2. Run the tests to completion.

Sometimes when taking traces or analyzing logs, the process is stopped before all of the necessary data for formulating proper conclusions have been gathered. This is particularly true when dealing with intermittent problems. In this case, had I let the traffic manager analyze the portal traffic a bit longer, I would have discovered why the application did not work properly.

3. Consider the network topology.

When I analyzed traffic between the firewall and the traffic manager, I had already (incorrectly) discounted the traffic manager as a source of the problem because of the first two mistakes. Still, I believed I was looking at edge traffic, even though I was analyzing at a point that was ultimately beyond the problem.

The best tests are those that validate other test results. While I made several troubleshooting errors, when subsequent tests did not support the previous conclusions, I put pride aside and returned to the drawing board. Persistence is often a network administrator's greatest skill.