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Network Convergence

Frequently Asked Questions About Network Convergence

In this increasingly interconnected world where your success is multi-faceted, it is time that you understand network or media convergence and how it can help your business endeavors. To help you get started, here are the frequently asked questions about network convergence:

What is media convergence?

In the past, companies use different network infrastructures, protocols, and hardware to connect to the servers. These days, businesses, government agencies, and even educational institutions utilise an expanded collection of media types.

Basically, media convergence refers to the coexistence of video, data, and telephone communication in a single network. You have to understand that media convergence offers flexibility and convenience, which are not possible with different and separate infrastructures.

media convergence

What are the media types?

As mentioned, businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions utilise the expanded collection of media types. It is time that you know the media types. Media types include the following:

  • Texting: this is the act of sending brief alphanumeric communications between hand-held devices as facilitated by wireless carriers.
  • Web surfing: this is the act of exploring successive web sites.
  • VoIP (Voice over IP): this refers to the transmission of multimedia and voice content over IP (Internet Protocol) networks.
  • Online gaming: this refers to the running of applications or video games on game consoles like PlayStation and X-box.
  • Videoconference applications: this refers to the visual or live connection between two or more individuals living in separate locations.
  • Streaming media: this refers to the audio or video content that is compressed and sent over the Internet and played immediately.
  • E-commerce: this refers to the act of buying or selling of products and services as well as transmitting funds over the Internet.

How does it work?

When it comes to converging networks, it involves incorporating Ethernet and Fiber Channel traffic over an infrastructure. You have to keep in mind that Ethernet is the foundation for converged media because it is ubiquitous when it comes to connecting the data traffic from one computer to another.

What are the benefits of media convergence?

To implement a converged media, the network will be run over CNA (Converged Network Adapters). These adapters send traffic to a switch, which can support capabilities like the following:

  • Transmission selection: the transmission selection is enhanced especially in classifying the types of traffic as well as requesting of lossless services.
  • Flow control: when it comes to controlling the amount of traffic, which is allowed into the network, media convergence put in place priority-based flow control.
  • Congestion notification: the network should be constantly monitored. With congestion notification, you are able to monitor traffic then put in place flow control.

What are the challenges of media convergence?

There are some challenges of media convergence confronting network developers as it evolves. The most significant challenge is the demand for bandwidth. This is because all applications take advantage of one network. As your applications become more high-leveled, converged media resources are overwhelmed.

In the end, you should ensure an effective media convergence. It will lie in the design as well as installation and maintenance of suitable hardware. With this, you need to plan to have enough bandwidth to support all the services and devices that will access your converged media.