New market trends and the emergence of the so-called Internet-based `new economy' are leading companies to new forms of organization, mostly relying on privileged cooperation links. Nowadays, most manufacturing processes are not carried out by single enterprises. Rather, organizations feel the need to focus on their core competencies and join efforts with others, in order to fulfill the requirements of new products/services demanded by the global market. In a cooperative networked organization, every enterprise is just a node that adds some value to the process; namely, a step in the manufacturing/supply chain. Furthermore, manufacturing companies increasingly encompass what has typically been regarded as the domain of the service sector. They try to establish long-term relationships with their customers, in order to service their needs around a manufactured product. For these reasons, the area of virtual organizations and industrial virtual enterprises is attracting growing interest in terms of research and development, and implementation approaches for new business practices. The main emphasis of this book is on virtual enterprises and other networked organizations, with special focus on: supporting infrastructures and management of distributed business processes, intelligent multi-agent systems, knowledge management, human interfaces, and socio-economical aspects. Also included in the book are related topics on automation, both in manufacturing and transportation. Special attention is assigned to the fact that advances in information technology and new organizational paradigms will be used not only to induce new economic structures, but also to help a sustainable migration of existing systems towards the new economy. When electronic business initiatives attract such widespread attention, it is important to conciliate the `old' and `new' economies under a balanced perspective. Advances in Networked Enterprises is essential reading for researchers and engineering students in production engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial sociology, and transportation, as well as for engineers and practitioners in manufacturing and transportation systems organization and planning.

A Practical Introduction to Enterprise Network and Security Management, Second Edition, provides a balanced understanding of introductory and advanced subjects in both computer networking and cybersecurity. Although much of the focus is on technical concepts, managerial issues related to enterprise network and security planning and design are explained from a practitioner’s perspective. Because of the critical importance of cybersecurity in today’s enterprise networks, security-related issues are explained throughout the book, and four chapters are dedicated to fundamental knowledge. Challenging concepts are explained so readers can follow through with careful reading. This book is written for those who are self-studying or studying information systems or computer science in a classroom setting. If used for a course, it has enough material for a semester or a quarter. FEATURES Provides both theoretical and practical hands-on knowledge and learning experiences for computer networking and cybersecurity Offers a solid knowledge base for those preparing for certificate tests, such as CompTIA and CISSP Takes advantage of actual cases, examples, industry products, and services so students can relate concepts and theories to practice Explains subjects in a systematic and practical manner to facilitate understanding Includes practical exercise questions that can be individual or group assignments within or without a classroom Contains several information-rich screenshots, figures, and tables carefully constructed to solidify concepts and enhance visual learning The text is designed for students studying information systems or computer science for the first time. As a textbook, this book includes hands-on assignments based on the Packet Tracer program, an excellent network design and simulation tool from Cisco. Instructor materials also are provided, including PowerPoint slides, solutions for exercise questions, and additional chapter questions from which to build tests.

The need for flexibility and globalization forces enterprises to decentralize their activities and continuously (re)structure their networks of relationships regarding both their productive "supply chains" and their design and innovation processes. The goal of the ArtDeco project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research under the FIRB program (funding for basic research), has been to address these issues by proposing solutions from three main perspectives: the organizational perspective aimed at studying how companies work in a network and how their design processes can benefit from collaboration with other companies; the informational perspective focusing on how to acquire relevant knowledge from unstructured information and processes and on how to organize and manage such knowledge; and the infrastructural perspective focusing on understanding how self-adaptive workflows and software systems can help in supporting the dynamic interconnection of enterprises. The book contains a collection of papers offering an overview of the main results produced by the ArtDeco project. It has been structured into the following four main parts: organizational issues: methodologies, empirical contexts and policies; software methodologies and technologies; knowledge elicitation and management; and management of peripheral devices. It also includes a case study used throughout the book as a reference example.

Over the past two decades, business volume of hardware and software in the U.S has decreased by about seventy percent, while the cost of management and support has grown from $20 billion to $140 billion. With close to seventy percent of this growing figure being spent on the management of legacy systems and only thirty percent on new systems, improvements in the development of self-managing systems have become a cost-saving priority for many corporations and an issue of strategic importance for many economies. Investigating the latest theories, methods, and technologies, Advances in Network Management provides the insight of a recognized expert into the fundamental concepts and contemporary challenges in network management. From basic concepts to research-level material, it details the evolution of network management solutions in network management paradigms, protocols, and techniques. The book also addresses dependencies between network management and application-level service management. This forward-looking resource investigates advanced networks and network services including—autonomic computing, context-aware systems management, and automatic techniques aiming at self-management (self-configuration, self-healing, self-optimization, and self-protection). With its breadth and depth of coverage in theoretical, technical, and research topics, this book provides time-tested guidance for dealing with the growing complexity of network services while improving cost efficiencies in your IT department.

Enterprise Network Testing Testing Throughout the Network Lifecycle to Maximize Availability and Performance Andy Sholomon, CCIE® No. 15179 Tom Kunath, CCIE No. 1679 The complete guide to using testing to reduce risk and downtime in advanced enterprise networks Testing has become crucial to meeting enterprise expectations of near-zero network downtime. Enterprise Network Testing is the first comprehensive guide to all facets of enterprise network testing. Cisco enterprise consultants Andy Sholomon and Tom Kunath offer a complete blueprint and best-practice methodologies for testing any new network system, product, solution, or advanced technology. Sholomon and Kunath begin by explaining why it is important to test and how network professionals can leverage structured system testing to meet specific business goals. Then, drawing on their extensive experience with enterprise clients, they present several detailed case studies. Through real-world examples, you learn how to test architectural "proofs of concept," specific network features, network readiness for use, migration processes, security, and more. Enterprise Network Testing contains easy-to-adapt reference test plans for branches, WANs/MANs, data centers, and campuses. The authors also offer specific guidance on testing many key network technologies, including MPLS/VPN, QoS, VoIP, video, IPsec VPNs, advanced routing (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), and Data Center Fabrics. § Understand why, when, and how you should test your network § Use testing to discover critical network design flaws § Incorporate structured systems testing into enterprise architecture strategy § Utilize testing to improve decision-making throughout the network lifecycle § Develop an effective testing organization and lab facility § Choose and use test services providers § Scope, plan, and manage network test assignments § nLeverage the best commercial, free, and IOS test tools § Successfully execute test plans, including crucial low-level details § Minimize the equipment required to test large-scale networks § Identify gaps in network readiness § Validate and refine device configurations § Certify new hardware, operating systems, and software features § Test data center performance and scalability § Leverage test labs for hands-on technology training This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press®, which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers.

How social networks, the personalized Internet, and always-on mobile connectivity are transforming—and expanding—social life. Daily life is connected life, its rhythms driven by endless email pings and responses, the chimes and beeps of continually arriving text messages, tweets and retweets, Facebook updates, pictures and videos to post and discuss. Our perpetual connectedness gives us endless opportunities to be part of the give-and-take of networking. Some worry that this new environment makes us isolated and lonely. But in Networked, Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman show how the large, loosely knit social circles of networked individuals expand opportunities for learning, problem solving, decision making, and personal interaction. The new social operating system of “networked individualism” liberates us from the restrictions of tightly knit groups; it also requires us to develop networking skills and strategies, work on maintaining ties, and balance multiple overlapping networks. Rainie and Wellman outline the “triple revolution” that has brought on this transformation: the rise of social networking, the capacity of the Internet to empower individuals, and the always-on connectivity of mobile devices. Drawing on extensive evidence, they examine how the move to networked individualism has expanded personal relationships beyond households and neighborhoods; transformed work into less hierarchical, more team-driven enterprises; encouraged individuals to create and share content; and changed the way people obtain information. Rainie and Wellman guide us through the challenges and opportunities of living in the evolving world of networked individuals.