A work domain analysis for virtual private networks

For businesses, virtual private networking has become a new method of building corporate communication networks. In addition to providing improved flexibility, security and global reach, virtual private networks (VPNs) can offer substantial cost-savings by reducing the dependence on expensive, private leased-line networks and troublesome remote-access solutions. Unfortunately, the deployment and management of such systems may come at a high cost. Depending on the nature of the business relationship between the enterprise and the Internet Service Provider (ISP), the network manager may have to deal with the increasingly daunting task of configuring, operating, and fixing security leaks and other faults in the system as the communication needs of the organization expand and change. However, a new design technique known as ecological interface design (EID) has been shown to be a promising approach for supporting operator tasks in complex work domains, such as nuclear power plants or petrochemical systems. A distinguishing feature of this approach is that display interfaces are designed by first conducting a work domain analysis (WDA), which focuses on identifying the important goals and environmental constraints that govern system behavior. By visually portraying the relationships between system goals, constraints, and the state of physical components in a structured manner, the problem-solving activities of operators can be effectively supported during abnormal or unanticipated situations. Due to the problem-solving nature of VPN management, interfaces for network management tools can be made more effective through the application of EID principles.