Using Cisco OER / PFR To Minimize Latency

February 15, 2016

Latency is a term used to describe a delay in the completion of a desired outcome after input is entered. For network users, this boils down to an increased wait time between taking an action and seeing a response – and can result in dissatisfaction and decreased productivity. Whether referring to network, internet or WAN latency, the end result is delayed action. Latency has a number of causes and a few solutions. Volico has been utilizing Cisco’s Optimized Edge Routing (OER) and Performance Routing (PfR) to minimize latency. Below we will explore the causes of latency, review some simple techniques for reducing delay and spotlight the use of Cisco’s OER and PFR to minimize the delay.

Causes Of Latency

There are five main causes of latency in telecommunications services.
· Propagation Delay: This is the primary of latency and refers to how long it takes information to travel from source to destination, based on the speed of light.
· Serialization Delay: Determining Serialization Delay: Packet size in bits / transmission rate in bits per second.
· Data Protocols: Refers to the synchronization of transmission of data through regular updates on link status and automatic error corrections.
· Routing and Switching: IP packets are transmitted to a source through a series of IP routers and switching stations. Congestion on these routers and stations can result in increased latency.
· Queuing And Buffer Management: Refers to the amount of time information sits in a queue before being transmitted.

Minimizing Latency

Minimizing latency can be accomplished through a number of strategies. First, take inventory of your network and computers. Remove any unneeded programs, optimize network and software settings on your computer and upgrade all hardware. Additional solutions include prefetching, multithreading and parallelism across multiple execution threads. Lastly there are a couple software options for minimizing latency. Volico utilizes two Cisco offerings: Cisco OER and Cisco PFR.

Cisco Optimized Edge Routing (OER)

Cisco’s Optimized Edge Routing (OER) minimizes latency by allowing users to monitor IP traffic and then define specific policies based on a number of factors. These factors include performance, link bandwidth, traffic class, link load distribution and traffic type. Additionally, Cisco’s OER offers automated route optimization and load distribution across a number of connections on any given network. The combination of these two capabilities lessens congestions across routers and networks, ensures links are being routed based on their load and router capabilities and establishes a set of rules and policies to ensure continued effective performance.

Cisco Performance Routing (PFR)

Cisco’s PFR is designed to take the guesswork out of path control by providing “dynamic selection” of the best paths for applications based on load balancing, bandwidth and business policies. The goal of Cisco’s PFR is intelligent path control for applications and improved network availability.
Volico currently utilizes both applications to ensure the minimization of latency across networks. Call Volico today at 888.865.4261 to learn more about these applications and their use.

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