Advanced WAN systems gaining prominence

WAN solutions are gaining prominence to such an extent that it could create demand for MAN infrastructure.

By Max Burkhalter
December 27, 2012
The cloud computing revolution is changing the way businesses get the job done. The cloud landscape was relatively small just a few years ago, but has expanded substantially since. As a result, the technology is contributing to a major shift in how companies access technological resources and handle operations. This can create major operational challenges, particularly in networking.

Cloud computing's impact on the network
According to a recent Data Center Knowledge report, a growing number of organizations have begun to recognize that cloud computing can do wonderful things for day-to-day operations. However, they are also beginning to realize that the cloud creates major information delivery challenges by increasing the amount of data that travels through the network exponentially. As a result, many businesses are starting to look for new and better ways to handle data delivery and data center networking.

The report said that the WAN plays a major role in equipping the network for the cloud. Data center availability and reliability have become key considerations for businesses as they begin to explore the cloud. In some cases, cloud services can actually solve some of the problems created by other cloud solutions. At the same time, advanced WAN solutions are also integral to supporting cloud operations and ensure reliable data delivery. This has generated momentum for innovation.

However, WAN infrastructure also has limitations, as high-performance solutions come with high costs that can limit what businesses can do to improve operations. As such, the rising demands on the WAN are contributing to emerging solutions that are gaining leverage on the market.

Considering an alternative to WAN infrastructure
MAN solutions are on the rise as an option for businesses that need high-performance network capabilities but cannot afford to invest too heavily in high-performance WAN functionality. MAN provides a more cost-effective option for high-performance interconnect systems by giving organizations access to dark fiber cabling that is already in place. These cabling systems are generally not actively used by telecoms. This makes it less expensive to purchase access rights, giving organizations the ability to improve network performance in such a way that it supports cloud operations.

Investing in MAN infrastructure offers considerable potential, especially when the solution is coupled with advanced fiber to Ethernet media converters. Media conversion is a necessary component in most MAN deployments, but sophisticated solutions can offer QoS and other capabilities that improve network performance.

Perle has an extensive range of Managed and Unmanaged Fiber Media Converters to extended copper-based Ethernet equipment over a fiber optic link, multimode to multimode and multimode to single mode fiber up to 160km.

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