Answers to your Questions
Before network deployment or introduction
of a new service, Service Providers go through several stages
of "network technology adoption". Here are some of the questions
they ask themselves:
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Technology Evaluation:
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- Will this new technology serve my needs?
- Is it stable and reliable, or is it just hype?
|
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Vendor Product Evaluation:
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- Does this device meet our functional and performance
needs?
- Is it robust and scalable?
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Multi-vendor Interoperability and Conformance:
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- Do my vendors use incomplete or "enhanced" versions
of protocols?
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Benchmarking:
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- How do I compare performance under realistic conditions,
using my own network configuration?
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Network Service Trials:
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- Before deployment, I want to trial my new equipment.
How do I simulate my whole network?
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After the network service is deployed, two additional stages
bring new questions:
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Network Upgrade / Regression Testing:
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- Will the new switch/router software introduce bugs
that are unique to my network configuration?
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Problem Resolution:
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- Can I diagnose the cause of a real network problem
by simulating the network failure in my lab?
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For more detailed information on each of these stages, see
Preventing Network Service Outages
and Service
Providers: From Technology Evaluation to Problem Resolution.
|
Network Services 
