A GUIDE TO EVALUATING YOUR IT NETWORK

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Evaluating an IT network can be a daunting task that many companies would simply prefer to ignore due to its complexity, and possibly because they dread what such an assessment might turn up. In todays competitive business world however, this is an area that just has to be done, in order to determine if the business is being adequately supported in its objectives by the computing power of all the physical and virtual components comprising its local and wide-area networks.

When the time comes for such an evaluation, it should be formalized and more in-depth than simply relying on feedback from the user community about response time, and it should not be assumed that security is adequate because no one has reported virus attacks. There are criteria for evaluation that should be used for evaluating the health and effectiveness of any network which can provide a much clearer and much more accurate idea of how well it is configured to meet the needs of the company.

It is well known that data is the lifeblood of any business, and without it daily operations would come to a screeching halt. Imagine an online store losing its database of products and inventory for sale, or losing its customer database to a sudden massive crash of the system. A plan for data backup and recovery must be formalized in terms of its time-of-recovery because time is money in business, and also in terms of its recovery point, i.e. how far back in time was the last backup? The concept of backup and recovery should be tied in with Disaster Recovery too, and the plan for disaster recovery should be tested periodically to ensure its true viability.

DATA BACKUP AND RECOVERY.

IT Network Evaluation Criteria

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It is essential to have the most current anti-virus and anti-malware security in place on the network, because not a day goes by without new malware being created. This means that the network must be adequately insulated against attacks by its firewall configuration and by internal anti-virus software. Evaluating effectiveness entails gauging your security softwares ability to update, scan, and quarantine suspect files immediately. A secondary aspect of security evaluation is ensuring that all hardware and software patching is up to date with the latest versions.

SECURITY IMPLEMENTATIONS.

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Does the network setup take advantage of cloud storage where it makes sense? There are some huge benefits to cloud storage, chief among them the fact that enormous amounts of data can be resident on physical servers located off the premises and on a network connected to your own. By now, most businesses have overcome their security fears of having data stored off-site, and cloud storage has proven itself to be a sensible, economic advantage. The cost of purchasing and maintaining a server farm on-site should be measured against the cost of reliable cloud storage from a reputable vendor.

CLOUD STORAGE SOLUTIONS.

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Is the network capable of providing high-performance access to all clients as well as having sufficient bandwidth to satisfy access between all user locations online? The importance of connectivity and performance across all internal and external users has exploded because of the much greater passing of huge files that take up bandwidth, e.g. video files, that can quickly suck up bandwidth and bog down communications.

CONNECTIVITY.

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The physical health of all the components comprising your network is just as critical as the health of the software and performance issues. All servers, routers, LAN switches, PCs, operating systems, rules & processes, wiring cabinets, and all the other pieces that comprise the hardware and software of the network must be up-to-date in terms of warranty life and functionality.

INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTH.

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This is a kind of catch-all area that may be considered a composite evaluation of all the other areas rolled into one. Does your network in any way hinder business objectives or prevent them from being realized? Or is the network an enabler of business objectives, supporting and even enhancing them because of its superior health and performance?

ACHIEVABLE RESULTS.

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The Ultimate Evaluation

In a progressive, modern company, the I.T. Department and the network it maintains should be a driver of the business, leading the way to greater achievements and results. It should not be struggling to keep up with the pace of business, barely able to support its current goals, much less its goals for the future. By ignoring the health of the I.T. network, a company might quickly find itself in the latter category, unable to compete with rivals. No matter how you look at it, evaluating your network is an exercise that simply must be done for the good of the company.

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