+ DATA NETWORKING & INTERNET. WHITE PAPER Why Carrier Ethernet?

Transcription

1 + DATA NETWORKING & INTERNET WHITE PAPER Why Carrier Ethernet?

2 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET? The network has become the backbone of business over the last 30 years. It started with mainframes linked to dumb terminals that battled for application access on the local area network. The architecture morphed into smart PCs (called workstations) that crashed less often but still were connected over the company LAN and contained inside the walls of the office. Then came the Internet, the networking equivalent of the Big Bang, which rendered the walls of the enterprise irrelevant and inspired telecommunications architects to reinvent networks along with the way that businesses use them. One of those networking options is Ethernet and, by extension, Carrier Ethernet. Carrier Ethernet expands Ethernet from the Local Area Network (LAN) to the Wide Area Network (WAN), enabling companies to connect their Ethernet LANs to service provider networks via the same Ethernet interface they use to attach every device in the network. 1 Carrier Ethernet is an ideal match for Cloud services, integrated voice and data solutions and high-speed video applications. Yet there is little information available that explains in non-technical terms why Carrier Ethernet is so well suited for these applications. It actually isn t that complicated; to understand why Carrier Ethernet is the right match for business requires a little digging into what a communication service provides and some insight into what modern business applications need. Once one has that understanding, the natural course of thinking leads to the question: How do we, as an enterprise, use what we know to our advantage? Businesses Are Data Producers, Not Consumers In a recent study, Integra measured the bandwidth consumption of our business customers. We found that many businesses upload as much data as they consume and that some industries actually produce as much or more than they consume. Industry Communications Construction Shipping Warehousing & Storage Healthcare Manufacturing Education Finance & Insurance Accommodation & Food Services Public Administration Production : Consumption 1:0.6 1:0.7 1:0.7 1:0.8 1:1.0 1:1.8 1:2.1 1:2.3 1:2.9 1:3.0 Overall Average 1:1.59 Looking at historical data, we found that businesses are producing more than they consumed in the past. This upward trend in data production correlates with the increased adoption of Cloudbased applications. 2 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

3 WHAT DOES YOUR NETWORK REALLY PROVIDE? Communications service providers build networks that serve both businesses and consumers. These two groups have a few common network requirements, both need Internet access and have similar needs for performance and security. Beyond these basic similarities, businesses and consumers have very different needs when it comes to high-speed broadband connectivity. Some differences are obvious. Businesses (even non-profits) use their networks to make money. E-commerce on web sites is clearly the first thing that comes to mind but one can t forget how heavily many enterprises depend on network performance and availability for business intelligence and processes. There s probably no better example than high-speed equity trading, where fractions of seconds can represent millions of dollars. Other, less-obvious yet profit-impacting activities such as optimizing workflow to make best use of working capital or to take advantage of early payment discounts are also network-dependent. Businesses use their networks to create; people use their networks to consume. Consumers typically use their networks for recreation, which for the sake of this discussion includes not only streaming video and online shopping, but engaging in social media and communication. Businesses often have connections that must always be available. Consumer connections are rarely as important in terms of keeping the lights on and groceries on the table. Perhaps the most important and rarely stated difference is this: businesses use their networks to create; people use their networks to consume. In fact, some business processes, like data backups to the Cloud, involve sending out to the network as much as 10 times the amount of data than they receive. Besides the fact that some business applications manufacture large amounts of data, the business of doing business has also evolved. So, what does your network really provide? For most organizations, it provides greater capacity to receive as opposed to upload data which, given how business is evolving, isn t best for attaining the operational efficiencies and cost control goals set in executive suites. 3 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

4 THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONNECTED BUSINESS PROCESS Fundamentally, all businesses produce something. Whether it s goods, information or services, ultimately, an exchange between a manufacturer and a buyer occurs. Just like manufacturers, all businesses rely on convenient access to the raw materials needed to create their products and services. Even before the explosion of Cloud-based applications, those raw materials included information outside the walls of the enterprise, which was delivered over a network. But the work itself, happened independent of the network. With the adoption of Cloud-based services increasing, practically every business process is connected to a network in some way. According to one provider, Cloud network traffic is expected to grow from 1.2 zettabytes in 2012 to more than 5.3 zettabytes in To put that quantity of data into perspective, one zettabyte is a billion terabytes. 5.3 zettabytes of data is equivalent to approximately 5.52 trillion hours of online High-Definition (HD) video streaming. Cloud network traffic is expected to grow from 1.2 zettabytes in 2012 to more than 5.3 zettabytes in % CAGR Zb Zb 3.2 Zb 4.2 Zb Zb Zb WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

5 THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONNECTED BUSINESS PROCESS Just as the connection needs of businesses have evolved, so have their connectivity options. Enter Carrier Ethernet. What s important for businesses is that Carrier Ethernet is built for balanced data exchange, whereas DSL or cable services are legacy protocols designed with the assumption that the user will consume rather than create. We ve provided a matrix (Figure 1) to make it easy to compare services, the balance (or imbalance) in regard to data upload/download and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Carrier Services Comparison Matrix Category Carrier Ethernet DSL / Broadband Cable / DOCSIS T1 / TDM Upload / Download Balanced More Download than Upload More Download than Upload Balanced Dedicated / Shared Dedicated Shared Shared Dedicated Service Level Defined Best Effort Best Effort Defined Applications Cloud, Voice, Storage, BC/DR, Video, Internet Internet, video streaming Internet, video streaming Storage, BC/DR, Voice TCO $ $$ $$$ $$$$ Figure 1. An overview of the different services offered by carriers. Carrier Ethernet services deliver equal amounts of send and receive bandwidth, which matters to businesses because they operate most effectively when they have balanced services. Unlike residential users (consumers, as we defined) many businesses upload more data at times than they use. People at work typically don t use their networks to stream video for hours at a time. But when a business uses high-speed video, it s more likely for a bi-directional video conference, an event that could land new clients or set a new standard for service. 5 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

6 END-TO-END AND UBIQUITOUS CARRIER ETHERNET Almost all modern communications protocols send information in small chucks known as frames or packets. Each frame or packet includes the data we want to send along with information that allows the communications systems to check for errors, reassemble our information and tell the sending device that the packet was received. This extra information is called overhead. The overhead and your information combine to determine the amount of bandwidth you use with every packet that s transmitted. More overhead is added every time another protocol is introduced to the flow, which happens as the data passes through networks utilizing non-ethernet protocols (for example SONET or TDM) on the way to its destination. This means less bandwidth is available for your data and more is used for overhead. By establishing end-to-end Ethernet, the overhead won t compete with real data, the information that s used throughout your enterprise to: + Measure performance and regularly course-correct the company direction + Collaborate with colleagues across the room, in the building next door or satellite office on another continent + Establish and nurture business relationships with clients and partners + Track assets and their performance to determine ROI + Foster growth and support skills that knowledge workers apply in their jobs This is just the start. We are confident that with a little imagination you could extend this list with ideas that are relevant to your enterprise. End-to-end Carrier Ethernet can be even further enhanced to create ubiquitous Ethernet access. With ubiquitous access, Carrier Ethernet service quality can be delivered throughout the network. What makes it ubiquitous is that the access method that best suits each customer premises location is utilized through a common Ethernet Access Device (EAD). 3 While Carrier Ethernet offers enterprises many advantages, you can only realize those advantages when you can overcome implementation hurdles posed by telecommunications technologies already in place at your facilities. Ubiquitous Ethernet access is possible because Ethernet is an open standard and, as a Layer 2 transport technology, allows the end-point devices to pluck the data out of ether, rather than relying on a central unit to control the way those data are routed. 4 6 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

7 BETTER CLOUD SERVICES PERFORMANCE, BETTER BUSINESS If the birth of the Internet is akin to the Big Bang, the Cloud is equivalent to the formation of galaxies, with each blade server holding the collective intelligence of the business it serves. Cloud services and Ethernet services are becoming more symbiotic. Ethernet is the deterministic enabler of highcapacity, high-performance Cloud services, while Cloud services are value-added application drivers for Ethernet services. 5 What s remarkable is the return to an infrastructure in which applications run remotely from users computers and the consequential near-total dependence on the network, just like the early mainframe/ terminal model we referenced at the start of this position paper. Beyond that, the discussion naturally turns to data, the traffic running over the network. With the growth of Cloud services, as much data is being sent to the Cloud as is being received; the business literally runs on that data. The widespread transition to Cloud services by enterprises includes the assumption that they understand the associated risks, which is why business continuity/ disaster recovery, security and implementation strategies such as route diversity are ancillary services rolled into telecom providers solutions. According to one source, Ethernet bandwidth has surged beyond bandwidth for legacy data services and will continue to climb during the next several years. The U.S. market was slightly ahead on this trend, with the Ethernet vs. legacy bandwidth crossover occurring in As networking grows more complex and the concept of XaaS (Everything as a Service) resolves into reality, Carrier Ethernet s ability to enable Cloud connectivity along with providers maturing support services will increasingly make Ethernet (in its varying service types) the technology of choice for public, private and hybrid Cloud deployments. The phrase mission-critical is expressed frequently by enterprises but rarely is it true. Not so with data exchange and your network. 7 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

8 ETHERNET IS ELASTIC How much bandwidth is right for your business? Of course, that varies according to the industry your company is involved with, as well as the size of your enterprise and distribution of your workforce. In any event, the performance of your Cloud services is directly equivalent to your ability to compete and grow. 7 Ethernet can provide enormous amounts of bandwidth, up to 100 Gbps. Businesses certainly need large amounts of bandwidth but, and more importantly, businesses need the right amount of bandwidth. The features of Ethernet make it possible for service providers to deliver bandwidth in very precise increments and to change how much bandwidth is delivered without changing out any hardware, another factor to consider when calculating TCO. And not only is Ethernet elastic, it s protocol-agnostic, enabling true interoperability. The Advantage of Carrier Ethernet s Dedicated Access We all share the core of the Internet. Yet, have you ever noticed that some web sites perform better than others? In an Internet of equals, these sites are just a little more equal than the rest. One reason for this is that these sites are interacting with the Internet over dedicated connections. It s important to keep in mind that the Internet is a network of networks. Web sites that connect directly to the core, or closer to the Internet core, inherently perform better. Access connections to businesses operate in a similar way. Imagine that you have a nightly backup set up that replicates the data stored in your office server to a Cloud-based archive server (If you are imagining this instead of actually doing it today, it s probably something you should be strongly considering starting). Nightly or weekly backups require large amounts of bandwidth. Suppose you have your backups set up to run shortly after your business closes for the day, say 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. After all, the sooner you can get the data copied, the safer you are, right? If you also happen to be on a shared access connection, like a cable modem for example, this coincides with prime movie downloading and online gaming time. And you don t have to imagine how well your backup will fare competing for bandwidth with these other users. Carrier Ethernet is delivered over a dedicated access connection. No one else will be streaming movies or using any of your access bandwidth. And having a dedicated connection to your business can be absolutely critical to how well your applications perform. The results? Stickier Web sites, faster application performance for people working over the company s private or hybrid network (even when mobile), more efficient IT functionality for regular and essential data synching and backup, and overall lower operational expenses for your business. How Much is Enough? The cost for bandwidth continues to decline but still isn t free. How can you determine how much you really need? Many businesses approach the problem by buying as much as they think they can get. That can result in paying for more than you need, or worse, ending up with too little to support processes when you really need it. The right way to size your bandwidth capacity is to base it on your applications. Integra has a simple tool you can use to estimate your bandwidth needs. Try it here: Bandwidth Calculator 8 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

9 ETHERNET = LOWER TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP Carrier Ethernet services typically are more efficient than any other type of networking protocol. Generally speaking, the cost of raw bandwidth is similar to other finished network services like xdsl, DOCSIS (Cable) or TDM (T1). However, for several reasons, the TCO of finished network services is dramatically different, particularly when the scale of data in motion and in use gets bigger. Typically, the upload/download ratio of what broadband service providers offer is 1:5 (e.g. 20:100 MB), meaning that your upload capacity is only 20% of the total bandwidth you pay for. TCO includes the opportunity cost. And what s lost is the opportunity to do business faster; you re limited by the bandwidth restriction that you ve agreed to. To ground this, think about one of the most popular CRM tools: Salesforce. In light of the pace of business these days, sluggish updates to records can mean lost opportunities, which is why Oracle, for example, is bridging the virtual gap between some of its services and Salesforce. 8 Why Carrier Ethernet? Newton s Telecom Dictionary defines reliability as: A measure of how dependable a system is once you use it Network reliability plays into the TCO equation as well. Newton s Telecom Dictionary defines reliability as: A measure of how dependable a system is once you use it. One of the characteristics of Carrier Ethernet is its ability to detect and recover from incidents in a low as 50 ms, meeting the most demanding quality and availability requirements. 9 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

10 SUMMARY Carrier Ethernet services are an ideal match for today s business broadband requirements. Applications from point-of-sale to full enterprise resource management solutions all depend on reliable and efficient network connections. Carrier Ethernet is a perfect match for Cloud-based services. It offers elastic bandwidth allocations that can be configured to precisely match the needs of large or small organizations. And because it provides dedicated and symmetrical upload and download speeds, Carrier Ethernet can support the needs of the producers of the information, goods and resources that will drive the next wave of business process innovation. Almost all technology discussions eventually circle around value. So, Why Carrier Ethernet? We ll recap in non-technical terms: You get what you pay for in a network service that suits your business now, scales with growth and delivers the experience your team and customers demand. To learn more about Integra s Carrier Ethernet, ubiquitous access services and the company s commitment to unsurpassed customer experience, please contact your local Integra sales representative or visit CONTACT US (877) ABOUT INTEGRA Integra provides facilities-based communications and network services to enterprises, small and mid-sized businesses, government agencies and carriers throughout the western United States, with nationwide and international connectivity delivered via a robust IP/MPLS network. Integra s vast, privately owned network connects customers to 6,400 miles of long-haul fiber optic infrastructure and 3,000 miles of metro fiber across 35 cities in 11 states Integra, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 WHY CARRIER ETHERNET?

11 Resources Newton s Telecom Dictionary, 22nd Edition, Harry Newton