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I'm sure everyone has heard the phrase "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" at least a few times. However, I am curious if you have ever asked this one simple question - where does it not apply?
Well, let me share with you where this saying does not apply. It doesn't apply when you are managing your wired and wireless networks. Right there. I said it. Now that I've said it, let me explain. A leading analyst recently noted, "IT operations teams are often tasked with monitoring 'revolving door' systems, struggling with the plethora of tools and information overload without a clear set of combined dashboards. IT operations teams are overwhelmed with a multitude of tools that offer a variety of ways to look at an organisation's IT availability and performance, leading to finger-pointing across IT areas.
From a different perspective, I spoke to an employee who was once responsible for managing wired and wireless networks at a major international airport in the US. He told me that they had two different screens just to manage their Wi-Fi. The reason was that the manufacturer had failed to ensure compatibility between different types and generations of Wi-Fi APs and controllers.
"We had two more screens to manage the switches. And a couple more to use log management tools to make sense of everything that was going on in our network. We also had screens dedicated to a 'network management' solution from another vendor," he told me. "This system monitored both our Wi-Fi and switch management systems. Even then, considering that the GUI offered by the vendor was not very productive, we routinely had to enter manual CLI commands into switches because there were no scripts.
As my colleague noted, having a single system to manage everything was a pipe dream: "The first hour after starting work was always an interesting time as you never knew what you would find. Tracking down things that were in red took the fun out of that hour. Seeing nothing red or any other alarm definitely didn't mean all was well," he added.
"I now have a newfound appreciation for the term 'swivel chair management'. I don't think there is a chair that can be swivelled to cover all these consoles!
Let me ask a few questions at this point:
IT administrator, if you have dedicated systems for Wi-Fi and switch management, or if you have a separate log management system, please read on. There is light at the end of this tunnel, I assure you.
In fact, I am happy to report that there are cloud-based network management solutions that provide a single management console for managing both Wi-Fi APs and switches. There are caveats, however; a typical cloud-based network management vendor would offer you a "simple" management platform for your Wi-Fi APs as a start, and then immediately cross-sell you for switch management. However, this will only last until you demand that all your switch types are managed through the same system - access, aggregation and core. Just wait and admire how they put on their dancing shoes and perform a ballet that would put the Paris Opera Ballet to shame. Suddenly you would be staring at two or more different screens from the same provider to manage your wired and wireless networks.
But as I mentioned earlier, there is a light at the end of this tunnel, and that light is CommScope's RUCKUS Cloud. RUCKUS Cloud is one of the few vendors to offer a cloud-based central (WLAN and switch) management system that can manage all WLAN AP types and all types of switches. Yes, a single system. No dancing shoes, no ballet.
If you are interested in a solution from Ruckus, or would like advice, please feel free to contact us via phone, email or our contact form.