S#$% My Network SaysS#$% My Network Says

Jim Gogan - ITS Communication TechnologiesCTC Retreat - October 21, 2010

“Nervous? In 5 billion years the sun will burn out and nothing you did will matter. Feel better?”

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Overall performance ultimately depends on the weakest components

“A parent’s only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed”

Chosing specific network equipment keeps getting more challenging

“ You don’t have to be good to succeed. You just gotta be the least crappy option. Example: We’re eating at The Olive Garden.”

Network ArchitectureNetwork Architecture

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Network ArchitectureNetwork Architecture

BIG …… really big …..

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Changes to Intrusion Prevention Systems

(Tipping Points)

Changes to Intrusion Prevention Systems

(Tipping Points)

New 10 Gbps inline systems installed at the two campus border points – first time we’ve had complete IPS coverage at the border (where approx. 98% of the attacks are seen)

Allows us to do a phased removal of the majority of internal IPS/TP units, primarily at the distribution layer; to date, Phillips, Franklin and Kenan Labs Tier 1s are gone

Removals will generally produce noticeable performance improvements on inter-subnet traffic

“Sometimes it’s nice having you around. But now ain’t one of those times.”

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Wi-Fi NetworkingWi-Fi Networking

Continues to be an “a la carte” service at $1200 per access point

Continues to be based on really, really moronic technologies and vendor implementations

“No one cares about all the things your smartphone does. You didn’t invent it, you just bought it. Anybody can do that. Oh, and there’s a 50/50 chance it won’t work with WEP”

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TAR-WAPTAR-WAP

Teaching and Research Wireless Activation Project• Proposals from faculty requesting AP installation in

designated rooms specifically for teaching and/or research activities

• Search http://help.unc.edu for TAR-WAP for details

• Include in proposal:

Specific academic course/research activity requesting connectivity

Summary of how Wi-Fi would be used

Approx. number of concurrent students

Commitment to provide feedback to ITS

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TAR-WAP Installations since Sept 2009

TAR-WAP Installations since Sept 2009

• Morehead Planetarium -- Remedy ticket 1563220

• Peabody 306

• Coker 201 -- Remedy ticket 1611676

• Fordham Hall Conference Rooms -- Remedy ticket 1618907

• Swain Hall -- Remedy ticket 1611710

• Med School Wing Classrooms -- Remedy ticket 1618892

• Baity Laboratory Building - SPH -- Remedy ticket 1626497

• Michael Hooker Research Center - Nutrition-SPH -- Remedy ticket 1626497

• Mitchell Hall - Geological Sciences -- Remedy ticket 1680602

• Alumni Building - Archaeology and Anthropology -- Remedy ticket 1678032

• Coker Hall - UNC Herbarium -- Remedy ticket 1698584

• Carolina Center for Educational Excellence - School of Education -- Remedy ticket 1701652

• Wilson Library 318 - CFE Training Facility -- Remedy ticket 1745944

• School of Medicine - Bondurant and MBRB Auditoriums -- Remedy ticket 1720461

• Burnett-Womack - Division of Radiologic Science -- Remedy ticket 1519846

• Peabody Hall Rm 02 - School of Education -- Remedy ticket 1749683

• Peabody Hall 206 and 211 - School of Education -- Remedy ticket 1764506

• Phillips Hall - Physics-SCALE-UP -- Remedy ticket 1719892

• Coker Hall - Biology -- Remedy ticket 1839960

• Coates Building - Geography Research Labs -- Remedy ticket 1839941

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Network ManagementNetwork Management

Growing use of “NetFlow” collectors

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Network Management – More (Can’t Have Too

Much)

Network Management – More (Can’t Have Too

Much) Continued

evolution and testing of NAC (Network Access Control)

Continued evolution of NIT (Network Information Tool)

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Neutral Hosting Project

Neutral Hosting Project

Installation of advanced campus-wide DAS (Distributed Antenna System) to provide uniform outdoor and in-building wireless mobile coverage (voice, data and beyond)

Project has been underway for the past 3+ years

Final construction design plans (for all sites except Kenan Stadium and the Smith Center) now under final internal review process—expect submission to State Construction Office for approval the first week in November.

Remaining sites (Kenan and Smith Center) will be finalized in November.

Construction start targeted for first quarter 2011.

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon participating—Sprint currently dealing with budgetary issues—will probably join sometime in 2011.

100% funded by the carriers

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Campus Voice Services

Campus Voice Services

New AVST voice messaging platform installed in April 2010• Will provide unified messaging, virtual fax and

other advanced features• Links campus voicemail once again with UNC

Healthcare Current AT&T Centrex contract expires in March 2011 Comprehensive voice services RFP released in May

2010 Interdepartmental RFP response evaluation team now

reviewing vendor proposals—final recommendation due in November

IT governance committee working on new rate model proposal—separates funding sources for core campus services (networking) from optional services (telephony services)

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Working with Network Vendors

Working with Network Vendors

Really? REALLY????• You want a complete network diagram of all nodes on

the campus network? Really??• You design a product that sends ARP requests for hosts

not on the local network? Really??• You build a switch with 10Gb ports, but the ASIC is

designed only to multiplex 1Gb flows? Really?!? • You say that a core router module is having problems

because of “vibrations”? REALLY?!?!?!• You add two new promised features, but introduce three

new bugs? REALLY?????????

“ There’s a word for people like that … No, I’m saying, there’s a word and I don’t know what it is. I’m not being poetic”

“Sometimes life leaves a hundred dollar bill on your dresser, and you don’t realize until later that it’s because it screwed you”

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Working with YouWorking with You

Great user support COMMUNITY!!!

• Knowledgeable, responsive and inquisitive

We love seeing NIT results in tickets

PLEASE send tickets (with IP/MAC address info) instead of phone calls

“Why would I want to check a voicemail on my phone? People want to talk to me, call again. If I want to talk to you, I’ll answer.”

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Thank you!Thank you!