Evaluating an IT network is an important but often ignored task that can provide insights into how well the network supports a company's objectives. A thorough evaluation should not just rely on user feedback, but also examine specific criteria like data backup and recovery plans, security implementations, connectivity, infrastructure health, and whether the network enables or hinders business goals. Regular network evaluations are necessary to ensure a company's network continues to drive business achievements rather than struggle to keep up with demands.

1. A GUIDE TO EVALUATING
YOUR IT NETWORK
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Evaluating an IT network can be a daunting task that many companies would simply prefer to
ignore due to its complexity, and possibly because they dread what such an assessment might
turn up. In today’s competitive business world however, this is an area that just has to be done, in
order to determine if the business is being adequately supported in its objectives by the computing
power of all the physical and virtual components comprising its local and wide-area networks.
When the time comes for such an evaluation, it should be formalized and more in-depth than
simply relying on feedback from the user community about response time, and it should not be
assumed that security is adequate because no one has reported virus attacks. There are criteria
for evaluation that should be used for evaluating the health and effectiveness of any network
which can provide a much clearer and much more accurate idea of how well it is configured to
meet the needs of the company.

2. It is well known that data is the lifeblood of any business, and without it daily
operations would come to a screeching halt. Imagine an online store losing its
database of products and inventory for sale, or losing its customer database to a
sudden massive crash of the system. A plan for data backup and recovery must be
formalized in terms of its time-of-recovery because time is money in business, and
also in terms of its recovery point, i.e. how far back in time was the last backup?
The concept of backup and recovery should be tied in with Disaster Recovery too,
and the plan for disaster recovery should be tested periodically to ensure its true
viability.
DATA BACKUP AND RECOVERY.
IT Network Evaluation Criteria
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3. It is essential to have the most current anti-virus and anti-malware security in place
on the network, because not a day goes by without new malware being created.
This means that the network must be adequately insulated against attacks by its
firewall configuration and by internal anti-virus software. Evaluating effectiveness
entails gauging your security software’s ability to update, scan, and quarantine
suspect files immediately. A secondary aspect of security evaluation is ensuring
that all hardware and software patching is up to date with the latest versions.
SECURITY IMPLEMENTATIONS.
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4. Does the network setup take advantage of cloud storage where it makes sense?
There are some huge benefits to cloud storage, chief among them the fact that
enormous amounts of data can be resident on physical servers located off the
premises and on a network connected to your own. By now, most businesses have
overcome their security fears of having data stored off-site, and cloud storage has
proven itself to be a sensible, economic advantage. The cost of purchasing and
maintaining a server farm on-site should be measured against the cost of reliable
cloud storage from a reputable vendor.
CLOUD STORAGE SOLUTIONS.
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5. Is the network capable of providing high-performance access to all clients as well
as having sufficient bandwidth to satisfy access between all user locations online?
The importance of connectivity and performance across all internal and external
users has exploded because of the much greater passing of huge files that take
up bandwidth, e.g. video files, that can quickly suck up bandwidth and bog down
communications.
CONNECTIVITY.
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6. W W W . J E N L O R . C O M
The physical health of all the components comprising your network is just as critical
as the health of the software and performance issues. All servers, routers, LAN
switches, PC’s, operating systems, rules & processes, wiring cabinets, and all the
other pieces that comprise the hardware and software of the network must be up-
to-date in terms of warranty life and functionality.
INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTH.
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7. W W W . J E N L O R . C O M
This is a kind of catch-all area that may be considered a composite evaluation of
all the other areas rolled into one. Does your network in any way hinder business
objectives or prevent them from being realized? Or is the network an enabler of
business objectives, supporting and even enhancing them because of its superior
health and performance?
ACHIEVABLE RESULTS.
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8. The Ultimate Evaluation
In a progressive, modern company, the I.T. Department and the network it maintains
should be a driver of the business, leading the way to greater achievements and results.
It should not be struggling to keep up with the pace of business, barely able to support its
current goals, much less its goals for the future. By ignoring the health of the I.T. network,
a company might quickly find itself in the latter category, unable to compete with rivals.
No matter how you look at it, evaluating your network is an exercise that simply must be
done for the good of the company.
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606 Washington Ave.
Bridgeville, PA 15017
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