SNS Consultants, the leading South African network systems management integrators, today announced the results of its first capacity planning survey. Conducted in conjunction with U.S vendor, Concord Communications, the survey aimed at highlighting the issues that impact network managers, polling approximately 400 network professionals responsible for the day-to-day operations of multiple sites across a network. The results overwhelmingly show that slim budgets and response time complaints are driving the need for more widespread and deliberate capacity planning among network managers.
The survey showed that the vast majority of respondents appear to be using real time tools, such as alarms and buzzers, to monitor their networks. Although effective at alerting managers to network problems when they occur, analysts agree that historical monitoring is more effective at helping network managers proactively plan for network usage. According to Bob Sakakeeny of Aberdeen Group, "Only with knowledge of how their network is operating can executives prevent breakdowns, avoiding disastrous downtime."
Instead of responding to problems and customer complaints when they occur, network managers are proactively monitoring bandwidth, traffic across the network, memory levels and response times. According to the survey, eighty-nine percent (89%) of network managers find it important to monitor response times for key applications such as e-mail, Internet use and internal proprietary applications. However, the survey also discovered that the final decision to purchase more bandwidth is often prompted by customer complaints.
According to survey results, budgetary restraints seriously limit the network manager`s ability to purchase more bandwidth. Ninety-three percent (93%) of those polled did not have enough budget to purchase the bandwidth they needed to effectively support their networks. Most network managers are caught between a limited budget and ever-rising network demands. Yet, when user complaints inevitably occur, network managers are under the gun, facing criticism from customers, colleagues and senior level officials.
"This survey sheds light on the realities that networking professionals deal with on a daily basis," said Jannie van Zyl, managing director of SNS Consultants. "As corporate management adopts a more strategic approach to capacity planning, rather than merely reacting to user complaints, network managers can serve their companies better."
According to respondents, capacity planning solves network infrastructure problems by proactively addressing current and future needs. By using capacity planning solutions such as Concord Communications` Network Health, network professionals can monitor specific network applications and track response times. Out of those surveyed, eighty-nine percent (89%) considered monitoring response time for key applications important, with over half of those respondents finding it very important. For instance, if a network element such as a server is found to be performing below capacity, network traffic can be re-routed to this underutilized element, making the network run more efficiently overall.
Share