Cisco SMARTnet is really a maintenance contract to cover Cisco hardware and software. It's supplied by Cisco, but usually sold by an authorised Cisco Reseller. Usually the contract period lasts for 1 year but Cisco will give discounts for longer contracts.

Do you'll need it?

Most Cisco devices run the Cisco IOS operating system, which is constantly being updated and upgraded, there are only two (legal) ways of obtaining the updates to the IOS software, one would be to buy it each and every time it changes, the second would be to take out a SMARTnet contract for your item and download all of the updates for it as they're released.

Cover Particulars for Cisco Hardware

Categories

Presently each item of Cisco hardware is assigned a category number from 1 through to 18, the greater the category the higher the price of the cover. So an 800 series router would be category 1, along with a 3620 would be category 7. Sadly this pricing structure was invented prior to the arrival of Cisco 'phones and although these should be category 0.2 there is no such category so they fall in to category 1 router price range.

Software program Only or Hardware and Software program Support

SMARTnet is sold in two forms, "software only" and "hardware and software", both provide software program cover; ie both entitle you to download software program updates from Cisco, additionally the "hardware and software" version provides hardware replacement should Cisco agree that your hardware is broken.

SMARTnet Base and SMARTnet Onsite

Hardware and Software SMARTnet is also sold in two forms, SMARTnet Base and SMARTnet Onsite - both include Advance Replacement of failed hardware, but with SMARTnet Base the replacement hardware is shipped via regular couriers and you need to install it your self, with SMARTnet Onsite, an Engineer will probably be despatched to install the hardware. The Engineer may bring the hardware or it might arrive having a courier.

Advance Replacement

Advance Replacement is the Cisco term for replacement of failed hardware, it's called advance replacement simply because the new hardware is shipped prior to the failed hardware is returned.

Daily Cover

SMARTnet hardware support is sold for two daily cover periods, this is the permitted time which you are entitled to report faults to Cisco, for the lowest level of cover this is defined as 8 hours a day, and 5 days a week, or 8x5. If this is insufficient for your needs, the next available cover period is 24 hours each day, and 7 days a week.

Response Time

The Cisco SMARTnet Hardware contract defines the period of time by which Cisco will have shipped replacement hardware. Once the requirement for a replacement has been agreed Cisco will ship new hardware, of the precise or much better configuration which you have covered, inside an agreed time frame. The SMARTnet contract provides 3 levels of hardware response times; NBD or Next Business Day, which can occasionally be referred to as SDS or Same Day Ship, means which you can anticipate your replacement hardware to arrive by the next working day. Should that be too lengthy, two more choices are available, four or 2 hours. Cisco will endeavour to provide the replacement hardware inside two or four hours based on your contract. Clearly, you will find certain requirements that need to be met before Cisco will provide these levels of support, as not all geographic locations are eligible. This is simply down to the logistics of having an identical configuration of your hardware ready to go at a nearby shipping point.

Access to TAC

The Cisco TAC (Technical Assistance Centre) will be the award winning technical support solution supplied by Cisco. TAC centres are strategically located about the globe so as to offer a "follow the sun" support solution. This means that whatever time of day or night it is, you'll be able to talk to a knowledgeable engineer at the Cisco TAC. Also, as this makes Cisco Support a 24 hour operation, Cisco will provide constant help to resolve your crucial networking issues.
 
WAN emulation (or network emulation) is really a method that simulates existing, planned and/or non-ideal network to be able to assess efficiency, predict the impact of application efficiency, or otherwise optimize networked company applications. The Shunra VE WAN emulator (or network emulator) can produce an exact replica of your network, permitting you to predict precisely how application or infrastructure modifications will enable those applications to perform in any networked environment, before rollout.

Providing a best-in-class pre-deployment testing solution via proprietary WAN emulation technology, Shunra offers IT with powerful insights into application efficiency throughout each phase of the application lifecycle. Shunra VE incorporates a variety of network attributes into its emulation model - such as the round-trip time across the network (latency), the amount of available bandwidth, a given degree of packet loss, duplication of packets, reordering packets, and/or the severity of network jitter.

Shunra is dedicated to delivering innovative software and services that provide application performance intelligence, and continues to expand technology into deeper levels of application behavior analysis. Clients use Shunra's wan emulation (or network emulation) software, appliances or services to reduce time-to-market for new services, guarantee application deployment success and make sure applications deliver a top quality of experience.

These days we're so focused on the LAN and most have forgotten to even consider that the WAN may play a key component in efficiency issues. The WAN arena is to be well considered in this time of attempting to get more out of the network investment we have. Ignoring the WAN is like having a race automobile on rethread tires, the car my run great but the retread tires which are connecting the super tuned car (your LAN) to the real world (the WAN) is really a very bad concept along with a very weak solution!

Reconsider the WAN for two (2) reasons - 1) to make certain that you are getting the bandwidth and services which you are paying for and - 2) Your WAN setting, services ?and so on might be one of the major causes for slow network responses, loss calls, loss sessions?etc also as the cause for many other real time application and database focused network issues. I suggest that you give it a thought and you just may discover that sneaky response issue and get your entire network tuned to deliver even much more than expected.
 

When an organization starts its baby actions towards setting up a computer center, it is normally a couple of servers hooked up on a local network. Users' computers are connected to exactly the same network to access enterprise applications running on those servers. To acquire external access to the internet, devices such as routers or modems are put in place. For added security, a firewall is inserted between router and also the nearby network to weed out viruses and other unwelcome bits of data from the web.

As the organization's IT needs improve, the server farm continues to grow until it reaches a capacity whereby it is no longer feasible to store data in each server's local tough disk. The much more effective method would be to set up SAN (Storage area networks and relocate all data into it. Although it sounds like a splendid concept, there are some factors to appear into prior to proceeding ahead. A SAN is essentially a collection of storage disks which run on its own network to ensure super quick transmission speeds. It's important not to allow traffic from the server farm or local network to mix with traffic generated in the SAN as it causes detrimental effects to both and can bring every thing to a halt.

To ensure quick response times when sending and receiving data, the SAN runs on its own set of protocols and is connected via fiber channels for maximum bandwidth. Although standard Ethernet connections are cheaper, they are not in a position to deal with fast speeds as needed by the SAN. Since the SAN (Storage Area Network) is 1 giant storage box comprising numerous pieces of hard disks, it demands its own management method to deal with its operations. Nobody server controls the SAN as its disks are allocated to all servers. Via a central console, the SAN administrator switches from disk to disk as though moving around all servers' storage disk. As added security, local users registered to one server cannot access the disks of another server.

In the event 1 of the disks within the SAN is faulty, depending on the RAID technologies practiced, the SAN is able to rebuild data from the faulty disk onto a spare disk. Then it is just a easy matter of popping out the faulty disk, replacing a good 1 into location and formatting it to readiness. If the SAN is set up well, it plays an important role in getting the organization back onto its feet during disaster recovery processes. Backup routines over SAN are also more efficient as compared to server by server backup.

Before deciding to move all information into a SAN, it's recommended to check that the enterprise applications are able to support SAN. There are some applications which need their data to be locally stored and may pose a challenge when trying to implement SAN.
 

Video Conferencing helps multinational companies spread across the globe to have better, economical video interactions often. Many companies who have an inconvenient location can be highly helped by the use of Video conferencing to avoid their employees' travel.

It can also be used as a strong means of partnering when used in cooperation with hardware and information sharing applications. All the employees taking part in this video interaction have the dual benefit of seeing their counterparts as well as the desktop Presentation data. All types of information relating to various fields of research, training which would be otherwise presented on paper can be presented using this medium.

Almost every strata of the organization and all the allied businesses can use the IP (Internet Protocol) video conferencing method. Nowadays, latest technology like good quality audio interspersed with high speed video solutions is made available according to the clients needs. The conference members can also have a session for clearing their doubts, which can be held online. Sector specific solutions are also available. Any multinational which wishes to develop cordial relations with its remote customers or alliances can be greatly helped by the use of video Conferencing.

Video Conferencing also increases Efficiency through the use of the latest applications in software and complicated hardware designs. This helps us to be quick in decision making. Further, it helps us in introducing our products in the market faster, giving us an edge over our rivals.

In the case where a company has many branches spread all over the world, feedback can be exchanged easily. This also helps the top management to interact with its staff, wherever they may be located, very frequently and easily at the click of a button. Video is used very often now to communicate internally too. Technology has advanced so much that a Video Conference is just a telephone call away, and not much manpower is needed. Video Conferencing is a blessing for those employees who need to attend a meeting after a long, tiring day full of stress.It is not at all cumbersome.

Video Conferencing is economically viable too. As we have discussed till now, Video conferencing does not involve airfare costs and hotel bookings etc. Hence, it is greatly helpful in these times of rising inflation and gas prices. Moreover, above all the merits, the most important one can be decrease in the "downtime" and an improved and stress-free life for the employees who are always on the move. It can be also said that Video Conferencing helps build strong long distance employee relations, since they do not meet often.

Same is the case with our Clients and suppliers. Video Conferencing is a great way to garner goodwill amongst our esteemed Clientele and that too without wasting their precious time. Although personal meetings are favorable, Video Conferencing gives a personal touch to the interaction along with being convenient.
 
Faster application performance ensures that a company effectively renders high quality services to its workers and clients.

WAN Optimization is important to businesses that are using network applications at its headquarters to remain in touch with branches at remote locations through WAN. It enhances the application performance by techniques like bandwidth management, caching, compression, and Protocol optimization and substantially accelerates application efficiency.

Advantages
Improves Productivity

Slow speed of application efficiency truly hampers the employee productivity and customer satisfaction. Use of WAN Optimization techniques accelerates the applications over the WAN, speeds up the information transfer and reduces the end-user application response time. This in turn makes transactions faster thereby leveraging the employee productivity.

The employees waiting for long time to get a transaction carried out or download a file can not give prompt service to the clients and it outcomes in unsatisfactory customer encounter. By eliminating the network problems and reduced throughput, the remote employees can access the network applications that are installed on other locations at a faster rate. Accelerating the applications over the WAN also assists the mobile workers making it easy for them to cater their services to customers.

Reduces Bandwidth Cost

Utilizing WAN Optimization methods like bandwidth management/QoS, caching, compression, and Protocol optimization can significantly decrease the usage of bandwidth which in turn pulls down the network costs.

- In Bandwidth Management, limits are set on network applications as to how much bandwidth they are able to use. This ensures maximum utilization of existing bandwidth by critical applications with out providing extra bandwidth, saving considerable quantity of money.

- In Caching, the copies of important files are stored in multiple locations. The users require not have to download these big files each and every time thereby decreasing the bandwidth utilization.

- Protocol optimization decreases the transmission delays thereby growing overall speed of transmission and transaction response.

- Compression techniques assist to reduce size of the information therefore saving time of transmission. Compression assists to send data in a faster way thus growing decreasing load on communication links.

- Compression and caching together assist keep the communications link uncongested and reduces queuing delays.

All these factors decrease bandwidth usage which in turn reduces price. Optimization of WAN allows users to access WAN applications at speeds comparable to a LAN.

WAN Optimization accelerates application performance by eliminating issues like redundant file transmissions, chatty protocols, network latency, packet loss and so on. Optimization of WAN ensures consolidation of IT infrastructure of the business at remote locations thereby ensuring greater productivity at remote offices.Using WAN Optimization, the businesses can reduce remote office infrastructure price by effectively centralizing applications, data storage, and server at data centers.

WAN Optimization methods increases transaction speed, improves productivity, and reduces bandwidth cost enabling companies to be competitive and focus on newer markets.WAN Optimization implementation helps companies to obtain excellent ROI on their investments by decreasing bandwidth costs and improving overall productivity.