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The panel discussion addresses IM '97's theme, "Integrated Management in a Virtual World," reflecting our increasing interest in overall management solutions applied across all types of networks, enterprise connection systems, distributed computing systems and applications. It continues to move our attention beyond the purely technical to focus on real and virtual, comprehensive management solutions in a world increasingly filled with virtual corporations, virtual LANs, inter-enterprise networking, real and virtual service management, outsourcing, and electronic commerce.

In the design and implementation of computer networks one must be concerned with their overall performance and the efficiency of the communication mechanisms chosen. Performance is a major issue in the architecture, implementation, and installation of a computer communication network. The architectural design always involves many cost/performance tradeoffs. Once implemented, one must verify the performance of the network and locate bottlenecks in the structure. Configuration and installation of a network involves the selection of a topology and communication components, channels and nodes of appropriate capacity, satisfying performance requirements. This panel will focus on performance issues involved in the efficient design, implementation, and installation of globally distributed computer communication networks. Discussions will include cost/performance tradeoffs of alternative network architecture structures, methods used to measure and isolate implementation performance problems, and configuration tools to select network components of proper capacity. The panel members have all been involved in one or more performance issues related to the architecture, implementation, and/or configuration of the major networks they represent. They will describe their experiences relating to performance issues in these areas. Methodologies and examples will be chosen from these networks in current use. There will be time at the end of the session for questions to the panel.