Chapter 10.

Network Optimization

This chapter covers the following official Network+

objectives:
Identify the basic elements of unified communication
technologies.
Explain the importance of implementing network
segmentation.
This chapter covers CompTIA Network+ objectives 1.10 and 2.4.
For more information on the official Network+ exam topics, see
the “About the Network+ Exam” section in the Introduction.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGIES
Identify the basic elements of unified communication
technologies.
CramSaver
If you can correctly answer these questions before going through this
section, save time by skimming the Exam Alerts in this section and then
completing the Cram Quiz at the end of the section.
1. What are the two categories of QoS that applications generally can be
broken into?
2. What protocol is the Internet-standard for the transport of real-time
data, including audio and video?
3. What is publishing your current communication status in real time
informing others that you are willing to communicate known as?

Answers
1. Applications generally can be broken into either latency sensitive or
latency insensitive.
2. RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) is the Internet-standard protocol
for the transport of real-time data, including audio and video.
3. Presence means publishing your current communication status in real
time.
Today’s networks are all about unified communications,
networking in real time, and speed. Network users expect data
and application delivery quickly. Networks are saturated and
congested with traffic, making it necessary to have strategies to
ensure that you use bandwidth in the best possible way. These
strategies are collectively referred to as quality of service (QoS),
and that is the first topic this chapter focuses on.

Quality of Service
Quality of Service (QoS) describes the strategies used to manage
and increase the flow of network traffic. QoS features enable
administrators to predict bandwidth use, monitor that use, and
control it to ensure that bandwidth is available to the
applications that need it. These applications generally can be
broken into two categories:
Latency sensitive: These applications need bandwidth for
quick delivery where network lag time impacts their
effectiveness. This includes voice and video transfer. For
example, Voice over IP (VoIP) would be difficult to use if there
were a significant lag time in the conversation.
Latency insensitive: Controlling bandwidth also involves
managing latency-insensitive applications. This includes bulk
data transfers such as huge backup procedures and File Transfer
Protocol (FTP) transfers.
With bandwidth limited, and networks becoming increasingly
congested, it becomes more difficult to deliver latency-sensitive
traffic. If network traffic continues to increase and you cannot
always increase bandwidth, the choice is to prioritize traffic to
ensure timely delivery. This is where QoS comes into play. QoS
ensures the delivery of applications, such as videoconferencing
(and related video applications), VoIP telephony, and unified
communications without adversely affecting network throughput.
QoS achieves more efficient use of network resources by
differentiating between latency-insensitive traffic such as fax
data and latency-sensitive streaming media.
Two important components of QoS are DSCP and
CoS. Differentiated services code point (DSCP) is an architecture
that specifies a simple and coarse-grained mechanism for
classifying and managing network traffic and providing QoS on
modern networks. Class of service (CoS) is a parameter that is
used in data and voice to differentiate the types of payloads
being transmitted.
One important strategy for QoS is priority queuing. Essentially
what happens is that traffic is placed in order based on its
importance on delivery time. All data is given access, but the
more important and latency-sensitive data is given higher
priority.
ExamAlert
Be sure that you understand QoS and the methods used to
ensure QoS on networks. Know that it is used with high-
bandwidth applications such as VoIP, video applications, and
unified communications.

Traffic Shaping
Traffic shaping is a QoS strategy designed to enforce
prioritization policies on the transmission of data throughout the
network. It is intended to reduce latency by controlling the
amount of data that flows into and out of the network. Traffic is
categorized, queued, and directed according to network policies.

Methods Used for Traffic Shaping

You can shape and limit network traffic using several different
strategies. Which one you choose depends on the network’s
needs and the amount of traffic. Following are some common
traffic-shaping methods:
Shaping by application: Administrators can configure a
traffic shaper by categorizing specific types of network traffic
and assigning that category a bandwidth limit.
Shaping network traffic per user: Every network has users
who use more bandwidth than others. Traffic shapers allow
administrators to delegate a certain bandwidth to a user.
Priority shaping: In addition to setting hard or burstable
traffic limits on a per-application or per-user basis, traffic
shaping devices can also be used to define the relative
importance, or priority, of different types of traffic.
Caution
Remember that traffic shaping involves delaying the flow of data traffic
that is designated as less important compared to other traffic streams.

VoIP
When telephone technology is married with information
technology, the result is called telephony. There has been a
massive move from land lines to Voice over IP (VoIP) for
companies to save money. One of the biggest issues with the
administration of this is security. By having both data and VoIP
on the same line, they are both vulnerable in the case of an
attack. Standard telephone systems should be replaced with a
securable PBX.
ExamAlert
Be sure that you know that by having both data and VoIP on the
same line, they are both vulnerable in the case of an attack.

Video
There is a trend toward using more video these days than ever
before. Video presents issues with the size of the files (massive
storage space) and the need to stream (bandwidth hog). When
planning a network, be sure to consider compression options for
video files and look for workable solutions where possible.

Real-Time Services
Real-time services are associated with such things as streaming
and require the ability to handle the load at the moment. This
usually taxes resources such as bandwidth and processing. As a
catchall, real time has also been associated with other nouns,
such as real-time web, meaning you are seeing what is there as
soon as it appears, and real-time information, which typically
applies to SMS and instant messaging.
Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) is the Internet-standard
protocol for the transport of real-time data, including audio and
video. Its companion, Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), is a
protocol used for establishing and maintaining communications
with a media server.
ExamAlert
For the exam, know both RTP and RTSP.
Variables associated with real-time services are presence and
multicast/unicast. Presence simply means being connected to the
medium in question and being able to respond to the real-time
data. (Think of it as a status indicator such as an instant
messaging graphic symbol, conveying ability and willingness of
potential communication to a partner.) Multicast messages are
those sent to more than one (think of reply all in email),
whereas unicast are those directed to one.
ExamAlert
Presence means publishing your current communication status.
Multicast is a one-to-many (or many-to-one) transmission
method. Unicast is a one-to-one transmission method. These
methods are commonly used with real-time services such as
instant messaging and audio or video streaming.

Unified Communication Devices

Unified communications (UC) includes the integration of real-
time services such as presence, instant messaging, VoIP, and
audio/videoconferencing with non-real-time communication
services such as email or voicemail. To make unified
communication a reality, it is necessary to have the
infrastructure that supports it. There are three piece of
equipment, in particular, that are commonly present: servers,
devices, and gateways:
UC servers: In both Windows and the UNIX/Linux
environment, UC servers are typically software-based
applications that run real-time services allowing for instant
messaging, VoIP, and other services. Some of the most common
are Microsoft Lync Server (formerly Office Communications
Server), Skype for Business, and Cisco’s Unified Communications
Manager.
UC devices: Accompanying the servers are client applications
that make the communication possible. Microsoft Lync, for
example, includes a client for IM, presence, video calls, desktop
sharing, voice, and so on.
 UC gateways: Gateways make it possible to expand
communication possibilities. Lync Server, for example, includes
gateways for Extensible Messaging and Presence
Protocol (XMPP), thus making it possible for clients to
communicate with XMPP servers.
ExamAlert
For the Network+ exam, know that three pieces of equipment
make unified communications a reality: servers, devices, and
gateways.
Together these elements, servers and devices and gateways,
make it possible for unified communications to take place.

CRAM QUIZ
1. Which of the following terms means being connected to the
medium and able to respond to the real-time data?
A. Existence
B. Incidence
C. Rate
D. Presence
2. Which of the following would most likely use latency-sensitive
QoS?
A. FTP
B. DNS
C. SNMP
D. VoIP
3. Which of the following is a real-time one-to-many or many-to-
one communication transmission method?
A. Unicast
B. Multicast
C. UnifiedCast
D. RTSP

Cram Quiz Answers

1. D. Presence means being connected to the medium and able
to respond to the real time data.
2. D. Latency-sensitive applications include those for voice and
video transfer. For example, Voice over IP (VoIP) would be
difficult to use if there were a significant lag time in the
conversation.
3. B. Multicast is a one-to-many (or many-to-one) transmission
method. Unicast is a one-to-one transmission method.

NETWORK SEGMENTATION
Explain the importance of implementing network
segmentation.
CramSaver
If you can correctly answer these questions before going through this
section, save time by skimming the Exam Alerts in this section and then
completing the Cram Quiz at the end of the section.
1. What is a system operating with coded signals to remotely control a
device or equipment?
2. True or False: ASIC is an integrated circuit designed for a particular
use instead of for general-purpose uses.
3. True or False: A single system used to attract and capture data that
can be used to identify an attacker or attack pattern is called a honeynet.

Answers
1. SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is a system
operating with coded signals to remotely control a device or equipment.
2. True. Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) is an integrated
circuit designed for a particular use instead of for general-purpose uses.
3. False. A honeypot is a single system used to attract and capture data
that can be used to identify an attacker or attack pattern. A honeynet is
essentially a group of networked honeypots with similar purpose.
There is a surprising thing to note about this CompTIA objective:
The title of it includes network segmentation, but the topics that
are beneath it have next to nothing to do with it. Segmentation is
very important for it allows you to divide a network into
subcomponent that can be isolated for reasons of security, load
balancing, and so on. The topics that are discussed in the
following sections are equally important but (with the exception
of load balancing) are not really all that related to segmentation.
Nevertheless, you do need to know them for the certification
exam and the following sections walk through each of the topics.

SCADA Systems
A supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system
operates with coded signals to remotely control a device or
equipment. These are often used in industrial environments to
control equipment and machines, and SCADA is a subset
of industrial control systems (ICS). Heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC) equipment is often controlled via SCADA, as
are power generators, wind farms, and the like.
Some related terminology and concepts to know include the
following:
ExamAlert
For the exam, know the terms in the list that follows.
ASIC: An application-specific integrated circuit is an
integrated circuit designed for a particular use instead of for
general-purpose uses.
ITS: An intelligent transportation system is a traffic
management system intended for use in creating smart
transportation networks.
WMS: A warehouse management system is a software module
that is used to provide management tools for warehouse
operations.

Legacy Systems
Not every network can be created from scratch each and every
time you need to make a change. Therefore, one of the most
important parts of network design and administration is making
sure that whatever you add or change on a network continues to
work with the legacy systems that you are wed to. Also, in some
cases, it can be next to impossible to keep legacy systems
updated and patched because they are no longer supported by
the manufacturer or the application or operating system vendor.
In these cases, it might be necessary for security reasons to keep
these systems separated from the primary production network or
environment. You can do so through the use of network
segmentation (for example, using VLANs or through the use of
virtual machines to support legacy operating systems or
applications).

Separate Private/Public Networks

One of the main reasons for segmenting a network is keep
private and public networks separate. An internal network
(intranet) can be easier to secure and manage than one that is
connected to the rest of the world (Internet). Between these two
extremes exists a private network (extranet) to which you invite
suppliers and vendors to join as well.
ExamAlert
In terms of scale, remember the order to be intranet, extranet,
Internet.
Many years ago, CompTIA offered a certification known as e-
Biz+, which it has since discontinued. It included topics such as
intranets, extranets, and the Internet. Now, for Network+, you
need only know of the distinction between them, other topics
discussed elsewhere in this book, and that an autonomous
system (AS) is a collection of connected IP routing prefixes under
the control of a network administrator or entity that offers a
common and defined routing policy to the Internet.

Honeypots and Honeynets

A honeypot is a computer that has been designated as a target
for computer attacks. The best way to visualize a honeypot is to
think of Winnie the Pooh and the multiple times the character
has become stuck while trying to get the honey out of the jugs in
which it is stored. By getting stuck, he has incapacitated himself
and become an easy target for anyone trying to find him.
Caution
Some security experts use the term tar pit in place of honeypot. The two
terms are interchangeable.
The purpose of a honeypot is to allow itself to succumb to an
attack. During the process of “dying,” the system can be used to
gain information about how the attack developed and what
methods were used to institute the attack. The benefit of a
honeypot system is that it draws attackers away from a higher-
value system or allows administrators to gain intelligence about
an attack strategy.
Honeypots are not normally secured or locked down. If they
come straight out of the box with an operating system and
applications software, they may be configured as is. Elaborate
honeypot systems can contain information and software that
might entice an attacker to probe deeper and take over the
system. If not configured properly, a honeypot system can be
used to launch attacks against other systems. There are several
initiatives in the area of honeypot technology. One of the more
interesting involves the Honeynet Project, which created a
synthetic network that can be run on a single computer system
and is attached to a network using a normal network interface
card (NIC). The system looks like an entire corporate network,
complete with applications and data, all of which are fake. As
part of the Honeynet Project, the network was routinely scanned,
worms were inserted, and attempts were made to contact other
systems to infest them—all over the course of a 3-day period. At
the end of day three, no fewer than three worms had infected the
system. This infestation happened without any advertising by the
Honeynet Project.
ExamAlert
A honeypot is a single system used to attract and capture data
that can be used to identify an attacker or attack pattern.
A honeynet is essentially a group of networked honeypots with
similar purpose.

Testing Lab
The value of a testing lab can never be overstated. Be sure to
test updates on test systems before you implement them on
production systems. Make sure that all test systems are isolated
from your production network either by a router or by some
other mechanism.

Load Balancing
Network servers are the workhorses of the network. They are
relied on to hold and distribute data, maintain backups, secure
network communications, and more. The load of servers is often
a lot for a single server to maintain. This is where load balancing
comes into play. Load balancing is a technique in which the
workload is distributed among several servers. This feature can
take networks to the next level; it increases network
performance, reliability, and availability.
ExamAlert
Remember that load balancing increases redundancy and
therefore data availability. Also, load balancing increases
performance by distributing the workload.
A load balancer can be either a hardware device or software
specially configured to balance the load.
Note
Multilayer switches and Domain Name System (DNS) servers can also
serve as load balancers.
Sometimes the best way to balance the load is to turn to others
for assistance. Just as vendors can offer virtual PBX services,
they can also offer an entire network, freeing the company from
the need for true administration. Known as network as a
service (NaaS), this stops the company from needing to worry
about bandwidth, connectivity, scalability, and all the issues
normally associated with networking.
NaaS is similar to the software as a service (SaaS) cloud
computing model in that it is provided on demand in a pay-as-
you-go model. Many of the telecom providers currently offer this
service, and Cisco is supporting the OpenStack open source
project (originally started by Rackspace Hosting and NASA) to
support virtual public and private clouds. You can find more
information on OpenStack at [Link]
Note
Know that OpenStack is an open source NaaS implementation.

Performance Optimization
There are two topics to focus on when it comes to optimizing
performance: caching data and segmenting networks. In the
discussion that follows, we take a look at each of them.

Caching
Caching is an important consideration when optimizing network
traffic. For example, as discussed in Chapter 4, “Components and
Devices,” proxy servers use caching to limit the number of client
requests that go to the Internet. Requests are filled from the
proxy server’s cache rather than increasing traffic outside the
network. Recall from Chapter 4 that when a caching proxy server
has answered a request for a web page, the server makes a copy
of all or part of that page in its cache. Then, when the page is
requested again, the proxy server answers the request from the
cache rather than going back out to the Internet. For example, if
a client on a network requests the web page [Link],
the proxy server can cache the contents of that web page. When
a second client computer on the network attempts to access the
same site, that client can grab it from the proxy server cache;
accessing the Internet is not necessary. This greatly reduces the
network traffic that has to be filtered to the Internet, a
significant gain in terms of network optimization.
When it comes to determining what to cache, an administrator
can establish many rules:
What websites to cache
How long the information is cached
When cached information is updated
The size of cached information
What type of content is cached
Who can access the cache
The rules for caching vary from network to network, depending
on the network’s needs. In networks where a large number of
people access similar websites, caching can greatly increase
network performance. The advantages of properly configured
caching are clear: reduced bandwidth and latency and increased
throughput. One possible disadvantage of caching is receiving
out-of-date files because you obtain content from the caching
engine and not the website itself.
ExamAlert
Caching improves network performance by locally caching
content, thereby limiting surges in traffic.

Segmenting the Network

By dividing one network into smaller subnetworks, it is possible
to optimize it in a number of ways. The segmentation is
accomplished with switches and VLANs and the separation can
be done to isolate such things as heavy load systems, or certain
protocols. By moving those to their own subnetwork, the result
should be performance increases for other parts of the network.
Note
Popular today is using virtual machines (VMs) to segment or separate
systems (software) from the main OS (host versus guest) and the rest of
the network through virtual switches.

Security
Security is the topic of the next chapter, but as it relates to
segmentation, the smaller that it is that you are trying to secure,
the easier it is to secure. Consider this analogy: Suppose that you
are in charge of providing physical security for a 10×10 server
room. This would be a fairly easy task; you could just put a lock
on the door and a guard outside it. Now suppose that you are in
charge of providing security for a server farm the size of two
football fields. This would be a lot more difficult because there
are many more areas where someone could gain access.
One solution is to divide the two football field space into 10×10
units and treat each one separately (a lock on each door and a
guard outside each). Suddenly, it is possible to provide the same
level of security just by treating each space separately.
Segmenting the network—physically, topologically, virtually, and
so on—enables you to increase security in the same way.

Compliance
One reason for needing to segment a network is to minimize data
breaches. The Payment Card Industry Data Security
Standard (PCI DSS), which is designed to protect credit card
information, calls for segmentation to reduce the amount of
sensitive data that can be obtained to a defined network scope.
By limiting credit card data (entry, residence, and exit) to a
specified scope, you can better control the perimeter.
This is accomplished by using firewalls at every boundary and
relying on intrusion detection. An added benefit is that it reduces
audit costs and simplifies maintenance. For PCI compliance, you
have to be able to monitor the secured environment for “threats,
misconfiguration, and internal espionage.”

CRAM QUIZ
1. Caching improves network performance by caching content
where?
A. Locally
B. On a remote server
C. In archives
D. Caching does not improve network performance.
2. A honeypot is used to attract and capture data that can be
used to identify an attacker or attack pattern. Which of the
following is essentially a group of network honeypots with similar
purpose?
A. Hornet nest
B. Black hole
C. Honeynet
D. Beehive
3. When a vendor offers to provide all networking for a client—
freeing the company from needing to worry about bandwidth,
connectivity, scalability, and all the issues normally associated
with networking—what is it known as?
A. SaaS
B. NaaS
C. SAN
D. NAS
Cram Quiz Answers
1. A. Caching improves network performance by locally caching
content, thereby limiting surges in traffic.
2. C. A honeypot is used to attract and capture data that can be
used to identify an attacker or attack pattern. A honeynet is
essentially a group of network honeypots with similar purpose.
3. B. Known as network as a service (NaaS), this alleviates the
company’s concerns about bandwidth, connectivity, scalability,
and all the issues normally associated with networking.

WHAT’S NEXT?
The primary goals of today’s network administrators are to
design, implement, and maintain secure networks. This is not
always easy, and is the topic of Chapter 11, “Network Security.”
No network can ever be labeled “secure.” Security is an ongoing
process involving a myriad of protocols, procedures, and
practices.