Last month, a client told me that their company had put in a web-based certification system and found that it was completely out of line with the existing network equipment. The AC is H3C, which has only been fast-tracked, and the network has not been modified in time, and it has lost two months to changing suppliers.
Such problems can be avoided at the stage of selection, and today several easy points are sorted out.
First pit: access is not confirmed, and the bill is paid.
The ability of an enterprise network certification system to work depends not only on its functionality but also on access to the network architecture that you have.
The main forms of certification are now available on the market: AC by-side, serials, single aircraft deployment, RADIUS docking, Portal authentication, 802.1X……The combinations supported by each manufacturer were different, with only one or two types of support and some known as supporting but actually matching a bunch of bugs.
I have seen a real case of a park property that has an accreditation system, and that was called AC for sharpness and evasiveism at the time of the tender, which led to the discovery in the implementation phase that only sharpness would be possible if the equipment were configured. After the change, it was found that the billing system was not matched with the campus, and that the project had been accepted after more than a month.
Recommendation: A list of models for existing network equipment is sent to the supplier before selection, allowing each other to confirm in black and white that compatible options are available. Don't just read the product book."Support XX accreditation"It was thought that there were two things about the manual and how it worked.
Second pit: no questions asked about the maximum number of simultaneous sessions
The certification system is labeled as supporting 10,000 users and does not represent a steady operation in your physical environment.
I've seen a case where the manufacturer said that the system could support 5,000 co-matches, and as a result, the client company had only 800 people on the line at the same time, and the system was down."Five thousand."Laboratory data are only 1500 that can actually be used to stabilize operations.
This problem is particularly easy to find in enterprises with 500 to 2,000 employees, as it is stuck at small and medium-sized borders where manufacturers either report small-scale programmes (inadequate performance) or large-scale schemes (wasted costs).
When selecting a model, it is important to ask: How much can you run in your network size and structure? It would be better to arrange a field test or a mock-up of the account, so that manufacturers could provide names of their same size customers and call them themselves.
Third pit: neglect of multi-branch unified management needs
If the company has multiple branches, each site will have an independent certification system, and later shipments will be very painful.——The accounts are not uniform, the strategies are inconsistent and there are problems with multiple back-office checks.
I've contacted a twelve-branch chain of companies, each with an accreditation system. At headquarters IT wants to check the company ' s online terminals and log 12 backstages for data export.
At this point, the vendor is asked whether the system supports centralized management at Headquarters. Can equipment for each branch be integrated into the same authentication platform? How are the competencies allocated? The selection of large and medium enterprises, which is recommended for specific testing at the POC phase, was proposed.
Fourth pit: the certification system is considered to be very good online.
The onlineization of the certification system is only a first step, and the following wiring is the focus.
Are there SOPs for opening and withdrawing accounts? Will staff members recover their post-employment accounts in a timely manner? How will the temporary access rights to visitors be managed? If these issues are not pre-empted, they become a daily business that IT does.
I've seen one of the most exaggerating cases: a company has entered the certification system, but an application for account numbers is to go through the IT department worksheet system, print out the form and sign it to the manager, then send it to the manufacturer.
It is recommended that the full operational back-office process be demonstrated by vendors during the selection phase to see if day-to-day operations are easy enough. If you need to contact the manufacturer to do this, then you can imagine the weight pressure of your team when you are officially online.
Several operational parameters, and before selecting a model, we must confirm:
First, the current peak of online terminals is a question of whether the certification system can be carried.
II. Whether there are multiple branches and, if so, whether they can be managed in a unified manner.
III. Compatibility with existing network equipment (AC, routers, firewalls) is required in advance by a compatibility list.
4. The account life cycle management component does not support automation and can be linked to HR systems or OAs.
v. Operation flow of backstage operations, with a non-technical staff member on site for testing.