Cloud & Telecom Security

When I worked at CA as principal consultant,  I often present to customers on the value and benefits of a “end to end” application level network monitoring system. It helps IT guys build up the capability to pinpoint the the incidents and evaluate the business impact at the first glance. It helps the IT service providers show their service levels and KPIs and charge to their customers. It helps telco companies to enhance its product portfolio and expand its edge into customers’ premise…  However, in the real world, it has more meanings.

Typically, IT has different function groups or departments, e.g. enterprise applications(ERP, CRM, and etc.) development team, application operations team, and infrastructure IT team. They have different missions and services. When ever an incident or bad performance user compliant occurs, no team can confirm it’s not their ball to solve this. A virtual team or a SWAT team is always kicked-off for no matter small an incident and complaint. The root cause analysis and responsibility often become a very touch job.

End to end application level network monitoring system can help on this greatly. Particularly for infrastructure IT and application operations team. This kind of system can build up the baseline for each site, each key operations and sensitive time slots. Any departure might lead to easier analysis on the “root cause”, and as a result, the solution and resolvement could be quickened.

MPLS VPN services are one of the most important services of nowadays telecom broadband access and core networks. Generally speaking, it’s not difficult to provide a border to border service management for a MAN, or a core. but what the customers want to have is the end to end service management, that’s what they really experience.

The below diagram is from Concord, which was acquired by Computer Associates Int’l a few months ago. Their products, named eHealth and Spectrum, can help management heterogenous MPLS VPNs to provide a holistic view to the end user and the operators themselves.

运营商（也包括广电运营商和数据中心）总是不断地寻求新的技术手段以最大限度地挖掘网络潜力、提高每用户营收、提高单位带宽的营收、寻找新的利润增长 点、开发新的业务组合、降低客户流失。这些新的措施包括控制P2P业务流、对家庭和SOHO用户提供�级化（差异化）的服务以替代当前施行中的大包月资 费、 对商业客户提供服务质量保障（SLA）、提升自身在未来话音、视频和数据三重业务（Triple Play）市场的竞争力。

所以，对网络传送的IP分组数据除了保证其可达性、延时、安全性之外，对其有效的监视、分类和控制是运营商能够立足于3G/NGN年代的基础能力。

Security management is having a much wide meaning to those telecommunication carriers, bandwidth mangement, performance management, traffic shaping, identity and accounting…. I am fraid that you can not find out what’s not security related.