats, including information theft, viruses,
denial of service attacks and hackers. These threats could easily lead
to downtimes and loss of data. If a business depends on a network,
network monitoring services are extremely beneficial.
Network Monitoring Services
There are
various tools in the market that enable testing of different metrics
such as jitter, delay, bandwidth, packet loss, and throughput. Some of
the most popular tools used in network performance and monitoring
include:
BBMonitor. This is a commercial
Windows-based application. This particular software monitors the
bandwidth usage and Internet connection speed test. The application
monitors all the incoming and outgoing traffic and the data derived is
stored in databases. The software comes with features that enable users
to create charts using data from the repository so that the
administrator can make a decision in regards to the health of the
network.
CommView. A commercial based application
that runs with Windows, this software monitors Internet and Local Area
Network (LAN) activity, and at the same time automatically captures and
analyzes the network traffic. The application works by collecting
information about data that passes through Ethernet and then decodes the
same data. It also lists all the available network connections, local
and remote IP's while simultaneously examining individual packets.
Advanced host monitor.
This is a network administration tool that monitors the file/folder
size, DNS servers, mail, FTP, web and network traffic. This application
also comes with capabilities to check on SQL servers, CPU usage, disk
space, and TCP services.
GFI network server monitor.
This particular application monitors the network for any failures or
irregularities. As a result, network availability is maximized because
various aspects of windows and Linux servers, workstations and devices
like routers and gateways are proactively monitored. When this software
detects any failure, alerts are automatically sent via network messages,
e-mail, pager, or SMS. This software also comes with capabilities to
automatically login to the terminal server and verify if the session was
properly established. In addition, GFI can check on disk partition and
space, group membership, file/folder size, printer availability, and CPU
usage.
Smoke Ping. An open source application
that works under UNIX environment, this software measures, stores, and
displays latency distribution and packet loss. The application supports
dynamic IP and courtesy of the RRD tool, smoke ping has a built-in
repository that enables data to be presented in form of graphs, making
it possible to define latency or pattern loss.
You can get more information about
Hosted PBX Services,
Network Monitoring Services by visiting
Opentek
Network administrators are generally surrounded by
ever increasing security risks and system analyst come across major
issues when they access servers. Dealing with
security threats is
a difficult job, as these threats keeps on multiplying at a rapid pace.
They are adversely affecting the work in the corporate sector.
Network administrators have to take necessary steps to keep
Trojans, worms, malware, spyware and virus at bay. Along with this they have to
safeguard data from hackers and
cyber criminals. The instant messengers, downloaded movies, games and some other application increase the possibility of
cyber-terrorism.
Here, is a list of factors threats that a company should guard themselves from -
Email attachments:
Whenever employees open email attachments, especially ones send by
unknown senders, it allows viruses to enter in the network. Some viruses
are so dangerous that they will enter system even if the link is not
clicked.
Blended threat: Blended threat word is used to express multiple attacks on
networked computers.
It combines malwares, viruses, Trojan horses, worms and malicious
applications to attack computers in a network. These threats are
designed to spread quickly like worms, and they use whatever platform
they get to propagate themselves.
Renaming Documents-
Employees at times save important information under a different file
name. The monitoring software that checks outgoing email sometime fails
to recognize the file due to a different name.
Music and video browsers-
It is seen that workers frequently misuse Internet connection at the
work place to download music, games, movies etcetera. In some
instance,browser automatically connects the user with the related sites
that too without permission of the user. This happen in case the browser
knows the user's preference.It connects the user automatically to the
related websites and executes related applications. This puts the
network at risk and probably uses a huge segment of bandwidth.
There
are further security risks that can cause disastrous effects to the
network server and damage online corporate functionalities. Availing
service
Network Security providers can be of great help. The
security Providers with advanced
Intrusion Prevention System and
Intrusion Detection System will ensure a smooth running network.
Network security companies
have highly skilled network and system administrators, who can
successfully install next generation firewalls. The firewall will
protect company server from any hackers, cyber criminals and virus
attack. Moreover, the extended firewall protection helps to create a
good
network administration. Search online to find a
Network Security Company that completely fulfills requirements of your business.
You can get more information about
it managed services,
network security by visiting
it consultant
With the New Year already in full swing, it's time to think about the best way to optimize the performance and efficiency of your business; that is, if you haven't done so already. One way to reach this goal is to reaching out to IT outsourcing companies like Nanotek Consulting Corp. They can assess the overall strength and discover the weaknesses within your network configuration. Nanotek is a first rate IT consulting firm that offers a range of services that will enable you to leverage new technologies and security standards that can save your business both time and money.
Nanotek's Disaster Recovery Service is a valuable contingency plan that any company or organization can benefit from. Having an IT disaster recovery plan in place means that you are taking the necessary steps to safeguard and mitigate against circumstances that are unpreventable; these circumstance could cause a loss in valuable data or a wider security breach that can directly affect your company's growth.
One of the ways that an IT disaster recovery plan can help your business is by reducing the downtime after a catastrophic event and improving overall employee productivity. The IT consulting firm provides each of its clients with a customized solution that meets their specific needs and long term business objectives. Nanotek enables its clients to virtualize much of their network configuration; this service works better from an operational stand-point, for employees who have been granted access to the network. Additionally, companies that leverage virtualization as a business tool hedge against the risk of damage associated to physical infrastructure.
Nanotek has extensive experience dealing with disaster recovery for a range of companies operating in different industries. The IT consulting firm successfully managed a disaster recovery for a local real estate agency that had damaged infrastructure as a result of rain that leaked in from a roof that was being repaired. With a quick assessment of the situation, Nanotek was then able to isolate the damaged areas and replace equipment, all within the short span of a few hours. This minimization of downtime meant that the real estate agency had could return to normal business very quickly.
One of the major competitive advantages that Nanotek offers its clients is the opportunity to cut ineffective spending. With tight margins, companies are forced to use the resources that they have in the most effective manner possible. Nanotek can provide your business with the infrastructure support services that it requires to make 2012 a more successful year. Visit Nanotek.ca to learn more.
You can get more information about IT Consulting, IT Support Services by visiting Outsourcing Companies Toronto
