Network Optimisation and what it really means
Thursday, 16 April 2009 11:47.
People shout about optimisation all the time but how do you define optimal? How can you say for definite that a system is running to the best of its capability?
This was a problem I faced when writing the thesis for my PhD. I was trying to not only solve a complicated network planning problem but also claiming that the solution generated was the best possible one available out of millions of possible permutations. The truth is, in the majority of cases you cannot claim that your solution is the best possible one and will never be bettered. You can say however, that given the resources available - be it time, money or humans – that the solution provided will give the best possible value.
I know from experience you can spend days or even weeks agonising over improving a solution and achieve only a very small gain for the amount time and effort you have put in. Today I focus on producing solutions which will give maximum benefit to a client without costing the earth. A week’s worth of effort to install and analyse data using sophisticated application layer monitoring tools will often unearth many hidden problems which are causing poor network performance. In many cases these problems can be quickly rectified through user education, policy enforcement or a minor configuration change all of which are minimal cost to the client.
Ultimately network optimisation is not about selling new bits of tin; it is about taking a clients existing assets and using those assets to the best of their abilities. This approach is particularly effective given the current climate when organisations want to minimise their operational costs and avoid unnecessary expenditure on infrastructure upgrades.
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