Sluggish network connections can be nerve-wracking. Checking live statistics about network traffic can help pinpoint the problem. Iftop is a command-line system monitoring tool that can help you identify bandwidth hogs and keep traffic moving.

Oracle Linux 6.4 offers access to Dtrace and support for the XFS filesystem.

When it comes to daily tasks such as monitoring network traffic, administrators should choose a tool that is sufficiently functional and not too complicated.

Even tried and trusted configurations that have proved their value through the years can be tripped up by special cases – for example, all of your users logging in with the same IP address. Experienced administrators and Bash aficionados will then enable debugging and launch a systematic search for configuration errors.

First the fun, then the pleasure: This month, we look at a TCP that administrators have to take seriously, followed by some URL fun.

Red Hat announces IBM, Accenture, Alfresco, Cisco, HP and Intel representatives are scheduled to deliver keynotes at the seventh annual Red Hat Summit and JBoss World, May 3-6, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Stronger definition of network behavior in software is a growing trend, and open interfaces are going to lead to faster innovation,” said Nick McKeown, ONF Board member and professor at Stanford University.

Building a network flight recorder with Wireshark.