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The future is bright and promising, but will require smarter networking technologies to accommodate increases in traffic.
Bruce Entin, LSI Logic

To some, it may feel like the networking industry has come to a screeching halt in a huge pile-up on the information highway. The market seems more congested and chaotic than ever before, with more and more companies struggling to maintain momentum in the stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper gridlock of today’s economy.

However, it would be a big mistake to assume that this slowdown is anything more than a detour on the road to success. The future is bright and promising, but will require smarter technologies to accommodate the increases in network traffic.

Although creating more networking space—through fatter pipes—will be a step in the right direction, fatter pipes alone won’t solve the challenges of long-term industry growth. Like freeway construction engineers, networking specialists will need to develop next-generation technologies that are capable of handling continued growth in smarter ways.

Quality of Service (QoS): Smarter networks may need to guarantee certain levels of service, prioritizing content streams such as voice traffic over other types of data. Like diamond or carpool lanes, voice traffic will require priority in terms of speed and delivery to keep the network functioning as it should and still meet user expectations. QoS is a key driver to ensure that smart networks recognize data-type distinctions and guarantee appropriate levels of service. Traffic management and packet classification will be important new jobs for content-aware routers and other network equipment.

Security: With 23 million telecommuters now working from home, security is becoming a paramount networking issue. To safeguard company assets and information, Secure Sockets Layer, denial of service (DOS), and firewall technologies must all serve as frontline defenses to protect data—without slowing down the network in the protection process. Like metered on-ramps or freeway radar systems, network security needs to be effective and at the same time unobtrusive to ensure a free flow of information.

Server Load Balancing: In February 2001, 88 million people in North America signed onto the Internet. To address this potential traffic jam, companies employ server load balancing to create a smarter networking environment. Large e-shopping sites routinely evaluate whether a visitor is, for example, a priority or returning customer. If so, the customer is sent to a faster server that provides quicker response time to encourage more sales. Like having a police officer directing traffic, server load balancing ensures optimal utilization of each server. The same load balancing function can be used to share the load among security firewalls.

The networking industry is clearly in a transitional period, as it moves from gridlock to smarter technologies. These technologies, not the legacy networks, offer the best advancements in leading the industry out of its current state. Like major freeway systems, our industry will have to provide more than just an extra lane to meet tomorrow’s traffic demands.

Author information

Bruce Entin is executive vice president of LSI Logic