Insights On Recovering From Disaster...BaaS And DRaaS

Below discusses the benefits of a cloud-based DR solution....  

WHY DISASTER RECOVERY? 

Evolve IP knows we are facing an ever-changing threat landscape. We have all the traditional concepts of what constitutes a disaster whether that’s a regional or geographic issue. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and tornados as well as human-made disasters such as power or network interruption, intentional malice, accidental loss, and negligence are catalysts for Disaster Recovery. The new reality is that ransomware and new zero-day malware variants are the biggest threat facing modern IT departments. Evolve IP believes that while having all the right security solutions in place is important the best method of protection is recoverability.  So, what constitutes a recovery window for a client environment?  

• Recovery Time Objective (RT0) – How much downtime is acceptable, and have you quantified the cost of the acceptable downtime on a per-application basis? 
• Recovery Point Objective (RPO) – How much data loss is acceptable to the business and have you quantified the cost of the acceptable loss?  

RTO and RPO are a factor for both disaster recovery and backup. To determine which is the right solution you’ll have to look at a few different things:  

• Service Levels  
• Application Availability and Impact 
• Retention  
• Recovery Options 
• Failover/Failback Capabilities 

Evolve IP approaches backup and disaster recovery by providing the full spectrum of the solution. They believe in scalability and the continuum of client administration, they can go anywhere in the spectrum from fully self-administered to full management. Evolve IP does the same when it comes to their disaster recovery and backup solutions, there are varying degrees of protection available through different solutions.  

DISASTER RECOVERY OR BACKUP?  

Disaster recovery is a subset of business continuity; it is preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure vital to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster. It ensures that data is available quickly after an outage. Backup, on the other hand, refers to the copying and archiving of computer data so it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The backup system contains at least one copy of all data worth saving, and the data storage requirements can be significant. Organizing this storage space and managing the backup process can be a complicated undertaking. The primary difference between disaster recovery and backup Is that the former is focused on continuing operations with minimal interruption while the latter is focused on restoring operations in the wake of an interruption.  

       Disaster Recovery delivers very aggressive service levels 

• Recovery point objectives of seconds  
• Recovery time objectives of minutes 

Backup delivers service levels that are better suited for a tier 3 application  

• Can you lose 12-24 hours of data? 
• Can the business survive without the application for 12 hours or more? 

Both backup and disaster recovery can leverage ‘replication’ technology in their solutions. What differentiates them is what can be done with the resulting data: 

Another difference between disaster recovery and backup is retention. Here is how they differ in this area:  

THE EVOLVE IP DIFFERENCE  

To help organizations manage costs while receiving contractually guaranteed recovery time and recovery point objectives (RTO/RPO), Evolve IP applies a tiered approach to DRaaS services. Based on needs and resources, clients can choose between self-managed and managed DRaaS.  With the additional layering of Managed IT, customers are provided full stack, end-to-end application disaster recovery as well as configuration changes in protected environments. With their diverse service portfolio ensures you can recover all the data you need as soon as you need it. So, why Evolve IP?  

• Blue-Chip Vendors – Their Suite is composed of Blue-Chip vendor verified, support and integrated solutions. They use the technologies, tools, and interfaces your team trusts and your executives know including Veam, Zerto, VMware, Nimble, EMC and more. 
• The Evolve IP Compliance Cloud – Verified through third-party compliance auditors, The Compliance Cloud includes true client isolation, encryption in transit and at rest, private VLANs, firewalls and more. 
• Best-of-Breed Solutions – Noted as a “Visionary” in Gartner’s 2017 Magic Quadrant for Disaster Recovery as a Service, our DR Suite is analyst-acclaimed, vendor-validated and client recommended. 
• Custom Tailored Solutions – Evolve IP will architect what other CSP’s will not, for example, a robust reverse replication solution. Additionally, they accommodate legacy systems like AS400, by providing rack space, power, and network integration. 
• World-Class, Compliant Architecture – Evolve IP’s compliant cloud solutions and intellectual property are built on top of the world’s leading technologies, leverage our globally redundant data centers, and run over the industry’s most robust network architecture. 
• The Evolve IP OneCloud – They are the only provider that can deploy both cloud computing and cloud communications in a secure, virtual private environment. Leveraging Evolve IP for multiple services compounds the ROI of your IT investment by improving efficiencies, decreasing costs and eliminating cloud sprawl. 

To learn more and request a free quote....simply ask here:

Disaster Recovery Solutions

How To Monetize Your Business WiFi

No matter what your business is, if you offer free WiFi to guests or customers it doesn’t have to be a bottomless hole of costs with little or no return.  You can still offer free wireless network access while monetizing the WiFi network to even turn a profit.  This strategy is especially attractive to those in the hospitality, retail, and travel industries...for example hotels, resorts, restaurants, coffee shops, wineries, breweries, airports, and shopping malls.

Here's how Sprint Business Wi-Fi can help you transform your guest/customer Wi-Fi from a cost burden into a revenue-generating platform.  

MULTIPLE LOGIN OPTIONS 

Sprint is a tier one global provider with an all IP next-generation network; they do everything from MPLS, DIA, SD-WAN, and UC. Sprint’s business Wi-Fi has been around for a long time, and it provides a unique solution on the guest side. It provides the capability to break up the corporate from the guest Wi-Fi while keeping the security and firewalls in place, but it also provides some unique features and abilities. This includes content marketing and also lets you collect data analytics from those users that are logging into the guest Wi-Fi. In the image below, you can view the splash page of what a user would see when they log in to the guest Wi-Fi. This splash page is easily customizable through a cloud-based portal that works through jpg drag-and-drop. This portal doesn’t require any HTML coding.

                                                                                                                                              

Below you can also view an example of the welcome page a user would see when they log in. This is easily customizable as well. 

DEVICE AND USER DETAILS 

Sprint’s business Wi-Fi allows you to collect data analytics from users who log in to the guest Wi-Fi. This provides everything from name, age, gender, email, birthday, education history, etc. Basically, anything that the user has on their social media profile will be captured. It also captures things such as when they visit and how long they stay along with other IT information like the type of device they are using and their IP address. Sprint can also enable content delivery and advertisements through an easy-to-use workflow that’s cloud-based. This includes static banner ads that overlay on top of any web browser; it can be a clickable link or just an advertisement. Another unique feature is being able to provide video advertising over the content delivery which can happen when they first log in. The targeted advertising can also be based on the demographic information that is captured through the social media assignments. 

DISCOVER AND MANAGE ALL CONNECTED DEVICES 

Another way you can enable your organization to monetize their guest Wi-Fi is through the actual broadband delivery. When the guest’s login they can be given a speed rate limit of whatever your customer wants it to be. They can also give the option for the guests to pay for faster speed in case they want to stream Netflix or anything like that, this can be done through the captive portal.  Sprint’s business Wi-Fi also allows a lot more control; your organization can now define speeds for all the users.  

To get free quotes and network design help simply ask us here....

Monetize Your Business WiFi

Priceless Advice On Connecting Your Global Workforce

RINGCENTRAL’S GLOBAL OFFICE

RingCentral has three primary missions; the first one is to provide a technology in a single platform whether it’s in the US or across the globe. Their second mission involves making sure their technology is easy to use, purchase, deploy and on a global perspective easy to localize. Lastly, they like to make sure their products are eye-friendly for the end user. Aside from delivering great technology and innovating on a frequent basis, their real mission is to empower employees to be more productive and more responsive to their customers. RingCentral has taken the experience that everyone knows and loves from North American, and they’ve unified it and expanded it for global locations.

Their focus is on bringing together all the core pillars of communication. This includes Cloud PBX, meetings and online sharing, team messaging and contact center. They combine disparate solutions into a single platform to give you not only a unified experience but also a global and open platform.

RingCentral’s Global Office benefits include:

• Extended global presence
• Connect global workforce
• Simplify administration
• Consolidate billing
• Free global extension dialing
• Instant activation
• Local dial plan
• Comply local regulations
• Consistent user experience
• Mobile access

ONE PLATFORM FOR YOUR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

RingCentral is not the only company to offer a global office solution, but whenever they open a new country, they do it in a full-service capacity. This means:

• In-country, localized phone service – For example, if you are in Singapore and you want to call a store in the area, many services would require you to dial the country code then the prefix before you enter the local number. With RingCentral you can just dial your number directly just like any other local call.
• In-country device shipping – This means all the devices you order are already provisioned, so your employees can easily plug in to your network and use the phone. This helps reduce IT efforts.
• International language support – Every time they roll out a country they make sure end users have support experiences that are localized in the simplified local vernacular.
• Worldwide ext-to-ext dialing – All employees are under the same RingCentral platform, this means all your internal communications are free – even the distributed office.
• Number Porting – If you have local offices using a different PBX solution but you want to continue using the same numbers, RingCentral can support your number porting.

RingCentral supports a total of 37 countries for Global Office and 82 countries offering international numbers as of December 2017. All their global office services are compliant with local regulations to provide safe and secure communication. They also have emergency services covered for your phone services. RingCentral has 17 data centers around the world to provide reliable communication services.  They also work closely with more than 45 local carriers and 200 ISP to ensure quality services for every RingCentral customer.

ADDITIONAL INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

The International Virtual Number (IVN) Solution is ideal for companies that have no physical branch offices but need local presence or companies that have local offices but only need inbound calling. IVN does not include calling minutes, but North American calls are unlimited. Inbound calls to an IVN are free unless rates are indicated. So, what is the difference between Global Office and IVN?

International calling credit bundles are ideal for companies that want simple international unlimited calling for all countries or companies that are paying international rates for inbound and outbound callings, including toll-free. Discounted calling credit bundles are available from $300 to $675k and overages are billed at a standard international rate. Bundles expire at the end of the month and cannot roll over to the following month.

RingCentral also offers Global Office Unlimited which includes the following:

• Coverage for over 100 countries.
• Connects to your customers with a predictable, fixed-price calling plan.
• Outbounds calls cover both landline and mobile.
• Available for US and Canada accounts with 250+ users.

To learn more and get a free quote and network design help simply ask here....

Global Office 

MPLS Network Design .... What's Important

Before jumping into MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) for your network design there's important items to consider. Take a step back and first consider what you need your network to do, how, and what must happen if there are issues.

Intent of the network is definitely a critical piece. It is so important to understand what you are putting over the network in order to engineer the optimal network. I've had the same conversations with clients when they realize that they can't have as many call paths as they would like and still be able to surf the net.

Also, business continuity is definitely key. Documenting the plan and understanding how traffic should flow in the event the primary path is unavailable for any reason ensures you have survivability in the instance of an interruption of service or outage of any kind.

If you understand the intent, you can accurately plan for outages or interruptions in your disaster plan. Most times, you don't need to have every type of traffic pass over the MPLS during an outage. You need to understand what is most important to your business, what has the biggest impact on your revenue, and then design a plan that ensures that you don't lose that piece of the puzzle for any length of time.

I think the most important piece is not even the Disaster Recovery plan, but more so the "business continuity" piece. The reality is you want the design to be flawless and address the rare occasion prior to it happening. With having a "business continuity" plan in place this allows for you to continue business seamlessly in the event something does happen. The Disaster Recovery plan will only address how do you recover in the event of an outage, cost, and time associated with the disaster. Business continuity will minimize that impact of these three and ensure you are still operational during this time. The other important pieces of course are the speed and security of the network.

Also key now that I think about it is default route pathing. This ties in to the intent of the network. Even if the original intent of the MPLS network is not to pass internet traffic .... having dynamic routing on the core so that one site can piggy back off of another in the case of an internet connection outage at one of the sites, is often one of the most useful side features that everyone always seems to forget or overlook. Sometimes this can be done with you changing your firewall/router's default gateway to point to the MPLS hop manually or can be done with OSPF/EIGRP.

For no cost help designing your MPLS network .... including free rate quote comparisons from multiple providers ... simply request assistance here:

MPLS Networks

Tips On How To Migrate To A MPLS Network Architecture For Your Business

So your boss has heard of MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) and is all excited about the possibilities it holds for your company's voice and data network. The positives to your network reliability, performance, and cost make it seem to be a no brainer. But...you're not sure how to migrate from your existing traditional WAN (Wide Area Network) configuration to MPLS.

You're tasked with investigating if moving your company's network from a point-to-point T1 WAN architecture to a MPLS architecture makes business sense.

The easy answer here is yes. It most cases of course it does.

But.... why? And more importantly.... How do you accomplish the changeover?

In looking at changing your architecture from Point to Point to an MPLS type of network I suggest starting with the business requirements and tying your network requirements to the business needs. In this manner, you'll have clear business outcomes for comparison when you start getting the cost vs benefits discussion involved when developing your business case for investment.

A robust Total Cost of Ownership model will be needed to understand what the TCO will be going forwards. Also, I'd suggest developing a strong understanding of the costs of doing nothing and also the potential savings or new revenue opportunities for your business so you can develop a Net Present Value (NPV) of your network options.

I would also recommend looking at the interfaces you're looking to support in the network. MPLS does enable you to have a common protocol across all your networks and you can effectively establish an MPLS Cross Connect in your network. This will rely on how your local service providers will provide MPLS services to you, if at all. So you would most likely need to purchase either point to point or point to multipoint based transmission services from your provider. We're seeing that many enterprises and service providers are heading towards ethernet ubiquity as a service interface and then offering multiple services on top of the ethernet interface.

VoIP works well across an MPLS type of network, however it does depend on the services that you purchase off your service provider. As you're looking at MPLS, then I assume that you're looking at buying straight transmission services and then you'll use MPLS to aggregate traffic into your WAN links. Hence, you're business case is going to be driven by arbitrage opportunities so capture as much traffic as possible onto your network and apply QoS at the edge.

From a QoS perspective, ensure that you can also apply policing to the traffic that goes onto your WAN traffic. I recommend applying Hierarchical QoS as this will enable you to dynamically share the bandwidth in your WAN links.

As you can tell, there are lots of issues and questions that need to be addressed so I'd suggest working closely with some trusted partners and driving towards an outcome based business drivers and commercial outcomes.

We have worked with many customers that have migrated to MPLS from old school point to point. There are a few reasons our customers did this, but let me assure you the #1 reason was cost. A good competitive carrier will offer an MPLS design that is sometimes less costly than the old point to point type solution..... with most of the same or more functionality.

But there are some factors:

1. If the point to points are crossing state or lata boundaries..... or are fairly separated by miles.... you should enjoy considerable savings.

2. If you get a carrier that bundles MPLS with an Integrated Access type solution you will save big money (combination of voice, internet & MPLS delivered on one T1 with quality of service).

Here's some additional points that might help you.

1. Is it redundant? Yes, depending on how you design your network (we can help you of course) sites can network with each other over your wide area network for disaster recovery/ redundancy. Unlike the traditional point to point architecture where you might only be as strong as that single link. We helped a huge national company with a migration from point to point and frame relay to MPLS. The big reason was with so many sites there was an outage almost every day. The network was designed with redundancy as the main driver.

2. Does it work as well? It depends who you ask. Are you talking to a salesman? He will say yes. Let me give you my "consultant" opinion. It works ALMOST as well but there are so many benefits to MPLS that typically motivate a customer to change. For example, if you have Quality of Service (QoS) sensitive applications running across your WAN then you should consider MPLS. MPLS is a private networking technology similar to the concept of Frame Relay in that it is delivered in the "cloud". The primary difference with MPLS is that you can purchase quality of service for applications across your WAN. During the provisioning process the carrier (or your agent-wink wink) will interview you in order to determine which applications are important to your business, they will then build a QoS template to service these applications on your WAN. These applications will be given priority over all other traffic in times of peak load. MPLS is by far the most costly solution between Frame Relay, VPN and MPLS.... but is the only technology that will support QoS!

But let's put the salesman aside and remember one thing. With MPLS we are using the carrier's private network which is infinitely better than creating your own VPN. But because of some "overhead" and the belief that all carriers over-subscribe somewhat I am convinced that it's ALMOST as good.

So if it's almost as good would it be worth migrating if you could enjoy cost savings & redundancy??? Maybe. But these are the things that are making MPLS the hot ticket now.

3. Does this work well with VOIP? Sure. You can get QoS like I stated above.

MPLS is an IP-based framing technology (at OSI layer 3) that inherently meshes your WAN (this is the redundancy you refer to above). MPLS has a feature called QoS or quality of service. This feature allows both your CPE router and the carrier's network to prioritize data based upon your settings or preferences (carrier's level of support of QoS can be broad) and gives you more "bang for your buck" with the bandwidth that you select for the local loop going to each office. MPLS is made for VoIP like RC Cola is made for Moonpies. Because true "toll quality" VoIP requires prioritization across a carrier network, you (or your provider) can tag VoIP traffic with high priority to easily address the jitter and latency sensitivity inherent in the service.

The other huge advantage you have is that you can add locations with a simple routing table update and maintain a fully-meshed architecture, where with Point to Point circuits, you would have had to add a separate circuit to each location you want to interconnect, making MPLS more and more cost friendly the more locations you add.

Finally, MPLS allows you (or your carrier) to configure network objects (such as servers, VPN concentrators, and Network-Based Firewalls) as nodes on your MPLS network. For instance, with a properly deployed Network Based Firewall, you can provide all of your locations with an internet connection over your MPLS network that doesn't rely on a single location to aggregate the traffic. Some carriers even offer redundant firewalls, meaning that you have redundant Internet connections fully meshed giving you more potential up-time in the case of a single failure on your network.

What do you need to consider? In my experience, the biggest things to keep in mind are:

- Stay away from MPLS enabled Frame/ATM networks with committed access rates (CAR), this committed access rate is often a lower bandwidth than your local loop bandwidth, which can degrade your quality and quantity of bandwidth across a carrier's network (its always in the fine print).

- QoS at the "Edge" and across the "Core" - choose a carrier with both.

- QoS recognition across the carrier network - some carriers will allow customers to mark packets with priority, but will not recognize and uphold that priority, don't fall into this trap.

- SLA guarantees - be sure to choose a carrier that provides acceptable service level agreements for the type of service you plan to push across your network

- Customer Service and dedicated sales rep - you want someone you can reach out to with questions that you can trust - this is the most difficult thing to find.

For free assistance designing the right MPLS configuration for your network.... and sourcing the most cost effective provider..... I suggest you take advantage of the resources available at MPLS Networks