More sophisticated methods of managing data center bandwidth allow for more consistent performance, and allow administrators to avoid various pitfalls of out-of-control network traffic across multiple channels.
In a general sense, businesses need to match resources to channels. Setting up quality of service (QoS) management is a start – by setting maximum levels for different bandwidth channels, quality of service management tools make a chaotic and disorderly network run more smoothly.
Adding granular control tools to network virtualization or hypervisor systems is a common way to control network performance. VM-level quality of service management means administrators can ensure that a rogue virtual machine doesn’t crash the system, or that in general, one high-demand channel isn’t hogging all of the resources.
Scheduling applications can also help with virtualization environments. In a general sense, companies can either schedule and manage bandwidth-related activities to make system components work well with each other, or they can simply dump more resources on the problem. The second approach, however, can waste a lot of money, and the first one can be extremely difficult. Some experts argue that scheduling tools alone won’t do the job of helping to achieve a desired state.
Those looking in more detail at managing bandwidth for a data center suggest looking in a granular way as latency, with CPU-ready metrics, and figuring out how resource pools work. To reach the right desired state, they are saying, there is a necessary level of automation. Vanguard companies working in this field are building extremely versatile and capable machines that will help direct network traffic according to sophisticated models that will help optimize and maximize bandwidth resources.
