Tips

Tips

• Virtualization calculator for Windows Server

  Microsoft's Windows Server Virtualization Calculator helps you make accurate licensing assessments based on the planned number of processor sockets and virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• Linux on blade server basics

  Running Linux on 64-bit blades is an excellent option for customers looking to save money and data center floor space.  Continue Reading

• Windows to Linux server migration dos and don'ts

  Help Windows server clients prepare for the Linux operating system with these Linux migration dos and don'ts.  Continue Reading

• Linux operating systems on blade server: Hardware options

  Choosing the best hardware and Linux distribution for your customer's blade server installation is not an easy task, but these hardware considerations will help.  Continue Reading

• Data archive best practices

  Data archiving assistance services and technologies you could provide to your customers include technology refreshes, software integration, email management maintenance and more.  Continue Reading

• Records retention policy dos and don'ts

  Every business needs a data retention policy, but not just any. Know what points to consider when helping customers establish data retention policies.  Continue Reading

• Two-factor authentication for SMB customers

  Learn about two-factor authentication solutions that make financial sense and can be managed easily by small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in this tip. Understand what the FFIEC guidelines mean for SMBs, and approach your SMB customers with a ...  Continue Reading

• Introduction to IPv6, part 1

  A customer may ask, "Why do we need a new protocol?" As you will see, this isn't a completely new protocol -- it's been developed on the strengths of IPv4. In this series Silvia Hagen takes a detailed look at what's new in IPv6.  Continue Reading

• Formulating a scalable IP addressing plan

  A scalable IP addressing plan will support your customer's network as it grows. This tip explains how to use variable-length subnet masking and route summarization to create a scalable IP addressing plan.  Continue Reading

• IP address assignment: Considerations for developing a plan

  When tasked with IP address assignment for a customer's network, networking consultants and value-added resellers (VARs) need a plan. The factors outlined here help VARs develop an IP addressing plan that makes the most efficient use of space, while...  Continue Reading

• An introduction to IP addressing and subnet masks

  Given the complexity of IP addressing and subnet masks, your customers are likely to depend on you to support these services on their IP-based networks. This tip introduces these concepts along with a resource for further information.  Continue Reading

• IP addressing and subnetting: FAQs

  IP addressing and subnetting can be confusing if you haven't worked with them in awhile. If a customer needs your expertise in these areas, consider these FAQs as a refresher course.  Continue Reading

• Assigning an IP address ending in .0 or .255

  Subnetting and IP addressing can be difficult if you don't understand network theory. This tip explains the network theory behind IP addressing so that you can understand why, in most cases, IP addresses shouldn't end in .0 or.255.  Continue Reading

• IP address planning: Choosing a routing protocol

  Choosing the appropriate routing protocol is critical to an IP addressing plan. This tip explores the parameters used to evaluate the suitability of a routing protocol. The different characteristics of IP routing protocols are described along with ...  Continue Reading

• Apple Xsan for high-speed storage access on Mac OS X

  Apple Xsan allows you to set up customer shops with shared, high-speed storage access on Mac OS X. In the second part of his Apple Xserve storage series, Larry Loeb offers an overview of this technology.  Continue Reading

• How to make money selling open source network solutions

  Despite being traditionally thought of as a free alternative to big market software, open source is not free. Learn how systems integrators can use their expertise to help customers apply that software more efficiently and effectively.  Continue Reading

• A review of Voltage Security's Voltage SecureMail Desktop

  This review of the Voltage SecureMail email encryption solution helps security consultants and value-added resellers (VARs) learn the basics of a simple, secure Identity Based Encryption (IBE) messaging system.  Continue Reading

• Filter network traffic with IPsec filtering rules

  You can supplement your customers' Windows XP firewall traffic-filtering capabilities with IPsec filtering rules. Learn how to implement IPsec filtering rules, and the pros and cons of doing so, in this tip.  Continue Reading

• Performing a network security vulnerability assessment with Nmap

  Nmap is a handy addition to the value-added reseller (VAR) and consultants' vulnerability assessment toolbox. This tip explains how to perform a network security vulnerability assesment using Nmap's SYN Scan.  Continue Reading

• Using Nmap XML and HTML parsers to generate output for easy analysis

  When analyzing or sharing Nmap results with your customers, it's helpful to have the output imported into a database or converted into HTML. This tip explains Nmap parsers and interfaces.  Continue Reading

• Server consolidation: Virtualization vs. clustering

  You've come to a server consolidation fork in the road, but you can't simply grab a map or ask directions. This tip will help you choose your server consolidation path: clusters, virtual machines or both.  Continue Reading

• Detect and prevent wireless intrusions with a wireless IDS

  Any WLAN with multiple sites or over a dozen APs can benefit from a wireless intrusion detection system. Consultants and systems integrators can use this tip to understand how WIDS/IPS work and the functionality offered by various products.  Continue Reading

• VPN fundamentals for VARs and network consultants

  Information for value-added resellers with some understanding of VPNs, but want to understand at a higher level exactly what a VPN is, VPN configuration choices and the value a VPN provides an organization.  Continue Reading

• Secure IDS deployment best practices

  Using open source IDS Snort as an example, this tip offers eight best practices for securely deploying a network intrusion detection system.  Continue Reading

• Best practices for AP placement

  Offer your customers informed network topology and physical positioning recommendations for access point deployment, and learn to configure incoming and outgoing policies to meet business needs.  Continue Reading

• SSL VPNs: Five popular products compared

  Are you ready to rid your customer's system of a client-based VPN in favor of simple SSL? This tip sorts through five SSL VPNs so you'll know which VPN equipment to recommend.  Continue Reading

• IPsec VPNs: Identity and authentication options

  Know the IPsec VPN security and deployment factors affecting your customers. This tip explores the IPsec VPN identity and authentication options supported by the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) standard, as well as common vendor extensions like Extended...  Continue Reading

• VPN security and SOX compliance

  Sarbanes-Oxley mandates have pushed organizations to deliver end-to-end VPN security. Learn how to apply granular security policies to your customer's VPN for compliance.  Continue Reading

• Bandwidth issues for VPNs

  Help your customers troubleshoot performance and bandwidth issues caused by laying secure VPN tunnels over public Internet connections.  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right VPN for your customer: Four questions to ask

  Make sure that you recommend the appropriate VPN option to your customers by considering their network type, application needs, IT staff and budget.  Continue Reading

• Network documentation: How to realize its benefits

  A thorough network documentation has several payoffs. Learn what to include in the documentation of your customers' networks to reap these benefits.  Continue Reading

• Choosing the right VPN for your customer: VPN options

  A comparison of IPsec, OpenVPN and SSL VPN options to help you understand their differences, and decide which to recommend to SMB and enterprise customers.  Continue Reading

• Compiling a hardware and software inventory

  Performing a network inventory is not a one-size-fits-all task. This tip helps value-added resellers and networking consultants identify scope and choose a method (automated vs. manual) when performing an inventory.  Continue Reading

• Network design principles

  Adhering to key principles can save value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators from making easily avoidable mistakes when designing their customers' IP-based networks.  Continue Reading

• Designing a campus LAN

  This tip explores the issues encountered with campus LAN design, including the techniques for ensuring a scalable and resilient campus network design.  Continue Reading

• The importance of a network design plan

  A well-designed network is a successful network. This tip helps systems integrators and value-added resellers (VARs) understand how a design plan contributes to a predictable and consistent network.  Continue Reading

• Achieving network design objectives

  The network design process should be driven by a set of objectives. This tip helps value-added resellers (VARs) and networking consultants set and achieve objectives when designing IP-based networks.  Continue Reading

• Designing a WAN infrastructure

  The wide area network is the single biggest contributor to a corporate network's cost of ownership. Therefore, this is the area where the cost-versus-performance tradeoff is most pronounced and most critical. This tip explores the various ...  Continue Reading

• Network attached storage (NAS) capabilities

  Network attached storage servers offer resellers another option for selling and supporting data storage to customers who want reliability in their storage servers.  Continue Reading

• ASP hosting vs. Software as a Service (SaaS) providers

  Application service provider (ASP) hosting is often confused with Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS has recently become more popular than ASP hosting because it can save money and allow customers to focus on their core competency.  Continue Reading

• Storage area network (SAN) protocols: iSCSI and Fibre Channel

  Storage area networks (SANs) are partially defined by their interconnection scheme -- Fibre Channel or iSCSI. Get an overview of these storage networking connectivity options.  Continue Reading

• Storage area network (SAN) architecture efficiency

  Efficient storage area network (SAN) architecture can be achieved through smart use of SAN components which minimize the SAN fabrics needed.  Continue Reading

• Designing storage area network for multiple fabrics

  When reviewing a customer's storage area network (SAN) topology, determine if, when and how you'd want to scale beyond a single SAN fabric.  Continue Reading

• Transport Layer Security encryption: Five steps to get you started

  Value-added resellers (VARs) and consultants can provide customers with email security and privacy assurance using the Transport Layer Security encryption and authentication protocol. This tip, reposted courtesy of SearchSecurity.com, explains how ...  Continue Reading

• Email encryption mechanisms

  Value-added resellers (VARs) and security consultants can use this tip to get advice on how to add security to email communications through encryption.  Continue Reading

• Two-factor authentication and biometrics

  An introduction to biometric authentication, how it works, its pros and cons, and expert advice on if and when to deploy the technology.  Continue Reading

• Network troubleshooting: Choosing a remote access mechanism

  Troubleshooting your customers' network via a remote access mechanism saves you time and money, and improves your customer service. Learn how to choose a remote access mechanism that suits you both.  Continue Reading

• Load balancing with Microsoft's NLB

  This tip lays out the basics of Microsoft's Network Load Balancer and paves the way for network consultants and systems integrators to understand how to configure NLB for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.  Continue Reading

• The drawbacks of two-factor authentication

  Despite the hype surrounding two-factor authentication, it's not the end-all, be-all of access management solutions. This tip helps value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators put the technology in perspective for their customers.  Continue Reading

• Collect network traffic stats on bandwidth usage with freeware

  This tip offers advice for systems integrators and network consultants on gathering bandwidth usage statistics with freeware Multi-Router Traffic Grapher.  Continue Reading

• Remote management: Four common problems and solutions

  This checklist addresses four remote management problems commonly seen by network consultants and systems integrators, and offers suggestions on how to troubleshoot them.  Continue Reading

• A streamlined network management process in six steps

  Good network management planning saves time and resources. This tip guides network consultants and systems integrators through a streamlined network management process.  Continue Reading

• Introduction to freeware packet sniffer SmartSniff

  A packet sniffer is a valuable tool in the network consultant's troubleshooting arsenal. This tip covers the basics of freeware packet sniffer program SmartSniff.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting domain controllers on a Windows network

  This tip addresses common causes for login issues and domain management trouble, and offers advice to systems integrators and network consultants for optimizing domain controllers.  Continue Reading

• Planning data backup strategy for the future

  The best data backup strategies are developed when resellers understand a customer's business model and the role data storage management plays for that company.  Continue Reading

• Five steps to capacity planning

  Capacity planning is no easy task. This series of tips is designed to help value-added resellers (VARs) and networking consultants architect networks that support their customers' organizational and business growth.  Continue Reading

• Data backup technologies

  Whether you're helping customers choose disk, tape or both, or looking to provide remote backup services, this tip describes key backup trends and technologies to get you started.  Continue Reading

• WSUS vs. SMS: Choosing a Windows patch management tool

  Value-added resellers (VARs) and security consultants who formerly used Microsoft's Software Update Services to manage their customers' patches have several options for replacing SUS.  Continue Reading

• Hosting multiple Lotus Domino servers at one IP address

  Learn how to host several Lotus Domino servers at a single IP address without using a virtual private network (VPN).  Continue Reading

• How to build a firewall architecture

  Designing and implementing a customer's network firewall solution can be a daunting task. Choices made early in the design process can have far-reaching security implications for years to come. In this series of tips, we take a detailed look at the ...  Continue Reading

• Wireless access points: Placement checklist

  If you're trying to manually locate the best places to put wireless access points, the trick is to keep the three key relationships in mind.  Continue Reading

• Security risk assessment methodology: How to conduct a risk assessment

  Application security assessments can be simplified with this repeatable methodology.  Continue Reading

• Snort, Nessus and Tripwire: Benefits beyond cost

  Snort, Nessus and Tripwire are must-have open source security tools for value-added resellers and consultants.  Continue Reading

• Extrusion detection illustrated

  This chapter will help you learn how to use extrusion detection to enhance your customer's awareness and security posture.  Continue Reading

• Designing a network topology

  Learn how to prepare secure, redundant, hierarchical network topologies.  Continue Reading

• Tactics for attacking network security monitoring

  This chapter from Richard Bejtlich's "The Tao of Network Security Monitoring: Beyond Intrusion Detection," outlines a collection of tactics intruders use to avoid being caught or at least caught in a timely manner.  Continue Reading

• WLAN services: Seven factors to consider when deploying and managing a WLAN

  To best meet your customer's expectations when deploying and managing a wireless LAN, you should consider what are the customer's true needs, the physical parameters of the network, security and more, as outlined in this tip.  Continue Reading

• The importance of disaster recovery planning

  Your customers' disaster recovery plans should not be without certain key technologies and methodologies, outlined in this collection of DR best practices.  Continue Reading