Infonet Nederland BV:

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1 CASE STUDY Infonet Nederland BV: Industry: Managed Service Provider Service Provider Delivers an Application Defined Networking Approach Using NetQoS NetQoS complements our service portfolio well and has enabled us to provide two new service offerings to our customers, with detailed insight into networked application performance. The advanced performance-first management from NetQoS empowers our customers to make informed decisions about their networks so that they can ensure high service levels, avoid unnecessary costs, mitigate the risks of changes, and solve problems faster. - Michel Landman, Sales Consultant at Infonet Nederland Infonet Nederland Challenges:» Deliver network and application performance reporting data to customers» Improve customer satisfaction» Troubleshoot customer issues more quickly and efficiently» Provide access to custom, secure performance reports for each customer» Ensure cost-effective deployment of instrumentation that does not require hardware to be placed at the customers branch offices NetQoS Performance Center Benefits:» End-to-end visibility into application performance, network traffic, and device performance for each customer» Passive monitoring without endpoint agents or probes» Quick isolation of performance delays for rapid troubleshooting and restoring service levels to expected values» Mitigate risks from planned changes and unexpected events» Make more informed decisions based on precise network usage data» Detailed, real-time performance reports with role-based permissions for each customer Background: Infonet Nederland, a subsidiary of KPN and part of KPN International, provides integrated, state-of-the-art global network services, communication solutions, data center services, and service management for multinational entities. These solutions include private MPLS-enabled IP VPNs, application-defined VPNs, Internet VPNs, converged networking (voice/video/data), and enhanced security. The company is part of the BT Alliance Partner Program, a global partner program established to support BT Global Services in the selling, distribution, and support of a range of products and services from across the BT portfolio. Infonet Nederland as part of the BT Alliance Partner Program operates in 70 countries and serves 140 customers. Known for their quality of service, BT Alliance partners are leading providers of managed network communications services for multinational entities. CHALLENGE: Moving Beyond Utilization to Application Performance Reporting As application traffic across global networks grows in volume and complexity, organizations are investing heavily in data center providers, centralizing their applications and moving to MPLS to ensure optimal transport of applications across the wide area network. Despite the cost savings and performance improvements offered by these initiatives, information and communications technology (ICT) organizations that employ them face some blind spots in verifying network and application performance. The main challenges with centralized applications are to measure application latency, monitor the

2 NetQoS SuperAgent Key Features:» Monitoring of all TCP-based applications for all users, 24x7» Passive, server-side monitoring of all real user interactions for monitored applications» Customized views into response time data» Intelligent baselines that factor in time-of-day, day-of-week, and day-ofmonth showing normal application performance» Percentile-based or static thresholds for alerting and actively gathering diagnostic data when upper boundaries of acceptable performance are crossed» Analysis of response time between each tier of multi-tier applications» Scalable distributed architecture to handle large networks» Web-based interface, unlimited users, no per-seat licenses application flows across the network, and verify the performance impact on network devices. As customers increasingly rely on Infonet Nederland to centralize applications and deliver them via MPLS, the company realized it needed to deliver more meaningful insight into application performance: The common fault-based utilization reports offered by most service providers were no longer enough. Infonet Nederland sought to build out the breadth and depth of its network management portfolio with an Application Defined Networking approach that would give customers insight into how well the network is delivering services to end users. Infonet Nederland determined the best way to fulfill its Application Defined Networking vision was to focus on the performance of key applications running over the network as well as bandwidth utilization and traffic composition. Endto-end performance monitoring provides the best overall view of what is happening on the network, and traffic analysis supplements that information by showing the composition of traffic on every link and how much bandwidth is being consumed across the infrastructure. Infonet Nederland knew that to help customers verify application delivery across their MPLS network and solve problems faster, they needed to measure end-to-end application response times of mission-critical applications. Also, because MPLS injects new traffic paths between edge sites, it is important to be able to monitor application flows to and from the MPLS cloud to achieve continuous visibility into bandwidth usage. SOLUTION: An Integrated Approach to Network and Application Performance Management with the NetQoS Performance Center and SMT s Managed Services Infonet Nederland partnered with SMT Simple Management Technologies B.V. (SMT) in The Netherlands to evaluate several technologies and selected the NetQoS Performance Center from Austin, Texas-based NetQoS Inc. The NetQoS Performance Center provides global visibility into the key metrics necessary to quantify network infrastructure performance, including end-to-end performance monitoring, traffic analysis, and device performance management. Pg. 2 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

3 NetQoS ReporterAnalyzer Key Features:» Tracks 100% of all Cisco NetFlow/IPFIX traffic on the network» Top interfaces, protocols, and hosts across the entire network in a single view» Rate, volume, and utilization measurements by protocol, host, and conversation» Applications defined by a combination of ports, IP address(es), and Type of Service (ToS)» Real-time reports and alarms at oneminute granularity for every interface on the network» Eight-hour, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or customizable time periods» Stores up to one year s worth of detailed enterprise-wide data» Baseline views help identify abnormal traffic patterns» Real-time visibility into how QoS is prioritizing network traffic to determine if applications are being classified appropriately With an in-depth knowledge of NetQoS products, SMT helped Infonet Nederland design, deploy, and package new offerings based on the NetQoS Performance Center. We evaluated several different solutions, but the ability to scale to our customers was a critical factor in our decision to select NetQoS. The quality of the reports from the NetQoS console and its ease-of-use and implementation are also very impressive, said Michel Landman, Sales Consultant at Infonet Nederland. We liked the shared server concept afforded by NetQoS. Infonet Nederland is able to securely service many customers from a single platform with a centralized NetQoS deployment in our data center, which brings our customers a very cost-effective solution. RESULTS: SMART Reporting Services The NetQoS Performance Center has enabled Infonet Nederland to develop two new revenue-generating service offerings in response to steadily increasing market demand: SMART Reporting Services and End-2-End Performance Monitoring. In addition, the technology has helped the company update its existing Service Management service, ensuring that it will continue to meet evolving customer needs. Infonet Nederland Offering 1: SMART Reporting Services Infonet Nederland s SMART Reporting service provides customers with insight into the relationship between infrastructure use and application service delivery with an integrated view of the key metrics provided by the NetQoS Performance Center. From the NetQoS Performance Center console, customers can access a top-down view of all applications across their network infrastructure and also drill into detailed information provided by the three SMART Reporting product modules:» Basic Reporting for device performance and IPSLA and CBQoS reporting based on NetQoS Netvoyant» Network Analysis Reporting for traffic analysis based on NetQoS ReporterAnalyzer» Advanced Application Reporting for end to-end performance monitoring based on NetQoS SuperAgent Pg. 3 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

4 NetQoS NetVoyant Key Features:» Measure the impact of infrastructure changes and new applications on end user application performance» Validate the effectiveness of an MPLS migration, VoIP deployment, QoS policy change, load balancing, and link and server upgrades» Make informed infrastructure investments by understanding the cause of device performance issues.» Reduce mean-time-to-repair with automatic alerting and Top-N reporting.» Measure VoIP call quality using Cisco IP SLA» Validate your service provider s service levels» View the status and utilization of all network and server components in real time» Troubleshoot connectivity issues with ping, traceroute, and MIB browser tools» Graphically compare current device utilization against normal baselines to see unusual behavior at a glance» View historical device utilization reports that include trend lines to help predict future capacity requirements Offered as a monthly fixed service, the SMART reporting service enables customers to:» Measure end-user application response times» Report on the delivery and quality of application services to end user sites» Understand how day-to-day changes affect network and application performance» Quickly prioritize performance problems and isolate the cause to the application, server, or network» Identify the applications and users consuming bandwidth» Validate the prioritization of mission-critical and latency sensitive applications» Avoid unnecessary WAN costs» Manage the convergence of voice, video, and data» Identify virus or denial of service attacks SMART Reporting is supported by Infonet Nederland s specialized MPLS networking knowledge and SMT s remote monitoring and reporting expertise. To ensure optimum service, customers have access to online reports that can be customized, and a help line for questions. In addition, customers receive the benefit of performance reporting data without worrying about implementation. With the SMART Reporting Services, we are offering the performance reporting that customers have asked for to improve network and application performance, gain application visibility and verify service levels, said Landman.» Measure network path KPI s like jitter, packet-loss and delay using Cisco IP SLA» Measure traffic prioritization and congestion avoidance policies with Cisco s CBQOS Pg. 4 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

5 The SMART Performance Center console, powered by NetQoS Infonet Nederland Offering 2: End-2-End Performance Monitoring Infonet Nederland s End-2-End Performance Monitoring (EPM) is a rapid response troubleshooting service based on NetQoS SuperAgent. Within two weeks of deployment, EPM provides ICT organizations with actionable insight into network and application performance to quickly solve performance problems by:» Isolating the source of performance problems quickly to the application, server, or network» Providing before and after studies to quantify the impact of infrastructure changes and new applications on end-user application performance» Optimizing the infrastructure for better application performance The EPM service is effective because of the rapid deployment of the advanced capabilities of NetQoS SuperAgent, with minimal intervention on customer Pg. 5 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

6 networks. SuperAgent is connected to a mirrored switch port or network tap near the server farm, and passively collects TCP packet header information from real application traffic. No endpoint agents need to be deployed, saving time and speeding the delivery of contracted services. By collecting performance data at the switch, SuperAgent can measure response times for server-to-server communications. This is essential for diagnosing performance issues in complex multi-tier environments. An Infonet Nederland engineer can typically install and configure a SuperAgent appliance in less than two hours, allowing them to analyze performance data almost immediately. If a customer is pleased with the short-term troubleshooting service, Infonet Nederland offers the SMART Reporting Service for an ongoing, detailed analysis of network and application performance. An EPM report based on NetQoS SuperAgent data showing the quality of application services delivered. Infonet Nederland Offering 3: Service Management Infonet Nederland has added NetQoS-based performance data to its existing Service Management offering to help customers obtain more value out of their infrastructures and avoid unnecessary WAN costs. Formerly based on legacy technologies that provided only fault-based and basic performance data, the service analyzes the customer network using NetQoS performance data to determine if bandwidth upgrades or downgrades are needed or which applications require more bandwidth, for instance. Customers receive a monthly report as well as access to a help line and Infonet Nederland consultants for more advanced analysis. By adding the NetQoS data, Infonet Nederland now offers its Service Management customers the performance reporting needed to optimize their networks. Pg. 6 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

7 Why the NetQoS Performance Center Infonet Nederland had several reasons for basing its new service offerings on the NetQoS Performance Center, including the ability to serve many customers via a central deployment of the product modules in its data center:» NetQoS SuperAgent for end-to-end application response time performance monitoring» NetQoS ReporterAnalyzer for network traffic analysis» NetQoS NetVoyant for device performance management As discussed above, NetQoS SuperAgent analyzes end-to-end application response time without endpoint agents, enabling Infonet Nederland to provide its customers with visibility into how well the network infrastructure is delivering applications to end users across the enterprise. SuperAgent measures and analyzes application response times for all TCP-based user transactions, compares response times against abnormal thresholds, and then automatically investigates the cause of problems as they occur. SuperAgent pinpoints response time delays to the network, server, or application and launches automatic investigations into problems, enabling rapid troubleshooting of performance bottlenecks. SuperAgent also measures the impact of infrastructure changes and reports service level quality for internal users and external service providers. NetQoS ReporterAnalyzer provides global visibility into wide area network traffic, enabling Infonet Nederland to give its customers an understanding of how application traffic is impacting network performance. ReporterAnalyzer captures a rich set of traffic statistics from Cisco IOS NetFlow or other IPFIX enabled routers and switches to identify which applications and users are using bandwidth, and when, allowing network managers and engineers to make informed decisions in troubleshooting and capacity planning. ReporterAnalyzer s product architecture scales to handle the number of interfaces and volume of flow data in the world s largest networks, providing real-time visibility into 100 percent of enterprise-wide network traffic and access to a full year s worth of detailed data. Pg. 7 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

8 With NetQoS NetVoyant, Infonet Nederland can offer customers device performance data along with end-to-end performance monitoring and network traffic analysis data in a single pane of glass for network and application performance which is a very powerful combination. In addition, NetVoyant provides advanced performance metrics such as jitter, loss, and latency for applications that are sensitive to delay across the infrastructure. For example, NetVoyant can run synthetic VoIP or video tests between any two devices, such as edge routers at remote sites. Monitoring these metrics on a constant basis is critical because of the alterations MPLS makes on the network, including changes in routing paths and the size of network links. The robust capabilities of the three product modules and their integration in the NetQoS Performance Center made this solution the clear winner for Infonet Nederland. The NetQoS Performance Center has an intuitive, Web-based network performance management console that integrates the data across all three product modules in customized, workflow-based views to help organizations optimize application delivery, solve problems faster, mitigate the risks from change, and make the most efficient use of resources. In addition, NetQoS products scale across Infonet Nederland s largest customers and have a passive architecture, meaning that no software agents or probes have to be deployed on customer networks. Because of this passive deployment, installation of NetQoS products takes only a few hours, and the products provide immediate visibility. Infonet Nederland also values the depth of information and easy-to-read reports NetQoS provides, with role-based permissions for each customer. Conclusion As a provider of global network services, Infonet Nederland responded to customer demand by adding performance-based reporting to help customers understand how well applications are performing across their infrastructures. The NetQoS Performance Center has helped Infonet Nederland to advance and improve its vision of Application Defined Networking by providing an easy-to-deploy, cost effective way to measure and report on the networks it is Pg. 8 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

9 delivering to customers and troubleshoot issues quickly. By establishing two value-added services for customers and enhancing an existing offering, Infonet Nederland has differentiated itself from its competition, improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, and introduced new revenue streams to the company. In addition, according to Landman, NetQoS fills a gap between the low and highend offerings in Infonet Nederland s service portfolio for customers: Customers are already used to having SNMP based reports, which are the basic reports everyone has come to expect. The next level of service was our premium AC VPN service that includes WAN optimization. NetQoS has helped us satisfy the demands of customers who want access to performance reporting without the WAN optimization service. Pg. 9 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

10 About Infonet Nederland B.V. Infonet Nederland is a pioneer in providing multinationals with unique services based on tools that model and optimize the complex relationship between applications and a converged global network. Infonet Nederland is continuously focusing on providing integrated Smart Network Services, Communication Solutions, Data Center Services and Service Management for multinational clients. The comprehensive portfolio includes fully managed private MPLS-enabled IP VPNs, Application Defined VPNs, Internet VPNs, Converged Networking (voice/video/data), Data Center services and managed security services. Infonet Nederland is a subsidiary of KPN and part of KPN International. Infonet Nederland is a proud platinum partner of the BT Alliance, and also integrates the offerings of the market standard brands like Microsoft, IBM, VMWare, Cisco, Nokia, Checkpoint, and Bluecoat. For more information visit or call +31 (0) Pg. 10 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

11 About SMT Simple Management Technologies B.V. SMT is a company with a proven track record of serving the most demanding of national and international customers. Our goal is to continuously help our customers keep in control of their increasingly complex and ever-expanding ICT infrastructures and services, and to lower their operational costs. To achieve this aim we at SMT use best of breed software applications, supported by highly skilled and motivated personnel with a detailed knowledge of the subject material and supplemented by excellent training courses and local technical support. SMT ensures that its customer s ICT infrastructure and business-critical applications have maximum availability, provide optimum performance and operate securely. For more information, visit SMT s website at or call +31-(0) Pg. 11 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

12 About the NetQoS Performance Center The NetQoS Performance Center unlocks the intelligence needed to quantify network and application performance across an entire organization with end-toend application response time monitoring, network traffic analysis, device performance management, long-term packet capture and analysis, and VoIP and unified communications performance monitoring. Via a single Web-based management console, the NetQoS Performance Center integrates the data in customized views to help organizations optimize application delivery, solve problems faster, mitigate the risks from change, and make the most efficient use of resources. With role-specific views for different groups in an IT organization, such as network engineering, operations, IT service managers, and IP telephony management, the NetQoS Performance Center enables staff at all levels to:» Measure end-user to-end application response times NetQoS NetVoyant for device performance management» Provide consistent application service delivery» Correlate network performance to VoIP quality metrics to ensure VoIP quality of experience» Understand how infrastructure changes affect network and application performance» Isolate performance problems to the application, server, or network» Identify the applications and users consuming bandwidth, and when» Report on network traffic using NetFlow data» Avoid unnecessary WAN costs» Manage the convergence of voice, video, and data» Identify virus or denial of service attacks and unauthorized application usage Pg. 12 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc

13 About NetQoS Inc. NetQoS provides network performance management software and services that improve application delivery across the world s most complex networks. More than 1,000 service providers, government agencies, and large enterprises including half of the Fortune 100 use the NetQoS Performance Center to monitor application service levels, troubleshoot problems quickly, and plan for change. Representative NetQoS customers include Chevron, Lockheed Martin, Reuters Group plc, American Express, Siemens, Boeing, Deutsche Telekom, NASA, and Barclays Global Investors. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NetQoS has R&D centers in Austin and Raleigh, N.C., and regional sales offices in London and Singapore. For more information, visit or call (877) To learn more about NetQoS or any of its network performance management products, please visit NetQoS Global Headquarters 5001 Plaza On The Lake Austin, TX, United States Phone: Toll-Free: Fax: NetQoS EMEA 1650 Arlington Business Park Theale Reading, RG7 4SA United Kingdom Phone: + 44 (0) Fax: + 44 (0) NetQoS APAC NetQoS Singapore Representative Office Level 21, Centennial Tower 3 Temasek Ave., Singapore Phone: Fax: Website: sales@netqos.com 2009 NetQoS, Inc. All rights reserved. NetQoS and SuperAgent are registered trademarks of NetQoS, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. CS Word Pg. 13 Copyright 2009 NetQoS, Inc