The amount of data that has been unearthed in the network over the past few years is astounding. We now have access to more information that we could ever hope to want about the status of packets transiting through the enterprise. But is this data causing networks to be more complex? In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Pieter-Jan Nefkens, Matyas Prokop, and Dominik Pickhardt as they explore the rise in data-centric network design. They discuss the drivers behind the need for more focused deployments and how access to this amount of data is creating challenges for operations teams. They also look at how security plays a role in the amount of information gathered and what happens to it after it is collected.
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Data Makes Networking Better
The amount of data that has been unearthed in the network over the past few years is astounding. We now have access to more information that we could ever hope to want about the status of packets transiting through the enterprise. But is this data causing networks to be more complex? In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Pieter-Jan Nefkens, Matyas Prokop, and Dominik Pickhardt as they explore the rise in data-centric network design. They discuss the drivers behind the need for more focused deployments and how access to this amount of data is creating challenges for operations teams. They also look at how security plays a role in the amount of information gathered and what happens to it after it is collected.
The network has always contained the data that we have only recently surfaced. Being able to find that data has been useful for network engineers that are looking to build new networks. Understanding the minutiae of things like performance and tail latency means you can support new applications without the need to go out and purchase expensive new hardware. However, not all that data is useful. It takes a keen eye or a very comprehensive software algorithm to understand what’s happening under the surface.
That’s why the data is valuable but the processed information is even more critical. We need to make sense of the millions of lines of logs and the overwhelming amount of data points that only gain context with analysis. For designers and operations teams it takes more than just a table of numbers to make things better. You need to understand why things are behaving the way they are and where to apply the changes to make them work better. That is the essence of turning data into information. It’s about adding context.
This is even more apparent in security settings. You need the raw data and the analysis to be able to add the next important step of taking action. Network designs and performance may improve when you add more information to your platforms but those actions can be scheduled and planned. When it comes to a security breach you need to take that critical information and make it actionable, whether it is stopping an ongoing attack or plugging a hole that could be used in the future. The refinement of data into information leads to better decisions from that point forward.
Podcast Information:
Tom Hollingsworth is the Networking Analyst for The Futurum Group and Event Lead for Tech Field Day. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Find out more on his blog or on the Tech Field Day website.
Dominik Pickhardt is an InfoSec Architect. You can connect with Dominik on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter, or read more on his website.
Pieter-Jan Nefkens is a network consultant and has his own company, Nefkens Advies. He has also been a Cisco Champion since 2017. Connect with Pieter-Jan on X/Twitter or on LinkedIn.
Matyáš Prokop is the Technology Director at Natilik. You can connect Matyáš Prokop on X/Twitter or on LinkedIn. Learn more about his work on Natilik’s website.
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast. If you enjoyed the discussion, please remember to subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast application so you don’t miss an episode and do give us a rating and a review. This podcast was brought to you by Tech Field Day, home of IT experts from across the enterprise, now part of The Futurum Group.
