We certainly didn't make things easy for the vendors in this SEM test. By the time we were finished, our test infrastructure had been replaced, our test equipment was showing signs of failure, and our client devices were calling in sick -- the ones that would communicate at all.
Fortunately, we had resources to request emergency shipments of new network infrastructure (thank you, Extreme Networks), and we quickly replaced the old switches that went toes up with Extreme Summit 400-48 boxes.
Because all of the vendors had set up their products for the network we'd planned -- rather than the network we ended up with -- we got to see how each of them could incorporate new items into a network. We specified some unusual items, such as a firewall none of them had seen (the Ingate 1400 SIP-capable firewall), so we also got to watch them figure out how to go from raw logs to operation.
And just when we seemed to have things on track, our previously rock-solid Spirent WebAvalanche started having heat problems. This may have been due to a few too many round-trips between Oliver Rist's lab in New York and the Advanced Network Computing Laboratory at the University of Hawaii. In retrospect, maybe we should have bought a hardened shipping case for it after all.
Still, we were able to get our simulated enterprise up and running, even if it was somewhat different from what we'd originally planned. For every test, we loaded the required agent software on the requisite operating system using a ClearCube blade system, with blades running Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Suse and Debian Linux. We also created standard images of each machine so we could be sure we were starting from the same base configuration. All of this was monitored by the open source Snort listening through a Gigamon Systems multiplexed network tap.
When we were satisfied that everything was working, we ran a series of standard test scripts to generate events for the SEMs. Because the University of Hawaii seems to be a favorite target for China-based hackers, we also had a constant level of real intrusion attempts for the Snort IDS to deal with.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts
This white paper provides guidance on how to develop a strategic approach to managing and monitoring logs, a key function required for compliance with many regulatory mandates and a critical defense against security threats.
Download now! »
Learn about the processes and technologies that support security information management (SIM) operations, as well as the business case for SIM. The series examines different options for implementing SIM and gives you evaluation criteria for selecting the best option for your organization.
Download now! »
Learn the strategies, actions, and capabilities that Best-in-Class organizations employ and technologies they choose to obtain superior performance against various security performance metrics. This report provides guidelines for identifying which security solutions to consume as a MSS and defines best practices for choosing and managing MSSPs.
Download now! »
Recommend This
