Working in the network field is a fast paced and a ever changing environment. This is a story on how analog electrical impulses digitize themselves from electrical pulses to binary code. I understand how the basis of networking works. Going through many challenges from learning networking basics in college to the real world experiences of dealing with customers facing issues. My knowledge is considered the “Jack of all Trades”. Working with Cisco 1811 for remote offices to connect to a main centralized hub, using either slip/plip protocols to MPLS. Understanding the flow control and setting correct speeds on both ends. There are other instances when a company does not have a big IT budget, so VPN technologies using pix 501 or ASA 5505 are a good choice. Implantation that would work, would be to use the 6500 chassis for the ever expanding modules that is provided.
In a data centre this requires some forethought. One, how much space and two, the bandwidth required. Understanding how to implement both infrastructures makes me a great asset to your company.
Next, here is my understanding about Networking. Working with both open source technologies and Network vendors like Cisco are a good mix together. For instance with a massive network structure it requires a great organizational skill to understand what goes where. Rancid is a great tool to keep network and router configs organized. If there was ever an issue, that tool makes a nightmare into a simple click of a mouse or a console command. There are other tools to monitor a network like Cacti, nagios, or hp openview. These tools can give a visual and statistical management of a network and there are other functions they can perform to inform you in multiple ways that a device has failed.
A single point of failure can be disastrous and detrimental to the flow of business. To know that the extra equipment cost and implementation is in place is necessary to make sure you have a 99.9 % SLA.
Dealing with the trial and tribulations of customers must be an empathetic experience. It is very important to have a clear mind and a calm attitude, especially when the network has failed and their flow of business has stopped. Losing money due to your network being down makes anyone upset. Sometimes there are situations that are out of your control and having dealt with those experiences is important. It is hard to explain that a next business day warranty can disrupt the flow of business, but if money is not an issue then it can be up within two to four hours. This is the cost of business especially in dealing with hardware.
Understanding the proficiency of security is a complicated issue. In today’s world it is required. Most people are unable to grasp how important security truly is. Since nothing is totally secure there are ways to slow an attack. Being in this business and understanding a moral stance on safeguarding customers information is one of my qualities. Having the ability to trust but verify are steps that must be taken to succeed in this business.
