How To Build High-Performance Networks In The Cloud

Posted on 18th July 202318th July 2023 by Shaun Groenewald

An efficient network ensures smooth and reliable access to critical business applications and data. A high-performance network is designed to minimise downtime, latency, and bottlenecks, reduce maintenance and troubleshooting efforts, and allow employees to work seamlessly and efficiently.

Efficient networks with fast processing speeds and reliable connectivity, improve productivity, collaboration and the user-experience. But ultimately, a high-performance network results in cost savings related to IT support, infrastructure upgrades, and network management.

However, building and maintaining a reliable network that consistently delivers maximum performance can be a time-consuming undertaking. Micro Pro’s team of IT support professionals in Surrey ensure your network is operating at optimal efficiency so you and your team can focus on meeting the core objective of your business.

Creating a high-performance network is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, optimisation, and adaptation to changing needs. It’s essential to stay informed about emerging technologies and industry best practices to ensure your network remains efficient, scalable, and secure.

With that in mind, the first decision you need to make is whether to build your IT infrastructure on an on-premise server or in the cloud.

What is the Cloud in Networking?

Cloud computing allows businesses and individuals to access and use shared computing resources, such as servers, storage, databases, and applications, without the need to invest in and maintain physical infrastructure.

In the context of networking, the cloud provides a platform for networking services, infrastructure, and applications to be hosted and accessed remotely. It allows organisations to build and manage a business network infrastructure in a virtual environment rather than relying solely on on-premises hardware.

Whilst cloud computing is becoming more popular in the wake of the growing army of remote workers, the decision to adopt the Cloud requires careful analysis.

There are short-term and long-term considerations to consider. The two key questions are whether the cloud can deliver a high-performance network that supports your business operations.

The second question is at what cost — now and in the future.

The answer to the first question is a simple yes. You can do anything in the cloud that you can do with an onsite server. And you also get more benefits in terms of flexibility, accessibility and scaling which fosters remote working and simple scaling.

Whether the cloud is a cost-effective solution is the harder of the two questions to quantify. Whilst the up-front costs are undoubtedly far less expensive than installing an on-premise server, the ongoing costs could prove to be more than the cost of investing in a server.

However, you also have to factor in the payload costs of your in-house IT team. You will need confidence and the capacity to pay the wage demands of a dedicated IT team that has expertise in infrastructure architecture, network administration and cybersecurity.

The alternative is to take advantage of outsourced managed IT support professionals in Surrey whereby you can access IT expertise without the ongoing overheads that come with salaried employees.

How Does the Cloud Benefit Business Networks? (And How Do They Work?)

If you build a high-performance network in the cloud, your business data and applications are hosted in remote data centres in various locations. This strategy provides your business network with more stability. If one cloud server goes down, you can seamlessly access your data from another cloud server in a different location.

Responsibility for managing and maintaining the underlying physical infrastructure of cloud-based networks — which includes servers, storage systems, and networking equipment — lies with the owners of the cloud platforms (i.e Microsoft).

The responsibility of managing and maintaining your private business network is a joint effort between your in-house IT and the managed IT support professionals in Surrey — or just the outsourced team if you do not have an in-house team.

The managed IT support team handle tasks such as data backup, security, software updates, and infrastructure maintenance. Businesses, on the other hand, are responsible for managing applications, data, user access controls, and configurations within the cloud environment.

With a cloud-based network, businesses can optimise resource utilisation by dynamically allocating and de-allocating computing resources as needed. Cloud platforms provide auto-scaling capabilities, ensuring that resources are utilised efficiently to handle fluctuating demands. This eliminates the need for over-provisioning or underutilisation of resources now and in the future.

Can You Trust The Cloud?

Trust is a big issue in the modern era. And with data privacy regulations hanging over your head like the Sword of Damocles, adopting the cloud can be disturbing.

So far, the cloud has proven to be highly reliable for data privacy and overall network security. Cloud providers such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon invest billions to ensure their cloud servers are impenetrable.

Trusting the cloud ultimately depends on several factors, including the cloud platform and the specific cloud service provider, the security measures they have in place, and how you manage, maintain and protect your data.

If you are considering the cloud, either directly or through an outsourced IT support professional in Surrey, choose an established cloud service provider with a track record of reliability, security, and data protection.

Research the provider’s history, trust score, certifications, compliance with industry standards, and customer reviews to gauge their trustworthiness.

Now you know whether you want to adopt the cloud or stick with on-premise servers, let’s take a look at how to build a high-performance network.

Step-By-Step Guide To Building A High-Performance Network

A high-performance network provides a positive user experience by reducing delays, buffering, and slow-loading applications or websites. Employees can collaborate, communicate, and access information without frustrating lags or interruptions.

This smooth user experience contributes to employees’ higher levels of efficiency, productivity, satisfaction and engagement. And in many cases, can contribute towards staff retention.

So how do you build a high-performance network?

Define Your Performance Requirements

A business network has to be capable of supporting your operation needs including, servers, software, devices, number of users and data storage.

The first step to building a high-performance network is to identify the specific performance requirements of your business. Consider factors such as bandwidth needs, latency requirements, scalability, reliability, and security. Clearly define the goals and expectations for your network’s performance.

Choose a Relevant Cloud Platform

If you go down the cloud route, you need to decide which cloud platform is the best fit for your business. The key players in cloud computing are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Network Architecture Design

The design of your network architecture must align with your existing performance requirements — and your plans for the future.

It’s easier to future-proof a high-performance network than to restructure it at a later date. Your network design should lay the foundations for scaling so that you are easily able to onboard additional staff and accommodate an increase in traffic and data without harming the performance of the network.

A high-performance network allows for easy integration of new devices, applications, and services without compromising performance. By running your network at maximum efficiency, you can ensure it is ready to accommodate future business needs and technological advancements.

Consider factors like network topology, subnets, routing protocols, network segmentation, CIDR block planning and quality of service (QoS) mechanisms. Plan for redundancy and scalability to ensure the network can handle increasing demands.

Your selection of network equipment also has to be compatible and reliable. Choose high-quality networking equipment, including routers, switches, firewalls, and network interfaces.

Consider factors such as throughput capabilities, port densities, performance features, and compatibility with your network architecture. Opt for reputable brands and models that align with your performance requirements. Our experienced and highly knowledgeable IT support professionals in Surrey can help with this.

Bandwidth Management and Optimisation

A network operating at maximum efficiency enables efficient resource utilisation. Bandwidth should be effectively allocated so that network traffic is optimised per user.

High-performance networks accommodate sufficient bandwidth to allow applications and services to run smoothly without wasting resources. This helps businesses avoid unnecessary costs associated with over-provisioning or underutilising network resources.

We recommend implementing techniques to manage and optimise bandwidth usage. This can include traffic shaping, quality of service (QoS) policies, and bandwidth allocation for different types of traffic. Prioritise critical applications and allocate resources accordingly to ensure optimal performance for important network traffic.

If you require high-performance connections between your on-premises infrastructure and the cloud, consider options like dedicated connections or direct interconnections offered by the cloud provider. These connections provide lower latency, higher bandwidth, and improved reliability compared to regular internet connections.

Leverage Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

CDNs help deliver content and data efficiently by caching it at various edge locations around the world. CDN services provided by cloud providers or third-party CDNs accelerate content delivery, reduce latency, and improve performance for users in different geographic regions.

Leverage autoscaling and load balancing features provided by cloud providers in Surrey to handle increased traffic and ensure high availability. Autoscaling allows your network to automatically adjust resources based on demand, while load balancing evenly distributes traffic across multiple instances, enhancing performance and fault tolerance.

The latest cloud techniques embrace ‘Edge Computing’ which brings computation and storage closer to end-users. By leveraging edge locations, you can reduce latency and improve performance for applications that require real-time or low-latency interactions.

High-Performance Network Security

An efficient network ensures the reliable and secure transfer of data within and outside the organisation. It minimises the risk of data loss, corruption, or unauthorised access. By optimising network performance, you can enhance data integrity, confidentiality, and availability, contributing to overall data security.

A high-performance network requires robust security measures to protect your network from threat actors. Use firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, virtual private networks (VPNs), and secure authentication mechanisms such as biometric access or multi-factor authentication.

We also recommend regularly updating security patches and employing best practices for network security. This includes installing network monitoring tools to track and improve overall network performance.

Regular Network Maintenance and Upgrades

Regularly assess and optimise your network infrastructure. Ensure that cabling, connectors, and network devices are properly installed and functioning optimally. Eliminate any potential physical or environmental factors that could impact network performance, such as electrical interference or temperature fluctuations.

If your business relies on network-dependent customer interactions, a high-performance network is crucial. It ensures fast and reliable access to customer-facing applications, websites, and services, enhancing the customer experience. A positive customer experience can lead to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.

Continuously reviewing and optimising your business network architecture helps to improve cost efficiency. Evaluate your network resources, remove unused or idle resources, and adjust configurations based on changing needs. Use cost optimisation tools and recommendations provided by the cloud provider to identify potential cost-saving opportunities.

Perform regular maintenance tasks such as firmware updates, software patches, and equipment upgrades. Keep up with advancements in networking technology and consider upgrading outdated equipment or adopting new technologies when necessary to meet evolving performance requirements.

Conduct periodic performance testing to assess the network’s capabilities and identify areas for improvement. Use tools and techniques such as network load testing, stress testing, and benchmarking to gauge network performance under different scenarios. Based on the results, fine-tune network configurations and optimise resource allocation.

IT Support Professional in Surrey

Network performance can either elevate or strangle your business. And often times, the problem lies with a single device or a misconfiguration. In other words, simple problems that cause a crisis could easily be avoided if you have access to a team of qualified IT support professionals that have years of experience building high-performance networks.

Our objective is to ensure your network infrastructure is so efficient, reliable and effective that you think technology has advanced to new levels of functionality.

To achieve this goal, we work with you to understand your business needs and analyse you existing network architecture. Our IT support professionals recommend hardware, technologies and strategies that have proven track record and then assist you to ensure implementation runs smoothly and the software is configured to create an optimal user-experience whilst providing the most robust security defences possible.