Enterprise Network Testing: Testing Throughout the Network Lifecycle to Maximize Availability and Performance (Networking Technology) [Hardcover]

Andy Sholomon (Author), Tom Kunath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2011 | ISBN-10: 1587141272 | ISBN-13: 978-1587141270 | Edition: 1

Enterprise Network Testing

Testing Throughout the Network Lifecycle to Maximize Availability and Performance

 

Andy Sholomon, CCIE® No. 15179

Tom Kunath, CCIE No. 1679

 

The complete guide to using testing to reduce risk and downtime in advanced enterprise networks

 

Testing has become crucial to meeting enterprise expectations of near-zero network downtime. Enterprise Network Testing is the first comprehensive guide to all facets of enterprise network testing. Cisco enterprise consultants Andy Sholomon and Tom Kunath offer a complete blueprint and best-practice methodologies for testing any new network system, product, solution, or advanced technology.

 

Sholomon and Kunath begin by explaining why it is important to test and how network professionals can leverage structured system testing to meet specific business goals. Then, drawing on their extensive experience with enterprise clients, they present several detailed case studies. Through real-world examples, you learn how to test architectural “proofs of concept,” specific network features, network readiness for use, migration processes, security, and more.

 

Enterprise Network Testing contains easy-to-adapt reference test plans for branches, WANs/MANs, data centers, and campuses. The authors also offer specific guidance on testing many key network technologies, including MPLS/VPN, QoS, VoIP, video, IPsec VPNs, advanced routing (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), and Data Center Fabrics.

 

§         Understand why, when, and how you should test your network

§         Use testing to discover critical network design flaws

§         Incorporate structured systems testing into enterprise architecture strategy

§         Utilize testing to improve decision-making throughout the network lifecycle

§         Develop an effective testing organization and lab facility

§         Choose and use test services providers

§         Scope, plan, and manage network test assignments

§         nLeverage the best commercial, free, and IOS test tools

§         Successfully execute test plans, including crucial low-level details

§         Minimize the equipment required to test large-scale networks

§         Identify gaps in network readiness

§         Validate and refine device configurations

§         Certify new hardware, operating systems, and software features

§         Test data center performance and scalability

§         Leverage test labs for hands-on technology training

 

This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press®, which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andy Sholomon, CCIE No. 15179, works as a Network Consulting Engineer (NCE) in Cisco’s Central Engineering Performance and Validation Testing team. He routinely plans and performs network testing for some of Cisco’s largest Enterprise customers. In his six years at Cisco, Andy has been involved in both planning and deploying some of the largest enterprise data centers in the United States. He has also worked with some of Cisco’s large service provider customers. Before joining Cisco, Andy worked as a Network Engineer in the global financial industry, spending 5 years at UBS in multiple roles, including security engineering, and worked as a Systems Engineer at Spear, Leeds & Kellogg (now a part of Goldman Sachs Group). Andy has been a speaker at the Cisco Live Networkers Conference. Besides the CCIE, Andy holds multiple industry certifications, including the CISSP and MCSE. Andy lives with his wife, daughter, and Great Dane in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

 

Tom Kunath, CCIE No. 1679, is a Solutions Architect in Cisco’s Advanced Services Central Engineering team, where he works as a design and test consulting engineer. With nearly 20 years in the networking industry, Tom has helped design, deploy, and operate many of Cisco’s largest Enterprise and Financial customer networks. Before joining Cisco, Tom worked at Juniper Networks’ Professional Services Group as a Resident Engineer supporting several service provider IP and MPLS backbones, and prior to that as a Principal Consultant at International Network Services (INS). In addition to his CCIE, Tom holds several industry certifications, including a Juniper JNCIS and Nortel Networks Router Expert. Tom lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with his wife and two children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: Cisco Press; 1 edition (April 24, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587141272
• ISBN-13: 978-1587141270
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 1.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Case Studies and Explanations May 26, 2011

By B. Story

Format:Hardcover

I have recently finished reading the new Cisco Press book Enterprise Network Testing: Testing Throughout the Network Lifecycle to Maximize Availability and Performance by Andy Sholomon and Tom Kunath. Prior to reading this book I will admit that my only experience with network testing has been much more adhoc than the structure they present.

The first section of the book is devoted to learning about the methodologies, tools and types of network testing. This section discusses how to test networks and where in the lifecycle testing should take place. It also builds a case for why network testing is important and how to get funding and management support for testing. If you don't get anything else from this book, that chapter is probably the most important. Getting budgets for testing capital expenses (lab gear, space, testing tools) and operational expenses (labor, power, cooling) require showing the return on investment that can be had from preventing downtimes later.

The second section of the book looks at how testing of various types has helped real world businesses. These case studies give the reader a good idea of tangible benefits of network testing. Most of this section reads more like a business textbook than a technical guide which should help network engineers bridge the gap to the holders of the purse strings. As network engineers, we have to come out of our geek world and explain to non-geeks why what we do matters to them and to them business matters.

Finally in the last section the authors explore various network projects and the test plans used to verify their operation. For someone like me with no formal network testing training or experience, this section is an invaluable resource. The test plan examples are very thorough and will be a great reference for building your on test plans.

I highly recommend this book, although it may not be as sexy as say a book on the Nexus 7000 or FCoTR it provides useful skills for a network engineer to improve their network.