NETWORKING STILL DEVELOPING IN ARMENIA
HULIQ
Sept 16 2009
SC
In Armenia people talk a lot about hardware and software production but
say almost nothing about networking even though many companies would
hardly be stable without computer stock and network environment. Let’s
start from the very term "Local Area Network" (LAN). This is a kind
of information cluster consisting of archive, workstations, PCs,
servers, information transmission and data processing clusters for
small companies. LAN can cover an area of 1-3 km.
Modern LANs are based on the so-called Ethernet protocol, a
technology allowing distance use of the system. Such a network unifies
territorially distributed computer units into one single information
space. In the world Local Area Today networking is growing in leaps
and bounds. High functionality on the one hand and low costs on the
other make LAN widely applicable in almost all spheres. Unification
of information resources is the primary task of any company and the
need for LAN is quickly growing in its urgency.
In the past LAN building had many deficiencies: it was expensive and
technically complicated. Formerly LAN was a mainframe or super-computer
uniting some terminals, workstations, PCs. "Mainframe" is a powerful
computer with vast online and external storage capacities performing
sophisticated computing tasks and operated by numerous users each
having access to a terminal with no own computing capabilities.
Director of Bever company Boris Agajanyan says that mainframe is an
expensive facility and takes a lot of spending on maintenance. Now
things have changed drastically. Coming into general practice are
cluster systems. This is no longer a mainframe with individual
units connected to it but a network embracing a whole information
system (PCs, workstations, servers) and performing complex
computing tasks. Cluster systems are cheap to both obtain and
maintain. They are getting increasingly attractive due to their
cheap but high-performance units (big online storage capacities,
quick video graphics opportunities, auxiliary processors). In modern
cluster networks a server is highly functional. "In small companies
there is no much difference between mainframe and server. There they
can be called workstations or simply PCs," says Agajanyan. Network
ensures optimal yield-cost relation but simultaneously reveals a fault
tolerance problem. This problem can, however, be settled quite easily
by server backup – special cheap equipment automatically switches
control from one to another server. For all its excessive equipment LAN
is nevertheless cheaper than mainframe. If one of the servers or the
mainframe fails for a short or long time all computing operations are
automatically sent to the backup server with no visible problems for
the user. Here stability is ensured by quick backing of computing means
on the one hand and reliable archive and data restoration capacities
(backup) on the other. Hewlett Packard, Cisco and Cnet fault tolerance
systems are most popular among Armenian companies. These producers
offer complex hardware and software allowing to configure, monitor
and keep up the system most effectively. Agajanyan says that Armenia
has several centers raising certified specialists for individual
companies (like Microsoft or Cisco). This is very important but
Agajanyan says that Armenian companies need better wide-specialization
experts with no special emphasis on one or another producer. An
expert certified by Cisco works only with Cisco equipment. "What we
need is system administrators, analysts and network architects with
fundamental knowledge and ability to find optimal solution to a given
task," says Agajanyan. The network tasks of small and medium-sized
companies do not require expensive sophisticated equipment by San or
Cisco. Cheap equipment would do here. "It’s carrying capacity rather
than functionality that distinguishes one system from another."
The network technologies used by Arminco are based on TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol). Used but
limitedly are also X25 and some other original technologies, says
Andranik Aleksanyan, director of Arminco, the biggest provide company
in Armenia. In local networking the company applies Unsheltered Twister
PF – E5 cables with capacity of up to 1 Gbit. "This technology does not
set angle curve standards except for some installation requirements and
restrictions to certain types of fiber cables." Aleksanyan says that
today Arminco has a training center certified by Microsoft teaching
specialists to install local networks. Last year the center trained 60
specialists but not all of them passed examinations and got Microsoft
certificates. Presently there are 30-40 Arminco certified specialists
in Armenia complying with all the international standards. "Besides
Arminco has a testing center Virtual University allowing specialists
to take online certification exams in any subject taught by Arminco
and under courses of 30 companies and consortiums." Aleksanyan says
that one Microsoft course costs $500 and to get a certificate one
should take four courses and an examination. But as an alternative
he can take the exam at the testing center for only $70. Aleksanyan
says that applying for certificates are mostly employees of foreign
companies in Armenia. Many Armenian companies predend they do not
much care for certification. Simply few of them want to pay high
price for one or another certificate.
To date Arminco has installed almost 200 LANs. The average cost of
LAN installation is 30 US cents (100 AMD) for one meter, environment
setting costs $2-4 per computer.