Performance Edge Journal – Volume 3

The third edition of Performance Edge Journal has just been posted for download (some registration required). The publication is edited by Network Performance Daily’s Brian Boyko and is devoted to the diverse networking and application delivery responsibilities that today’s network professionals must tackle.
In this edition, industry expert Dr. Jim Metzler contributes recent research, presenting some very interesting expectations and realities of today’s NOC and how it’s not just about monitoring network availability anymore. Find out what non-NOC IT pros think the NOC staff is really doing.
Performance Edge Journal also explores the risk-reward balance when considering incumbent technology. When is it prudent to stick with what you have? When does it make sense to invest in more modern technology?
Unified Communications adoption and ensuring VoIP quality continue to be issues of concern, so we included one article on some of the things to watch for when managing UC and another one that goes details on how to diagnose and deal with that annoying echo we sometimes get on phone calls. (Did you know that phone echo can never be caused by the digital stream?)
Other topics covered in this issue of the Performance Edge Journal include how technology has impacted the U.S. general election; anomaly detection software that provides early warnings of threats to optimal network performance; a case study that looks at how OSF HealthCare improved network visibility to address existing performance issues and prepare for critical initiatives such as VoIP, MPLS, and new network intensive imaging applications; a white paper discussing latency issues specific to financial trading environments; and finally a 2009 recreational network traffic calendar for planning of high traffic network times.