The continued growth of mobility, the IoT and big data applications is adding to what is already a lack of insight into IT operations. Legacy, frequently siloed systems see many IT departments spending 3x as much on network operations as they do the network itself.

Add to this the ever-changing cyber security landscape and its easy to see why the industry is ready for a change. Business demand for SD-WAN infrastructure and services will see a compound annual growth of over 69% over the next 3-5 years (IDC). By the end of 2021, Cisco predicts that 25% of all WAN traffic will be software-defined.

What is SD-WAN?

SD-WAN is the application of software-defined networking technologies to wide area, enterprise networks. It is used to secure WAN connections between branch offices, remote workers and data centre facilities that are geographically dispersed.

Effectively a network overlay, SD-WAN is carrier agnostic and transport Layer independent. It promises reduced operational costs, greater control over network applications and simplified management.

Who needs it?

It might be easier to say who doesn’t need it. Any organisation that relies on public or private networks to operate their business should be considering SD-WAN. More specifically, if you are contemplating any of these initiatives, SD-WAN should be front of mind:

• Use of video or bandwidth intensive applications
• Deploying hybrid WAN topologies at remote locations
• Planning to review/optimise existing branch routers
• Migrating away from MPLS
• Increasing bandwidth/network resilience

Managed SD-WAN

Whilst SD-WAN promises greater simplicity and visibility, management of the network and its component elements is required to ensure your WAN infrastructure continues to be a business enabler, rather than an inhibitor.

Many businesses will seek to employ SD-WAN as a managed service from a trusted technology partner to ensure they make the most of the benefits available. Improvements in business agility, reduced capital expenditure, ease of management, reduced maintenance costs, even greater resilience can be realised.

Thrive has established best-practice processes and resources for managing the implementation of software-defined networks. Our network monitoring and management solutions are backed by leading SLAs and our customers benefit from the transparency of a single provider for CPE and the underlying connectivity.

The post The case for Software-Defined Wide-Area Networking (SD-WAN) appeared first on Thrive.

Logic Apps provides a purely linear usage-based and transparent pricing model. To give an example of how this works out, consider a set of integrations with a monthly usage of 20 million “actions” (workflow steps), of which 500 thousand are also “standard connectors” and 500 thousand are “enterprise connectors” (in other words, 20 workflow steps to every 1 callout to an external system). Even a moderately large use case such as this works out to only $1,063 per month. Many use cases will cost well under $100 per month.

I come from a background using last generation on-premise tools such as BizTalk, Software AG’s WebMethods, and the older on-premise TIBCO platform. All the modern cloud solutions I’ve tried so far are a huge step forward in simplicity. However, some take simplicity so far as to constrain capabilities and in-depth troubleshooting. Others are priced extraordinarily high. In my assessment of many of the top players in the space, Logic Apps provides a great balance between ease-of-use and technical depth, while remaining one of the lowest cost in the SaaS space. It also comes with a large library of already-published connectors which further ease authentication and schema navigation, with more being added at a rapid rate. And it is possible and reasonable to build custom connectors when necessary.

An additional important consideration when evaluating any SaaS integration tool for many use cases is the ability to integrate with on-premise software and data. It’s not atypical for integrations to still interact with data in on-premise databases, file servers, SharePoint farms, and even on-premise APIs. Except on-premise APIs, Microsoft provides a simple and secure method of exposing and interacting with most on-premise data. Using a free Windows service called the On-Premise Gateway, we can setup a service that calls out to Azure, eliminating the risk of opening incoming holes in our firewalls and/or exposing endpoints on our private network edges. The gateway is then accessible as an API connector easily usable from several pre-built connectors for SQL Server, etc. Connecting to on-premise APIs, however, requires additional complexity involving custom connectors or using a local BizTalk or other mid-tier that has a connector already.

Like many other areas of IT and applications, the SaaS model is rapidly disrupting integration middleware. Competition is driving rapid improvement, more self-service, scalable pricing and capacity, and, if you shop around, better value. In my experience, I’ve found Logic Apps to be one of the best values and have yet to find a real-world scenario that it is not capable of handling. Whether you’re considering just dipping your toe in custom integration or are planning to move existing integrations to the cloud, Logic Apps is worth consideration.

If you would like to learn how Thrive can help you with integration, contact us, or call 1 (866)-205-2810.

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How Can You Check the Health of Your Network?

Thrive has developed an IT Asset & Risk Report for your organization that reviews 7 critical data risk areas for your network and outlines recommendations for immediate network improvements. Use this exercise as a benchmark to see how your network stacks up. A comprehensive IT Asset & Risk Report takes anywhere from four to six weeks and is typically managed by a senior engineer who oversees the process and then reports on the status of the network. The process involves a series of assessments on network components which include the following:

1. Network Servers: A network server assessment ensures potential problems are identified before they become a major issue. This phase of the assessment determines overall network health and checks for error reports.
2. Workstations: Workstations are an essential part of day to day network processes. An assessment of workstation health includes a comprehensive examination of all hardware and software and includes a checklist of notes for necessary cleanup.
3. Power Systems: Routine power systems assessments are essential for ensuring the ongoing functioning of critical network components. This step of the Network Health Assessment checks for any problems in the power system so recommendations can be made for repair or replacement.
4. Email and Messaging: Routine checkups of company email and messaging systems help to promote business continuity and productivity. Assessment of these components ensures the best practices are applied when it comes to email security and proper functioning of email clients.
5. Network Security: An assessment of network security involves a review of patching processes, intrusion detection systems, firewalls, anti-virus and anti-malware applications, and other layers of protection which exist within the infrastructure.
6. Remote Access: If your company employs remote workers it is important to assess the security of the equipment for those who are authorized to use it. Remote access involves Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and other forms of secure communications which can easily be compromised if they are not maintained.
7. Antivirus and Anti-Malware: The latest definitions for anti-virus and anti-malware applications are critical to network security. A comprehensive assessment involves a review of these applications to ensure the latest versions are being used, security updates have been performed, and the latest definitions have been loaded into the applications.

A final IT Asset & Risk Report also will give you an overall review of network management, maintenance, and monitoring to determine if any modifications are necessary for the strategies being used for these processes.

Contact Thrive today with any questions or to learn how we can check the health of your networks with a comprehensive evaluation by our network engineers.

The post Is it Time for a Network Health Check? appeared first on Thrive.

According to a recent survey by InfoBlox, the most common shadow devices found on networks were:

• Fitness trackers, such as FitBit or Gear Fit – 49 percent
• Digital assistants, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home – 47 percent
• Smart TVs – 46 percent
• Smart kitchen devices, such as connected kettles or microwaves – 33 percent
• Games consoles, such as Xbox or PlayStation – 30 percent.

There are a simple few things you can do to protect and detect these devices in your network.  We will use the example of a person arriving in a foreign country at customs as an analogy to how shadow devices should be treated in your corporate network.

1 – Segregate your Network

When you first arrive in any country, the customs agency will place you into a queue.  If you are a citizen of that country you go into one queue, and if you are from a foreign country you will go into another queue.

Shadow devices should be treated like a foreign visitor coming into a country.  They should not be allowed to enter the same network as the legal residents of the country, or in this case the trusted corporate computer.  More than ever you need to make sure you are segregating your critical network traffic from the shadow devices that are coming into your organization daily.

This security model has been around a long time, but we still see people putting all their guest network traffic, which includes wireless, on the same IP network.  This allows for any compromised device to have easy access to your critical data.

2 – Analyze Network Traffic for Shadow Devices

If you take the customs example one step further, you begin to get more granular of what you are looking to see before you allow a shadow device onto one of your networks.

Take the United States as an example. If you are a US Citizen you go into a queue that, for the most part, allows for less scrutiny of who you are and where you are headed before being allowed into the country.  By analyzing the traffic on your network with technology, you could further prove the worthiness of a trusted device to be allowed on to the network just like a person with Global Entry.

Conversely, if the device is not known it could be treated much like a foreigner arriving in the country and automatically be forced to join the guest network. Then if needed, prove they are worthy of accessing your guest network.

The way in which you go about defending shadow devices from your critical infrastructure is by building a security fabric.  If you would like more information or assistance in protecting your corporate network from shadow devices please contact us or call 866-205-2810.

The post What is Needed to Combat the Rise in Shadow Devices appeared first on Thrive.