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Features in Network Infrastructure
for IT and Infrastructure
High-performance networking equipment including switches, routers, load balancers, and WAN optimizers ensuring reliable connectivity between offices, data centers, and external markets.
We ask vendors to mark their product against our feature list. It is not available for all products and in some cases we have derived data from publicly available sources. The list of features follows. Vendors can add a further 10 key features of their own.
Latency & Performance Optimization
Capabilities focused on minimizing delay and maximizing throughput for trading and brokerage networks.
- Jitter Control
- Tools and techniques to minimize variance in latency.
- Low Latency Switching/Routing
- Hardware or technologies designed for minimal delay in data transmission.
- Measurement Tools
- Built-in latency and throughput measurement and alarms.
- Packet Loss Mitigation
- Mechanisms to prevent or quickly recover from lost data.
- Throughput Capacity
- Maximum sustainable data flow before performance degrades.
- Time Synchronization
- Support for NTP or PTP to ensure accurate time-keeping.
- Traffic Prioritization
- Prioritizing mission-critical application flows.
Load Balancers
Devices that distribute incoming network or application traffic across multiple servers for improved redundancy and performance.
- API Integration
- Programmable controls for load balancing features.
- Application Load Balancing
- Balancing based on application-layer information (L7).
- DDoS Mitigation
- Capability to filter or absorb denial-of-service attacks.
- Global Server Load Balancing
- Balances traffic across geographically dispersed data centers.
- Health Monitoring
- Automatically checks backend server/service health.
- Management Interface
- GUI or API-based control for device management.
- Redundancy/High Availability
- Failover mechanism to avoid single point of failure.
- Rule-based Routing
- Supports custom load balancing rules.
- SSL Offloading
- Handles SSL/TLS encryption to reduce server workload.
- Session Persistence
- Ensures requests from a client are sent to the same server.
- Throughput
- Maximum data handled without performance loss.
Monitoring, Visibility, & Reporting
Features enabling real-time and historical insight into the health and performance of the brokerage network.
- APIs for Integration
- Feeds into third-party NMS/analytics tools.
- Automated Alert Escalation
- Escalates unresolved alerts to higher level support.
- Config Change Tracking
- Logs and alerts for any changes to the network configuration.
- Custom Dashboards
- Build and view network visualizations and status overviews.
- Historical Reporting
- Storage and analysis of past performance metrics.
- NetFlow/SFlow Export
- Supports flow-level traffic analysis.
- Real-time Alerts
- Immediate notification of issues or performance degradation.
- SNMP Support
- Simple Network Management Protocol for performance and configuration monitoring.
- Syslog Integration
- Central logging for troubleshooting and audits.
Network Security Features
Attributes supporting robust perimeter and internal protection of network assets.
- DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
- Prevents unauthorized transmission of sensitive data.
- Endpoint Security Support
- Protects client devices connected to the network.
- Firewall Integration
- Controls incoming and outgoing network traffic.
- Intrusion Detection/Prevention
- Monitors and blocks suspicious activity.
- Micro-segmentation
- Contains breaches by isolating segments of the network.
- Network Access Control (NAC)
- Restricts devices/users allowed on network.
- SIEM Integration
- Connects with security information and event management platforms.
- Security Patch Automation
- Automates critical updates to minimize vulnerabilities.
- VPN Support
- Encrypts connections for remote access.
- Zero Trust Architecture
- No implicit trust, every access is verified.
Redundancy & High Availability
Ensure continuous network operation in the event of hardware failure or link loss.
- Automatic Failover
- Instant switching to backup devices/links.
- Clustering
- Multiple devices in synchronized operation for seamless failover.
- Geographical Redundancy
- Duplication of infrastructure in separate locations.
- Hot Standby
- Backup systems operating in parallel for swift takeover.
- MTTR (Mean Time to Repair)
- Average time to recover from a failure.
- Power Redundancy
- Multiple power feeds and generators for uptime.
- Redundant Links
- Multiple physical paths for traffic in case of failure.
- VRRP/HSRP Support
- Virtual router redundancy protocols for gateway failover.
Routers
Devices that route data packets between different networks, supporting connectivity between offices, data centers, and external networks.
- Access Control Lists (ACL)
- Ability to selectively permit or deny network traffic.
- Dynamic Routing
- Supports automated path selection and rerouting.
- Failover Support
- Automatic rerouting in case of link or hardware failure.
- Firewall Features
- Built-in packet filtering and security controls.
- IPv6 Support
- Compliance with IPv6 addressing standards.
- Management Options
- Support for web, CLI, or SNMP management.
- Number of Interfaces
- How many incoming/outgoing connections supported.
- Redundant Power
- Hardware resilience via multiple power inputs.
- Routing Performance
- Maximum throughput the router can handle.
- Support for Routing Protocols
- Compatibility with OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, etc.
- VPN Capability
- Ability to establish secure virtual private networks.
- WAN Support
- Support for wide area network connections.
Scalability & Modularity
Characteristics supporting easy expansion and adaptation of the network to meet growing brokerage needs.
- Chassis Expansion
- Ability to add additional modules or switch blades.
- Cloud Integration
- Seamless hybrid or cloud-native working.
- Hot Swap Capabilities
- Component replacement without network downtime.
- Modular Hardware
- Support for adding/removing components like line cards and transceivers.
- Multi-Tenancy Support
- Enables logical separation for different business entities/users.
- Software-defined Networking (SDN) Support
- Compatibility with SDN controllers for flexible management.
- Upgradable Firmware
- Easy process to deploy new features/security fixes.
Switches
Devices that connect multiple devices on a local area network (LAN), ensuring efficient data packet forwarding within the internal network.
- Cooling Mechanisms
- Built-in fans or passive cooling to ensure optimal temperature.
- Latency
- The average time to forward packets through the switch.
- Layer 2/3 Support
- Whether the switch supports Layer 2 (data link) and Layer 3 (network) functionalities.
- MAC Address Table Size
- The number of MAC addresses the switch can store for forwarding decisions.
- PoE (Power over Ethernet)
- Support for supplying power to devices like IP phones and cameras via Ethernet cables.
- Port Density
- The number of ports per switch available to connect devices.
- Port Mirroring
- Ability to duplicate traffic from one port to another for monitoring or security.
- Quality of Service (QoS) Features
- Functions that prioritize network traffic for critical applications.
- Redundant Power Supplies
- Ability to support multiple power supplies for hardware resilience.
- Remote Management
- Enabled for centralized administration of switches.
- Stacking Capability
- Switches can be stacked for simplified management and scalability.
- Throughput
- The maximum data transfer rate supported by the switch.
- VLAN Support
- Support for Virtual LANs for network segmentation.
Vendor & Support Services
Criteria for evaluating supplier strength, reliability, and technical support services.
- 24/7 Technical Support
- Round-the-clock vendor support for network issues.
- Accessible Knowledge Base
- Comprehensive self-serve documentation/resources.
- Multi-language Support
- Support offerings in more than one language.
- Onsite Support Availability
- Engineer dispatch for hands-on troubleshooting.
- Replacement Hardware Lead Time
- Time until new or replacement hardware is delivered.
- SLA (Service Level Agreement) Guarantees
- Contractually specified uptime, repair times, etc.
- Software/License Management Portal
- Centralized hub for software entitlements, downloads, and keys.
- Training & Certification
- Availability of structured courses for IT/network staff.
WAN Optimizers
Devices that improve the efficiency of data flow across wide area networks, especially between data centers and remote offices.
- Automatic Failover
- Reroutes traffic in case an optimizer fails.
- Caching
- Stores frequently accessed data for faster retrieval.
- Cloud Optimization Capabilities
- Works seamlessly with public and private cloud solutions.
- Data Compression
- Compresses data to reduce WAN bandwidth usage.
- Deduplication
- Removes redundant data from transmissions.
- Encryption Support
- Secures data in transit.
- Integration with Monitoring Tools
- Provides data and alerts to network monitoring platforms.
- Latency Reduction
- Reduces time delays in WAN communication.
- Protocol Optimization
- Enhances performance for protocols like CIFS, HTTP, MAPI, etc.
- Traffic Shaping
- Prioritizes or limits traffic types.