Network World articles from July 2002

Network World archives from July 2002

Still no universal workflow.
July 1, 2002... Workflow technologies are everywhere, having been embedded in a range of development tools, network applications and Web services. Workflow standards are everywhere, too, but they never seem to jump the gap from hopeful press releases to broad...

Handheld network analyzers; Essential tools for your network first-aid kit.
July 1, 2002... hen your network is sick, you become the network doctor. One tool in your "little black bag" of diagnostic tools should be a handheld network analyzer. These devices can reveal cable faults, detect chattering network adapters, identify switch...

Cable Testing 101; Brush up on your cable-testing terminology with the following glossary:.
July 1, 2002... Cable tester A cable tester contains a Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) and perhaps additional test circuits. A TDR sends sonar-like pulses through the cable. The TDR detects the reflections, analyzes them and displays the result. A...

How we did it with nance review.(network diagnostic test equipment)
July 1, 2002... We focused on the ability of these products to help find and resolve network infrastructure problems, including cable faults. We judged each product's accuracy, range of tests, reporting capabilities, ease of use and documentation. Just as...

Making sure ROI is realized.(return on investment for IT projects)
July 1, 2002... Using return on investment analysis for IT projects is a waste of time unless you build a "structure of fulfillment" directly into the project plan. A structure of fulfillment is a way to ensure that the project's purported financial benefits...

'Net Buzz.(Vocera Communications System)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Hands-free communicator looks handy A big problem with a lot of wireless technology is that the practical applications all too often don't seem all that practical. Such is not the case with a start-up called Vocera and its Vocera...

Chasing rainbows.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... Regarding Janice Roberts' column "The network's vanishing edge" (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 9857): I would like to clarify that the edge of the network in the case of 802.11 is about 100 feet from the access point. The usual security patrol...

In 1976, the film industry filed a lawsuit to kill the VCR, amid hyperbolic claims that copying TV broadcasts would strangle the movie business.
July 1, 2002... In 1976, the film industry filed a lawsuit to kill the VCR, amid hyperbolic claims that copying TV broadcasts would strangle the movie business. Today, the industry makes a handsome profit from video releases. In 2001, the content industries...

Do software pirates deserve jail time.
July 1, 2002... In 1976, the film industry filed a lawsuit to kill the VCR, amid hyperbolic claims that copying TV broadcasts would strangle the movie business. Today, the industry makes a handsome profit from videotape releases. In 2001, the content...

Do software pirates deserve jail time?; Two industry leaders debate whether the punishment fits the crime.
July 1, 2002... Software piracy is big business. If there is no realistic threat of jail time, a software pirate will consider any civil remedies or criminal fines incurred as simply a cost of doing business. The possibility of serving time in prison,...

SAML promises Web services security.(Security Assertion Markup Language)
July 1, 2002... Security Assertion Markup Language 1.0 is a new proposed standard for interoperability among Web services security products. As corporations increasingly deploy access management solutions and other security products in Web services...

Pressure-cooker certification; Two IT executives detail how they got their staffs trained quickly.
July 1, 2002... Pressure-cooker certification Two IT executives detail how they got their staffs trained quickly. n By LINDA LEUNG When Stephen Tucker joined Toronto's Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in 1999 as manager of its systems and...

The last telecom cowboy.(Corruption in business)
July 1, 2002... Last week, we serenaded the telecom cowboys - Qwest's Joseph Nacchio, WorldCom's Bernie Ebbers and AT&T's C. Michael Armstrong - as they rode off into the sunset. But there is one cowboy left, and he might have an interesting trick up his...

Curl software builds 'rich clients'.(Curl Client/Web Platform)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - Curl last week unveiled a new version of its software for helping users build Web applications that behave like PC applications. The Curl Client/Web Platform is a set of software tools and a run-time environment that...

The final (for some) report.(Librarian of Congress decides Web radio royalty rates)
July 1, 2002... The librarian has spoken. Right on schedule, the Librarian of Congress decided what royalty rates Webcasters will have to pay to stream music out onto the Internet. The decision is bad news for many Internet radio stations and listeners, and...

Logging messages with SNMP.(Simple Network Management Protocol)
July 1, 2002... "Q: Why is SNMP like golf? A: Usually the fewer polls you take the better off you are, but you are sometimes lost in the woods and it helps to have a good set of tools in the bag and it helps to have good instructions and you need a few beers...

ICANN adopts reform blueprint.
July 1, 2002... The board of directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers voted 17-0 Friday to adopt a controversial plan for overhauling the nonprofit organization, which oversees the Internet's DNS. The reform blueprint outlines a...

A little help from a friend.(network security)(Column)
July 1, 2002... I still spend part of each day helping network managers - and users - in forums sponsored by both Microsoft and Novell as a way of providing free, peer-to-peer support. Fifteen years ago, when I didn't know the difference between Ethernet coax...

Enterprise Applications Briefs.(Eeye Digital Security introduces SecureIIS Application Firewall; Ximian pushes for open-source software)
July 1, 2002... Eeye Digital Security has announced the second version of its SecureIIS Application Firewall that's used to shield Microsoft Internet Information Servers from malicious hacker attacks. Eeye added enterprise-level central policy management in...

DNS risks lurk in corporate networks.
July 1, 2002... One out of every four of the top 1,000 companies in the U.S. has a security flaw in its network infrastructure that could cut off all of its global e-mail and Web-based traffic, according to a survey to be published this month. While the...

HP, partners join to install wireless LANs.
July 1, 2002... NEW YORK - Hewlett-Packard last week said it will provide hotels, airports and other venues with wireless Internet access for their own employees or the public. HP will walk interested organizations through the wireless LAN installation...

Metro spending to increase sixfold.(metropolitan area networks)
July 1, 2002... SAN JOSE - Spending on metropolitan-area network products and services in North America will increase more than fivefold during the next four years to replace aging copper infrastructure and its low-speed links, a research firm predicts. ...

Navigating the compensation quagmire; BUSINESS SOFTWARE: Managing money.(DirecTV employs Callidus Software's TrueComp sales management software)
July 1, 2002... DirecTV CIO Bob Pacek needed software that could automate his sales team commission payments, handle multiple complicated compensation payments, understand business rules and accept frequent changes to those rules. Plus, the software needed to...

Lotus adds antispam features to Domino 6.(spam filter added to server software)
July 1, 2002... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - Users looking to cut down on the annoying and costly problem of dealing with spam, take heart. Lotus last week said it would include server-side spam-filtering controls in Domino 6.0 when the collaboration server ships later...

Service providers vs. bandwidth providers.
July 1, 2002... In my last column, I discussed the difference between bandwidth providers and service providers: Bandwidth providers sell you circuits; service providers are in the business of meeting your needs for connectivity. What's the difference?...

ask dr. internet.(Brief Article)(Column)
July 1, 2002... We maintain a 30-user, Windows NT-based network at our company. On some of our Windows 95 and 98 machines, when users start our business software, the dial-up networking dialog comes up. The users have to hit cancel many times to get it reset....

Links to sue for.(Web site trademark/copyright statements)
July 1, 2002... Inline links "are explicitly prohibited by KPMG and may present trademark and copyright infringement issues." - KPMG's "Global Legal Disclaimer," www.kpmg.com/disclaimer.html. "If you operate a Web site and wish to link to this site,...

inf briefs.(IBM intros p630 server; HP ships Superdome server)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... n IBM last week improved its Unix server line with the release of a four-processor system that ships with many of the company's hardware and software features normally reserved for higher-end systems. IBM's p630 server is a smaller version of...

Cisco VPN service makes move to nets.
July 1, 2002... SAN JOSE - Cisco last week announced enhancements to its routing software designed to let service providers reap more revenue from their VPN services. Called Managed Shared Services, the upgrades are intended to let IP VPN services move...

Zambeel launches massive net-attached storage server.(Zambeel Aztera)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... FREMONT, CALIF. - Storage start-up Zambeel is announcing a massive, network-attached storage file server that lets users provision resources, applications and processing power by department or division within an enterprise-size business. ...

Verizon branches out with IP Centrex offer; Targeting Chicago will help fulfill competition requirements.
July 1, 2002... Verizon is launching an IP Centrex service in Chicago this week targeted at small businesses and branch offices seeking an alternative to PBX or Centrex offerings from other providers. The service, called Verizon Voice over Broadband, lets...

Digex to leverage link to WorldCom; New business continuity services rely on embattled majority owner's high-speed network.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... LAUREL, MD. - Managed hosting provider Digex is making a real push to capitalize on its WorldCom relationship, linking its data centers with WorldCom's high-speed network and introducing business continuity services designed to keep critical...

The Edge briefs.
July 1, 2002... n Juniper Networks recently announced that its G10 Cable Modem Termination System has received qualification from CableLabs for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification 1.1. Juniper obtained the G10 CMTS from its November 2001...

Cool Tools; Hands-on test of Nokia's 9290.(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Nokia's latest entry in the world of converged devices (cell phones with PDA-like functions) arrived on my desk recently. The Nokia 9290 Communicator has started shipping in the U.S., although a similar model, the 9210, has been in Europe for a...

Cisco raises maintenance fees; Users of company's older routers, switches hit hardest.
July 1, 2002... SAN JOSE - Users of some older Cisco gear will pay more for maintenance contracts as Cisco restructures its maintenance contract pricing this week. Increased costs of about 5% to 10% on Cisco SMARTnet and SMARTnet Onsite maintenance...

What price lost files?(Column)
July 1, 2002... dtSearch Desktop ensures your files will always be at your fingertips I hate to lose things. I don't lose things often, but when I do, everyone in the house covers their ears. I always believed Franz Schubert left his 8th Symphony...

Service provider briefs.
July 1, 2002... n AT&T is stepping up its wireless data offerings by rolling out services designed to give users access to corporate resources such as e-mail and Web-enabled applications from a range of wireless devices. AT&T last week announced the services...

NW Fusion makeover designed to boost research capabilities.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... SOUTHBOROUGH, MASS. - Network World Fusion (www.nwfusion.com), the award-winning Web edition of Network World, today relaunches with a new emphasis on key network topics. The Web site now features more than 60 index pages on specific...

Carriers unite to keep KPNQwest network alive.
July 1, 2002... Several telecom companies provided funds last week to keep a key part of bankrupt KPNQwest's network running until at least today. The carriers, which are all users of KPNQwest's 18-country fiber-optic network, have set up a foundation to...

Itanium 2 is ready ... but are buyers?(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... SANTA CLARA - Intel next week will release the second generation of its 64-bit Itanium processor, a device that will let Intel-based boxes rival the performance of RISC-based servers, some experts say. Hewlett-Packard, which invented...

Help Desk.(NetWare tips)
July 1, 2002... I have a NetWare 4.11 server at my office that I have been trying to access remotely without success. It has temporarily been placed outside the firewall to eliminate that as being a problem. I have verified that I have correctly installed and...

Retail IT executives talk shop; Supply-chain gains require collaboration with partners, senior management buy-in, IT execs say.(Retail Systems 2002/VICS Collaborative Commerce conference)
July 1, 2002... CHICAGO - Retailers need to make a more sincere effort to collaborate with their suppliers if they are to realize significant supply-chain improvements, IT executives at a retail technology conference said last week. Technologically that...

Microsoft needs help for security plan to fly.(Microsoft Palladium systems software)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Microsoft's latest plan to secure desktop systems is complex and will require coordination with hardware and software manufacturers across the industry. If successful, PCs will come with certificates stored in hardware that will control...

HP bolsters service mgmt. position.(OpenView marketing strategy)
July 1, 2002... SEATTLE - Automating the process of tracking application operations and IT services across networks could be the key to helping customers improve performance while still controlling costs, and Hewlett-Packard has just the platform for the job:...

IBM revives directory focus by acquiring Norwegian firm.(to acquire MetaMerge and its metadirectory)
July 1, 2002... Network executives looking to create user management systems to support Web services got a shot in the arm last week from IBM. The company spent an undisclosed amount to acquire MetaMerge and its metadirectory, which is used to integrate...

Security pros being rewarded.
July 1, 2002... Although these are hard times for many in the IT industry, the status of information security professionals is on the rise - at least based on how much they're getting paid. A survey conducted by market researchers Foote Partners of 29,600...

Turning telework on its ear.(TeleWorks from Telework Software)(Product Announcement)
July 1, 2002... Telework Software debuts a unique and powerful remote work tool The aptly named Telework Software company recently finished beta testing its debut product TeleWorks, which lets you perform administrative and knowledge work from any home PC....

WorldCom users weighing options; Accounting scandal fans fears about viability, service levels.
July 1, 2002... WorldCom's $3.8 billion accounting shocker left customers reeling last week, worrying about what the resultant layoffs will mean to service levels and questioning the carrier's long-term viability. National Semiconductor, which has relied...

Test reveals IDS strengths, weaknesses.(intrusion detection systems)
July 1, 2002... CAMBRIDGESHIRE, ENGLAND - After pounding on six intrusion-detection systems, a network equipment test lab in England has concluded that while IDS products spot their fair share of hacker or denial-of-service attacks, there is still room for...

'Net access denied; Web shut down cripples Department of the Interior.
July 8, 2002... 'Net access denied Web shutdown cripples Department of the Interior. n ByJOHN FONTANA It was early November last year when Mike Miller, the chief of financial management for the Minerals Management Service bureau within the U.S....

Govt. portal effort a lesson in data integration.(Recreation OneStop initiative)
July 8, 2002... Gov't. portal effort a lesson in data integration What do the river rapids of Colorado's Gunnison Gorge, hiking trails in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest and wildlife viewing areas in Arizona's Coronado National Memorial have in...

Telecom titan; Reinventing FTS 2001, the mega-telecom contract.
July 8, 2002... The federal government is entering a new era for telecommunications services as it embraces competitive market dynamics and a mission focused on security and reliability. This shift is evident in changes to FTS 2001, the government's primary...

Pennsylvania agencies standardize on 800MHz.
July 8, 2002... For the past five years, Pennsylvania has been upgrading the communications systems state agencies use, with the goal of making the systems interoperable. On Sept. 11, after a plane crashed into a field southeast of Pittsburgh, it became...

Getting plugged in to E-Government; Ambitious program comprises two dozen projects, including e-Authentication effort focused on establishing online trust relationships.
July 8, 2002... Apply for Social Security benefits, reserve campground space at a national park or comment on pending legislation - all from the comfort of your Internet-connected home computer. That's the scenario envisioned by the U.S. government under...

PKI particulars.(e-government services)
July 8, 2002... The concept of a single security gateway for authenticating users of e-government services might seem straightforward, but the reality of assembling such a beast can be pretty complex. Here are a few issues the e-Authentication project teams...

Homeland defense looks to wireless; Challenge is getting communications systems to speak the same language.
July 8, 2002... Moments after American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, emergency workers from around Arlington, Va., were on the scene. Thanks to a mutual aid agreement, fire, police and emergency medical personnel, the so-called first...

Orange Book.(National Security Agency 's security evaluation guidelines)
July 8, 2002... Before the arrival of Common Criteria, the Department of Defense and National Security Agency demanded products conform to the "Orange Book" criteria, so-called because the security evaluation guidelines had an orange cover. Dozens of...

System security finds common ground; Beginning this month, all new national security systems must pass Common Criteria testing.
July 8, 2002... Don't bother dusting off that little-used Orange Book before dumping it in the trash. The federal government's new Common Criteria manual for computer security evaluation just arrived, and this time it has global backing so it just might work....

Whom can you trust?(Column)
July 8, 2002... This has been a year of escalating scandals and never-ending revelations regarding the shady bookkeeping of major corporations and conflicts of interest among accounting firms and equity analysts. Many of these allegations have been directed at...

DISA targets network flexibility; An hour with Anthony Montemarano.(Defense Information Systems Network director)(Interview)
July 8, 2002... The Defense Information Systems Network - the Defense Department's primary transport mechanism for voice, data and video - is one of the world's largest and most complex networks, with a budget of $750 million per year for terrestrial service....

Layer 2 VPNs allow scalable meshing.(virtual private networks)
July 8, 2002... When it comes to VPNs, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, if service providers can provision multiple VPN applications from a common network platform, the operational efficiencies and cost savings gained will yield a wider variety...

Test wishes.
July 8, 2002... Regarding "Searching for the QoS Holy Grail" (www.nwfusion.com, DocFinder: 1122): The abilities of the equipment under test were not quantified by using a quality-of-service test device. Also, I would have liked to see a description of the...

Ten predictions for the decade.
July 8, 2002... The 1990s were the go-go boom years in high tech; the current decade will be a time of real soul searching. Here are 10 predictions for the decade - some bold, some that should seem obvious but are not. l The death of the operating system....

fusion letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 8, 2002... Privacy Apocalypse Thanks to Mark Gibbs for writing about the "Privacy Apocalypse". I wish I thought it were an overstatement. It is clear that if the Xerox machine were proposed today, there would be a strong lobby to criminalize it. ...

net buzz.(Letter to the Editor)
July 8, 2002... Readers get their turn at bat Time for another round of reader e-mail . . . and I swear not a blessed one of them will be about that Hewlett-Packard television commercial. An item in which Buzz bellyached about the likely costs...

I had to uninstall a network card, and when I uninstalled the software for it I made the fatal mistake of answering "Yes" to the message about apparent unneeded shared file deletion.(Tutorial)
July 8, 2002... I had to uninstall a network card, and when I uninstalled the software for it I made the fatal mistake of answering "Yes" to the message about apparent unneeded shared file deletion. Ever since then, I cannot get my company-required VPN to...

The SNMP show.(Simple Network Management Protocol)(Column)
July 8, 2002... Welcome back to the SNMP show! Yes, we're your host, Gearhead, and we'd like to start off this week with (roll on the drums please, maestro) SNMP message structure! Take it awaaaayyyy . . . Thank you us, thank you very much. We'd like to...

Words matter.(techniques for good writing)
July 8, 2002... A contemporary version of the existential credo "I think, therefore I am" must be "I run spell check, therefore I write." For, all too often, passing a spell check is the best that can be said of some technical writing. With technology...

Survey says government is vulnerable.(government Internet use opens security problems)
July 8, 2002... While the Internet plays a prominent role in the federal government's plans to streamline operations (see in our stories beginning on page 36), current e-government programs are not adequately secured. So said 32% of 395 IT pros questioned...

The technology is irrelevant.(corporate corruption affects the IT market)(Column)
July 8, 2002... It has long been a truism that the quality of technology too often has little to do with marketplace success. VHS vs. Betamax is the most commonly cited example. But now we are seeing an old factor - greed - starting to have a bigger impact on...

Cisco addresses storage aggregation; Company unveils metropolitan DWDM system for SAN applications.(Cisco ONS 15530 multiplexer)(Product Announcement)
July 8, 2002... n BY JIM DUFFY SAN JOSE - Cisco recently unveiled a metropolitan-area network platform that lets users aggregate up to 40 data connections over a single wavelength. The system, called the ONS 15530, is a dense wavelength division...

Kagoor gear manages VoIP traffic.(Kagoor Networks' new voice-over IP equipment)(Product Announcement)
July 8, 2002... n BY JIM DUFFY SAN MATEO, CALIF. - Kagoor Networks last week announced several new and enhanced voice-over-IP traffic-management products and applications aimed at facilitating enterprise-to-carrier VoIP networking. The new offerings...

SLAM DUNK AIMS TO ASSURE E-DELIVERY.(Slam Dunk Networks e-trading service guarantees safe data delivery)
July 8, 2002... REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. - Sometimes online transactions just have to get there - absolutely, positively guaranteed - and that's what Slam Dunk Networks promises. The electronic-trading service provider blends Internet access with its own...

Sigaba expands e-mail encryption into wireless LANs.(Sigaba security software)(Product Announcement)
July 8, 2002... SAN MATEO, CALIF. - Sigaba this week will announce two e-mail security products that will let users encrypt messages sent via BlackBerry devices over wireless LANs. The first product, Sigaba Secure Messaging for BlackBerry, is a...

What's in your wiring closet?; New switches spark debate over using advanced technologies to the desktop.
July 8, 2002... A recent spate of Layer 3 and Layer 4 switch announcements would seem to suggest that the technology is moving from the enterprise backbones to desktop connections, with the promise of better application performance and reliability at the LAN...

Web service provides relief for healthcare firm.(Providence Health System service provides secure access to patient medical records)
July 8, 2002... The cutting edge in the healthcare industry is typically reserved for the operating room, not the IT department, but Erik Sargent is doctoring that thinking. The Web applications architect for Providence Health System, a collection of...

net briefs.
July 8, 2002... n D-Link last week announced a small office/home office Cable/DSL Router for $50 - priced about $20 less than competitors' products. The Express EtherNetworkTM Cable/DSL Router packs a four-port 10/100 autonegotiating switch, and features...

Cool Tools; MicronPC and HP show off new PCs.(Product Announcement)
July 8, 2002... MicronPC launches new notebook MicronPC is announcing today its new T1000 notebook, which adds unique features to the world of notebooks, especially in the security area. Embedded into the T1000 is a biometric fingerprint scanner that...

IBM serves Linux mainframes by the slice.(Linux Virtual Services)
July 8, 2002... ARMONK, N.Y. - IBM is stepping up its push to provide e-business services on demand and has introduced an offering that gives customers access to computing resources on a pay-as-you-go basis. Linux Virtual Services, introduced last week,...

car briefs.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2002... n A recent IDC survey found that only 5% of respondents plan to increase their purchase of hosting services. That likely means future service provider spending will be focused on new services such as managed storage or application management,...

Out of sight, out of mind; Four companies share the tools and strategies they use to secure home offices.(Axcelerant)
July 8, 2002... Axcelerant's CTO Jeff Christy likes to say, "We treat ourselves like customers." While the managed VPN services provider counts 35 Fortune 1000 companies as customers, it also provides remote access to its 70-plus employees. As such, Axcelerant...

News briefs.
July 8, 2002... The CERT Coordination Center last week warned of another flaw in the software that supports the Internet's DNS and said systems connected to the Internet could be at risk. According to CERT, the Berkeley Internet Name Domain and the Berkeley...

Those using beleaguered carriers need to prepare.
July 8, 2002... Customers who are contemplating signing with a carrier in financial distress should assess the problems that may arise in the event that distress worsens, especially if intending to rely on that carrier for primary coverage for critical...

Infrastructure briefs.
July 8, 2002... Asante recently released the InterCore 3548, a 48-port Ethernet switch with up to four copper and/or fiber Gigabit uplinks, aimed at enterprise wiring closets. The box features 48 ports of 10/100M bit/sec Ethernet, two fixed 1000Base-T copper...