VistaOne

Riverbed in the Visionaries Quadrant of the 2012 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Delivery Controllers

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 09:37:00 -0500

Riverbed announced today that it has been positioned by Gartner in the ‘Visionaries’ quadrant of the 2012 “Magic Quadrant for Application Delivery Controllers” authored by Neil Rickard, Bjarne Munch, and Joe Skorupa, and published in October, 2012. In the report, Gartner positions vendors in one of four quadrants - Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players - based on the companies’ vision and ability to execute on that vision.You can download the complete report here. The Magic Quadrant itself is shown below:

According to the report, “The application delivery controller has evolved into a key component of the data center architecture, and enterprises should evaluate ADCs based on how they integrate with this architecture and support more-advanced features, such as user and traffic control and monitoring.”

The continued evolution of the datacenter architecture from a physical to a virtual and cloud environment requires enterprises to deploy ADCs that are more flexible, dynamic, and application-aware than ever before. Riverbed Stingray is designed to be deployed seamlessly across all IT architectures, including physical, virtual, cloud, software-defined, and hybrid data centers. The solution’s key differentiators are its flexible software and virtual form factors, the custom scripting capability that provides organizations with granular control over their applications, and advanced features such as web content optimization (WCO) and web application firewall security capabilities.

While the industry recognition is much appreciated, Riverbed is not taking this for granted as our team of ~1600 individuals at Riverbed continues to work on improving existing products, develop new and exciting technology, and deliver top-notch technical support to our customer base of 19000+.

Riverbed to Acquire OpNet

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:05:30 -0400

Riverbed to Acquire OPNET Technologies, Inc.

Acquisition extends Riverbed’s Network Performance Management business into high-growth Application Performance Management market

BETHESDA, Md. & SAN FRANCISCO—October 29, 2012—Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD), the performance company, and OPNET Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPNT), the leading provider of solutions for application and network performance management, today announced that Riverbed® has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire OPNET for $43 per share in cash and stock, representing an equity value of $1 billion and an enterprise value of $921 million. The acquisition will enable Riverbed to extend its network performance management (NPM) business into the multi-billion dollar application performance management (APM) market. The combination of Cascade® and OPNET will create a new force in the converged market for NPM and APM, with over $250 million in annualized revenue.

Networks and applications are required to work together to deliver the performance business users demand. The addition of OPNET’s broad-based family of APM products enhances Riverbed’s already strong position in the NPM market. The resulting combination is a product line with unparalleled visibility and insight into application and network performance. This acquisition enables Riverbed to provide customers with a unique integrated solution that not only monitors network and application performance, but also accelerates it.

OPNET has been recognized as a leader in the APM market: www.opnet.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-apm/.

“The addition of OPNET establishes Riverbed as the clear leader in the high-growth and converging application and network performance management markets,” said Jerry Kennelly, Chairman and CEO at Riverbed. “This acquisition also transforms Riverbed into a billion dollar revenue company.”

“Riverbed and OPNET have natural synergies,” said Marc Cohen, OPNET’s Chairman and CEO. “Riverbed’s leadership in accelerating business technology combined with OPNET’s industry-leading suite of APM products provides customers with a single solution for monitoring, troubleshooting and actually fixing the application and network performance problems challenging them today.”

OPNET will be combined with Riverbed’s Cascade business unit. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Riverbed’s 2013 earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis. Leveraging the Riverbed brand, channels and infrastructure, Riverbed expects meaningful revenue and operating synergies in 2014.

Exchange Offer Details

Under the terms of the agreement between Riverbed and OPNET, Riverbed will acquire all of the outstanding shares of OPNET common stock pursuant to an exchange offer, followed by a second step merger. In the exchange offer and the merger, OPNET stockholders will receive for each OPNET share they own: (i) $36.55 in cash; and (ii) 0.2774 of a share of Riverbed common stock. The cash portion of the offer consideration will be financed through Riverbed’s existing cash on hand and new debt. The exchange offer is subject to customary closing conditions, including the tender into the exchange offer by OPNET stockholders of shares representing at least a majority of the outstanding shares of OPNET common stock on a fully diluted basis, receipt of financing and the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, as amended, and is expected to close before December 31, 2012.

Goldman, Sachs & Co. is serving as financial advisor to Riverbed; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati are serving as legal advisors to Riverbed. Lazard is serving as financial advisor to OPNET and Cooley LLP is serving as legal counsel to OPNET. Riverbed has received financing commitments from Morgan Stanley and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Conference Call

Riverbed will host a conference call and webcast today, October 29, 2012, at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (10:00 a.m. Eastern Time) to discuss its proposed acquisition of OPNET. To participate via telephone, in the U.S. the toll free dial-in number is (877) 474-7568; outside the U.S. dial +1 (706) 634-6541. Please call 10 minutes prior to the scheduled conference time. A live webcast and supporting slides can be accessed at www.riverbed.com/investors. The webcast replay of the conference call will be archived on the Riverbed Investor Relations website.

About OPNET

Founded in 1986, OPNET Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPNT) is the leading provider of solutions for application and network performance management. For more information about OPNET and its products, please visit www.opnet.com.

About Riverbed

Riverbed delivers performance for the globally connected enterprise. With Riverbed, enterprises can successfully and intelligently implement strategic initiatives such as virtualization, consolidation, cloud computing, and disaster recovery without fear of compromising performance. By giving enterprises the platform they need to understand, optimize and consolidate their IT, Riverbed helps enterprises to build a fast, fluid and dynamic IT architecture that aligns with the business needs of the organization. Additional information about Riverbed (NASDAQ: RVBD) is available at www.riverbed.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) statements about the benefits of the exchange offer and the merger; (ii) future financial and operating results following the exchange offer and the merger; (iii) the combined company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; (iv) the competitive position and opportunities of the combined company; (v) the impact of the exchange offer and the merger on the market for the combined company’s products; and (vi) the timing of the completion of the exchange offer and the merger. In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “budget,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predicts,” “project,” “should,” “will” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Riverbed’s management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Riverbed. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (a) risks related to the integration of OPNET into Riverbed and the anticipated future benefits resulting from the acquisition of OPNET; (b) Riverbed’s or the combined company’s ability to react to trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; (c) Riverbed’s or the combined company’s ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; (d) the adoption rate of Riverbed’s or the combined company’s products; (e) Riverbed’s or the combined company’s ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our distribution partners; (f) our ability to compete in our industry; (g) fluctuations in demand, sales cycles and prices for Riverbed’s or the combined company’s products and services; (h) shortages or price fluctuations in Riverbed’s or the combined company’s supply chain; (i) Riverbed’s or the combined company’s ability to protect intellectual property rights; (j) general political, economic and market conditions and events; (k) difficulties encountered in integrating Riverbed’s and OPNET’s businesses and technologies; (l) the expense and impact of legal proceedings; and (m) other risks and uncertainties described more fully in Riverbed’s and OPNET’s documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this document are based on information available as of the date hereof, and Riverbed assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Riverbed reserves the right to modify future business or product plans at any time.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

The exchange offer for the outstanding shares of OPNET referenced in this document has not yet commenced. This announcement is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of OPNET, nor is it a substitute for the registration statement and exchange offer materials that Riverbed and its acquisition subsidiary will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) upon commencement of the exchange offer. At the time the offer is commenced, Riverbed and its acquisition subsidiary will file exchange offer materials on Schedule TO and a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC, and OPNET will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the exchange offer. The exchange offer materials (including a Prospectus/Offer to Exchange, a related Letter of Transmittal and certain other offer documents) and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will contain important information. Holders of shares of OPNET are urged to read these documents when they become available because they will contain important information that holders of OPNET securities should consider before making any decision regarding tendering their securities. The Prospectus/Offer to Exchange, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other offer documents, as well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, will be made available to all holders of shares of OPNET at no expense to them. The exchange offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will be made available for free at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Free copies of these documents will be made available by Riverbed by mail to Riverbed, 199 Fremont Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, Attention: Investor Relations.

In addition to the Prospectus/Offer to Exchange, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other offer documents, as well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, Riverbed and OPNET file annual, quarterly and special reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any reports or other information filed by Riverbed or OPNET at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Riverbed’s and OPNET’s filings with the SEC are also available to the public from commercial document-retrieval services and at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

Riverbed and any Riverbed product or service name or logo used herein are trademarks of Riverbed Technology, Inc. All other trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.

"RIVERBED INTEGRATES CLOUD-READY STINGRAY TRAFFIC MANAGER SOFTWARE WITH VMWARE VFABRIC™ APPLICATION..."

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:20:53 -0400

“

RIVERBED INTEGRATES CLOUD-READY STINGRAY TRAFFIC MANAGER SOFTWARE WITH VMWARE VFABRIC™ APPLICATION DIRECTOR™
Solution Integration Combines Acceleration and Automation Capabilities; Enables Customers to Provision and Scale High-Performing Applications Faster in the Cloud
SAN FRANCISCO—August 27, 2012—Riverbed Technology (NASDAQ: RVBD), the performance company, today announced the integration of Riverbed® Stingray™ Traffic Manager, its software and virtual application delivery controller (ADC), with VMware® vFabric™ Application Director™, a hybrid cloud application provisioning solution. This solution combines Stingray Traffic Manager software application acceleration capability with VMware vFabric Application Director automation to allow customers to create application blueprints that can be used to provision and scale multi-tier applications, faster and smarter in a hybrid cloud environment. These application blueprints can use application delivery features of Stingray Traffic Manager software for a higher level of application portability across cloud services and repeatable deployments of selected applications with standard deployment settings.

Application development and portability are evolving and can become more complex as companies continue to move to the cloud. The need for real-time updates of application functionality changes frequently in scale, and user demand for constant availability and reliability place new pressure on application architects. These challenges are time consuming and can be costly for an enterprise deploying and updating its applications in the cloud. Stingray Traffic Manager software provides enterprises with a solution to accelerate, automate, provision, and scale their clouds cost effectively.

“Though cloud computing provides enterprises with many benefits, the need to instantly meet user demands can prove challenging for application architects,” said Rohit Mehra, director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure at IDC. “Solutions for these challenges must match the nature of the cloud itself - they must be innovative and flexible. The merging of acceleration and automation capabilities is invaluable for organizations seeking to quickly and cost-efficiently deploy and provide high-performing applications.”

VMware vFabric™ Application Director, a cloud application provisioning solution for hybrid clouds, simplifies creating application deployment topologies that are truly portable across private, public, and hybrid cloud environments through the use of application deployment blueprints. With the integration of Stingray Traffic Manager software with vFabric Application Director, application architects within IT organizations can now easily-with a drag and drop interface-choose to accelerate and load balance their enterprise applications in the cloud. The solution is available on VMware Cloud Application Management Marketplacebeta. The marketplace allows VMware partners, customers, and end user communities to develop and publish application blueprints that are truly portable across clouds. This gives application and infrastructure teams the flexibility, freedom of choice and a collaborative environment for implementing a forward looking IT strategy for cloud application delivery into cloud.

“VMware vFabric™ Application Director™ is a cloud-ready solution that delivers deployment efficiency and agility, accelerates time to market, reduces costs, and leverages existing investments,” said Ramin Sayar, vice president and general manager, Virtualization and Cloud Management at VMware. “With cloud environments becoming more pervasive, customers must have flexible, easy-to-use solutions that can be quickly integrated into highly dynamic virtual and cloud infrastructures. The integration of Stingray Traffic Manager software with vFabric Application Director fits with our solution to accelerate, automate, and scale applications in the cloud.”

Riverbed will also leverage other product vendors in VMware’s Cloud Applications Management Marketplacebeta to expand the solution. The first collaboration is with Zend, a provider of software and services for developing, deploying and managing business-critical PHP applications in the cloud. This collaboration has yielded a blueprint for Magento E-Commerce store on a clustered high availability Zend server fronted by Riverbed. Customers who need high performing PHP applications in the cloud would be able to use new blueprints by Riverbed and Zend that can save them significant application development time and resources.

Designed for the cloud, the Riverbed ADC solution is a comprehensive layer seven software ADC that can be deployed seamlessly in private, public, and hybrid clouds. Stingray Traffic Manager software offers simple scripting, easy user interface-based configuration management, and robust application programming interface (APIs) that enable the solution to be managed as an application and provisioned like a service. This makes it better suited than a hardware load balancer to accelerate multi-tier applications in a virtual or cloud environment.

“As applications move to the cloud and become more dynamic, performance solutions must keep pace with how they are changing,” said Apurva Davé, vice president of products, Stingray Business Unit at Riverbed. “The Stingray Traffic Manager software was designed with the cloud in mind, and its ability to accelerate applications is unrivaled. Riverbed and VMware have a longstanding history that enables better-performing IT for enterprises. Integrating Stingray Traffic Manager software and vFabric Application Director™ is an important progression for application architects and enterprises operating in the cloud, as this collaboration will enable faster and easier deployments of highly-optimized applications.”

Riverbed will demonstrate the Stingray Traffic Manager software and VMware vFabric Application Director integration at VMworld® 2012, taking place August 26-30 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. Conference goers can visit Riverbed at booth #723.

Additional Resources
Riverbed-VMware Partnership
Stingray Traffic Manager service on VMware Cloud Application Management Marketplacebeta
Reference Java application blueprint fronted by Stingray Traffic Manager
Facebook
LinkedIn
Riverbed Blog
Riverbed Community
Twitter (@Riverbed)
YouTube

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the expected demand for Riverbed’s products and services, statements regarding performance results of Riverbed solutions that may suggest likely or certain outcomes, and statements relating to Riverbed’s ability to meet the needs of distributed organizations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include our ability to react to trends and challenges in our business and the markets in which we operate; our ability to anticipate market needs or develop new or enhanced products to meet those needs; the adoption rate of our products; our ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with our distribution partners; our ability to compete in our industry; fluctuations in demand, sales cycles and prices for our products and services; shortages or price fluctuations in our supply chain; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights; general political, economic and market conditions and events; and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in our documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. More information about these and other risks that may impact Riverbed’s business are set forth in our Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on July 27, 2012. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Any future product, feature or related specification that may be referenced in this release are for information purposes only and are not commitments to deliver any technology or enhancement. Riverbed reserves the right to modify future product plans at any time.

About Riverbed
Riverbed delivers performance for the globally connected enterprise. With Riverbed, enterprises can successfully and intelligently implement strategic initiatives such as virtualization, consolidation, cloud computing, and disaster recovery without fear of compromising performance. By giving enterprises the platform they need to understand, optimize and consolidate their IT, Riverbed helps enterprises to build a fast, fluid and dynamic IT architecture that aligns with the business needs of the organization. Additional information about Riverbed (NASDAQ: RVBD) is available at www.riverbed.com.

Riverbed and any Riverbed product or service name or logo used herein are trademarks of Riverbed Technology, Inc. All other trademarks used herein belong to their respective owners.

VMware, VMworld and VMware vFabric Application Director are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the word “partner” or “partnership” does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.

”

- Riverbed.com

You spent millions on your critical apps. Are you getting the ROI you need?Learn how you can from...

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:25:51 -0400

You spent millions on your critical apps. Are you getting the ROI you need?Learn how you can from VistaOne and Riverbed:http://bit.ly/NmYcL7

Want to backup to a cloud (Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Rackspace)? VistaOne can show you how with...

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:25:29 -0400

Want to backup to a cloud (Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Rackspace)? VistaOne can show you how with Riverbed Whitewater. http://bit.ly/LLOqQD

Riverbed released RiOS 6.5.5b yesterday. Basically bug fixes for 6.5.5 which introduced the 150...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:03:10 -0400

Riverbed released RiOS 6.5.5b yesterday. Basically bug fixes for 6.5.5 which introduced the 150 model. Upgrade or not? http://bit.ly/LQYE3G

We still have a few spots open in VistaOne’s acclaimed Riverbed Cascade training June 6th-11th in...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:55:48 -0400

We still have a few spots open in VistaOne’s acclaimed Riverbed Cascade training June 6th-11th in the D.C. Area! http://bit.ly/L36kgo

Riverbed Shark 9.5.2 is now out. 9.5 is great,providing multi-segment analysis, VoIP & Cisco...

Thu, 31 May 2012 09:32:35 -0400

Riverbed Shark 9.5.2 is now out. 9.5 is great,providing multi-segment analysis, VoIP & Cisco SCCP reporting, timestamping tap support & more

VistaOne Webinar Series: The Traffic Shaping Toolbox

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:02:05 -0500

VistaOne continues its monthly webinar series comparing different traffic shaping solutions with our second episode, “The Traffic Shaping Toolbox” tomorrow, February 28, 2012, at 2pm Eastern time.

Join us for a brief overview of the control mechanisms available to manage traffic with Exinda Networks’ Unified Performance Management, Procera Networks’ PacketLogic, and Blue Coat’s PacketShaper.

All the details and registration can be found here.

Questions? Can’t make it but want access to the recorded version later? No problem! Just send an email to dave.inman@vistaone.com to request the link.

VistaOne Webinar Series: Your Network Through The Eyes of Your Shaper

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:53:20 -0500

In case you missed our webinar last month—here’s all the info and where to view the archived version.

What kind of view do different traffic shaping products - Blue Coat PacketShaper, Exinda Networks UPM and Procera Networks PacketLogic - provide into your network? How do those views compare?

Considering upgrading a current shaper or the purchase of a new product? How do the different traffic shaping appliances classify applications and protocols? How do they identify uses and hosts? How do they track traffic patterns over time? And what do they have to show about the health of my network? Explore these features in this VistaOne Web tutorial led by our Senior Systems Engineer, Jim Dixon.

Following this brief technical exploration, you will:

- Understand how each of these devices classifies application traffic and how each provides tools for creating your own custom traffic classifications.
- Learn about the options available for directory integration and host identification and how they impact shaping policy.
- Distinguish the views each device affords of historical data and how each different device allows for the retrieval of specific data.
- Recognize what metrics (RTT, packet loss, etc) each device uses to measure network health and what features each provides to track network and/or application health.

This session presents technical information as a service to current VistaOne customers and those considering the purchase of a traffic shaping appliance. Find out which network visibility features are most important to you and and which would have the greatest impact in your network environment

How important is visibility in your network? View the recorded webinar here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/551673297

Riverbed releases new Branch-office-in-a-box solution! http://bit.ly/xktNuj And...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:57:46 -0500

Riverbed releases new Branch-office-in-a-box solution! http://bit.ly/xktNuj And “Granite” makes true storage consolidation possible.

Riverbed RiOS 7.0...to upgrade or not to upgrade, that is the FAQ

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By Steve Evans

Riverbed is always adding new features. Given their position in the magic “squares”, I’d expect them to be leading innovation. But with such frequent upgrades, do you upgrade or not? The new RiOS 7.0 has some stellar features that one could very well take advantage of. And that really is the answer. Can you take advantage of the new features? If not, maybe you should wait. Riverbed maintains several “tracks” of code so you should never be compelled to upgrade to a new major version just to stay current. Your current major version is also being kept up to date with bug fixes and minor enhancements. The following are all currently maintained major RiOS versions: 6.5, 6.1, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, and 4.1.

Although I’ve had some recommend upgrading to the latest code, I prefer the more conservative route of upgrading to the latest code in the current release unless you are looking to gain access to features of a new major version. Below is a list I compiled of the new features for 6.0, 6.1, 6.5, and 7.0 to help you decide if you would like to jump up to one of the newer versions. If you are not interested in taking advantage of any of these new features, I recommend the latest RiOS version at your major release level. If you would like some help deciding whether you need to upgrade, feel free to contact us and we’ll do a personalized assessment for you.

How about those engineering releases? Are those safe? Unlike the “Official Release” versions, the engineering releases have not yet undergone extensive Q&A testing. However, usually they are worth considering due to the bug fixes they provide. In my conversations with Riverbed engineers, I’m always encouraged to upgrade to the latest engineering release if it is available. Although I’ve never yet had a problem upgrading to the latest engineering release code, if you’re not currently having any problems, it’s probably best to stay on the “Official Release” version which has been extensively run through their Q&A process. However, if you do upgrade and have an issue, don’t forget that the Riverbed allows you to easily boot back into the previous version.

So what’s the verdict? Upgrade or not? The answer is “Yes!” Decide if you need the new features of a major version, and if you do, upgrade. If not, upgrade to the latest code in your current track. And as always, backup your configuration before an upgrade and read the release notes!

Happy Upgrading!

New Feature Summary for RiOS versions 6.0, 6.1, 6.5, and 7.0:

RiOS 6.0:

Branch Warming Support - Branch warming keeps track of data segments created while a Steelhead Mobile user is in a Steelhead appliance-enabled branch office and sends the new data back to the Mobile laptop. When the user goes back on the road, they receive warm performance.
SSL Server IP Auto-discovery -This feature enables Steelhead appliances to automatically discover servers that map to a particular certificate, greatly increasing the usability of configuring SSL. Also, new servers added to the SSL cluster are discovered automatically without Steelhead administrator intervention.
SSL Distributed Termination - RiOS Version 6.0 changes how Steelhead appliances handle SSL client reuse messages to provide both scaling and latency benefits
Secure Peering over SSL - In RiOS Version 6.0, you have the option to use SSL to protect optimized traffic between Steelhead appliances. You can choose to use SSL to encrypt traffic between Steelhead appliances for SSL traffic only, for Secure Applications (MAPI and signed SMB traffic), or for all optimized connections. This feature provides an alternative to IPSEC for protecting Steelhead-to-Steelhead traffic.
Expanded WAN Visibility Mode Options – Adds a “Full Transparency with Reset” for use with stateful firewalls. When running in Full Transparency mode, some stateful firewalls see the probe and inner connection setup sequence as a potential attack, and as a result, drop the connection. In RiOS Version 6.0, the WAN visibility mode Full Transparency with Reset enables the Steelhead appliance to send an RST (reset connection flag) between the probe and inner connection setup. This clears the state on firewalls and enables the inner connection setup to succeed. Note: Full Transparency with Reset mode is not guaranteed to work with all firewalls.
Health Check - A new Health Check report that provide you with the ability to perform simple checks (such as cable swap and gateway ping tests). Health checks enable you to perform basic troubleshooting tasks and provides event information.
Oracle Forms Support for Sun JRE and 12i - RiOS Version 6.0 support for Oracle Forms extends to include Oracle server 12i and the Sun JRE for all modes of deployment of Oracle Forms (native, HTTP and HTTPS).
Centralized Print Optimizations - RiOS Version 6.0 optimizes print traffic that spools across the WAN to a Windows print server in a datacenter.
HTTP Object Prefetch Table - Enhanced HTTP object prefetch provides the same benefits as a dual-ended object cache. HTTP object prefetch provides optimization for all Web applications (Sharepoint, SAP, and so forth).
SMB Signing Improvements - RiOS Version 6.0 simplifies configuration of SMB signing and provides support for multiple-domains (that is, where the client and server are in separate domains
Citrix Enhancements - QoS and Unwrap - RiOS Version 6.0 provides the following enhancements for Citrix ICA traffic:
- The ability to decompress and decrypt ICA traffic and provide bandwidth optimizations to the ICA traffic.
- Classifying different ICA virtual channels and tying it to the Steelhead QoS so that high priority real time traffic (like keystrokes and screen refreshes) from one user will not be negatively affected by lower priority high throughput traffic (like print traffic).
Improvements to the Riverbed Services Platform (RSP) - RSP improvements include the following features:
- Backup and Restore. RiOS Version 6.0 enables you to back up your RSP slots for restoration at a later time either to the same device or to replicate this configuration across multiple devices.
- Enhanced disk support. RiOS Version 6.0 allows the you to add one or more disks to a virtual machine as well as providing the ability to grow (expand the capacity) an existing pre-allocated disk.
- Virtual In-Path support for Optimization VNIs. RiOS Version 6.0 supports virtual in-path setups (like WCCP) for packages that use optimization VNIs (for example, a security or monitoring solution).
- Enhanced watchdog. In RiOS Version 6.0, a package creator can provide a heartbeat that is constantly monitored to determine if a package is running.
Current Connections Report - The enhanced Current Connections report displays the connections that are intercepted by the Steelhead appliance, including more detail on the connections that are passed through unoptimized. The new level of detail displays whether a connection is intentionally or unintentionally being passed through and exactly what real-time condition is causing the pass-through status. The Current Connections report contains two tables: one summarizing the current connection activity and another displays information about individual connections.
Pass-through Connection Resets - This feature enables one to reset a selected connection from the pass-through connection report.
Management Access Control List (Management ACL) - Steelhead appliances are subject to the network policies defined by a corporate security policy, particularly in large networks. Using a Management ACL, you can restrict inbound IP access to a Steelhead appliance, protecting it from access by hosts that do not have permission without using a separate device (such as a router or firewall). You can specify which hosts or groups of hosts can access and manage a Steelhead appliance by IP address (and other IP parameters), simplifying the integration of Steelhead appliances into your network. You can also change the standard management ports to match your corporate standards.
XML/SOAP API - RiOS Version 6.0 provides a SOAP server to handle HTTP requests that conform to the SOAP specification. The API enables you to access configuration and management commands. For detailed information, see the Steelhead Appliance API Guide.
Improved Logging - RiOS Version 6.0 offers numerous logging improvements, including the following:
- More detailed log messages with event severity, timestamp, appliance identifier, process or user responsibility, change in appliance status, and event description.
- Consolidated log message that identifies the issue or event.
- User-definable logging level for each feature. For example, an administrator can select one or more application blades and one or more processes.
- Nested filtering enables you to easily filter logs by multiple parameters.
- Improved log export functionality that enables you to generate a bundle that includes all logs, dumps, and configuration files.
Improved SNMP MIB Coverage – RiOS Version 6.0 expands MIB coverage to include the following traps:
- User Login/Logout
- User Entering Configuration Mode
- New User Created
- Device Configuration Locally Changed
- Device Configuration Saved Locally
- TCPDump Configured/Started
- Power Supply Failure
Cascade v9 and NetFlow v9 Support - Cascade v9 and NetFlow v9 on Steelhead appliances always track both ingress and egress traffic on specified interfaces. These flow formats send enough data for a full picture of network traffic to be generated from a single Steelhead appliance without needing correlating flows from peer appliances. Cascade v9 adds Steelhead-specific data fields that include information on which Steelhead optimized the connection and the peer with which it optimized.
Mac CIFS clients - Mac clients can now benefit from faster WAN access to Windows file shares.
SNMP v3 Support - SNMPv3 provides the infrastructure for authentication and privacy via the User-based Security Model (USM), and a much richer access control using the View Based Access Control Mechanism (VACM). Using SNMPv3 is more secure than SNMP v1 or v2.
Adaptive Data Streamlining - RiOS Version 6.0 provides the following enhancements:
- SDR-M optional per in-path rule. This feature enables you to configure SDR-M specific to a source, destination, subnet, and port using an in-path rule. This feature is useful in hybrid environments that include thin client traffic (such as ICA, Terminal Services, and RDP) in conjunction with regular traffic (such as MAPI, CIFS, and HTTP).
- SDR-Adaptive. This feature enables consistently high LAN-side throughput while delivering consistent data reduction. This feature is useful in branch scale-in environments at the data center as well as providing a replication solution between data centers.

RiOS 6.1:

MAPI Encryption for Windows 7 - RiOS version 6.1 now supports encrypted MAPI traffic for Windows 7 clients via Kerberos constrained delegation and cross-domain trust.
Exchange 2010 Support - This feature includes support for Exchange 2010 server and the corresponding Outlook clients.
Multi-Inpath WCCP - This feature includes support for multiple interfaces on a Steelhead appliance to participate in WCCP groups on one or more routers.
HTTP Authorization Optimizations - HTTP optimization includes support for SharePoint 2007, along with more and improved configuration settings to tune a particular subnet dynamically, with no service restart required. Authentication settings include
- Support for an unauthenticated connection to serve prefetched objects, as long as the connection belongs to a session whose base connection is already authenticated.
- Ability to force NTLM authentication In the case of negotiated Kerberos and NTLM authentication.
- Ability to remove all credentials from the request on an already authenticated connection. This works around Internet Explorer behavior that re-authorizes connections that have previously been authorized.
- Ability to prevent a WAN round trip by issuing the first 401 containing the realm choices from the client-side Steelhead appliance.
SRDF/A and FCIP Storage Optimizations - RiOS version 6.1 provides two new storage module optimization features:
- SRDF/A optimization increases the data reduction LAN-to-WAN ratio with either equal or greater data throughput in environments with SRDF traffic and delivers the data to the TCP consumer without compromising data integrity.
- FCIP optimization increases the data reduction LAN-to-WAN ratio with either equal or greater data throughput in environments with SRDF traffic. This feature includes support for V-Max-to-VMax traffic optimization.
Windows 2008 R2 Support - RiOS version 6.1 supports domain security in both native and mixed modes for Windows 2008 R2. It also supports delegation for users that are in domains trusted by the server’s domain. In addition, it now automatically updates the delegate user in Active Directory with delegation rights to servers, streamlining configuration.
Riverbed Services Platform High Availability - A new high availability feature in RSP allows you to automatically copy specific RSP slots on a Steelhead appliance (source) to another Steelhead appliance (target). If the source Steelhead appliance ever fails, you can replace its slots with the slot functionality using the cloned slots on the target Steelhead appliance.
MAPI Admission Control - When the MAPI optimized connections have exceeded the admission control maximum threshold of 85%, RiOS now passes through new MAPI connection clients but continues to intercept and optimize existing MAPI connection clients.
Fast Directory Browsing - Provides CIFS extended directory caching to enhance directory browsing over the WAN.
In-Path MSP Management - Provides a way to configure a secondary MIP interface that you can reach through the physical in-path LAN and WAN interfaces. Configuring a secondary MIP interface allows management of Steelhead appliances from a private network while maintaining a logical separation of network traffic.
Lotus Notes Pull Replication - A new Lotus Notes pull replication feature allows the current Steelhead appliance to request information from the source Steelhead appliance. The request specifies the information that the current Steelhead appliance needs, based on its knowledge of changes already received from the source Steelhead appliance and from all other domain controllers in the domain. When the current Steelhead appliance receives information from the source, it updates that information. The current Steelhead appliance’s next request to the source Steelhead appliance excludes the information that has already been received and applied.
Passthrough Automatic Kickoff - Provides a way to reset established connections per in-path rule to force them to go through the connection creation process again.
HP ProCurve Support - The Steelhead appliance on HP ProCurve takes IT consolidation to the next level, where the Steelhead appliance is actually integrated into the network switch. Using HP Transparent Mode technology, Riverbed seamlessly integrates with the HP zl series switches and HP ONE service modules to provide WAN acceleration inside HP ProCurve switches.

RiOS 6.5

QoS Enhancements
- Simplified setup – This is a Basic QoS configuration page streamlines setup for networks that require minimal configuration of network traffic.
- AppFlow Engine (AFE) – This allows for advanced classification and shaping of network traffic. The Steelhead inspects classification rules for information within the TCP/UDP payload. With AFE, QoS can identify applications accurately and differentiate applications that use the same port on the same server. For example, Sharepoint and Microsoft Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) can use port 80 on the same server. Once an application is identified, you can place into different classes for QoS enforcement. AFE identification is similar to deep packet inspection (DPI) because it identifies applications based on patterns. This approach allows you to more accurately identify modern applications than signature-based DPI methods by being aware of the more complex ways they communicate and the dependencies between multiple flows.
- Port label handling – This allows you to specify a port range for more efficient port handling.
- Connection tracking for pass-through traffic – This eliminates per-packet inspection of flow oriented traffic, thereby enhancing performance.
- Rule hierarchy – This allows you to increase the number of rules per site.
- Site awareness – This improves performance and scalability in multi-site configurations.
Satellite Optimization – This feature includes adaptive-TCP optimization to better utilize bandwidth over lossy links with high latency and deliver resiliency in the face of packet loss. This release also offers improved support for SCPS interoperability.
IPv6 Management Support - Steelheads can now receive, process, and forward IPv6 packets. This allows them to interface with other systems and protocols in a manner similar to that of IPv4.
CIFS SMB2 Support - All of the currently provided CIFS SMB latency optimizations in the Steelhead are now provided for native SMBv2.
SMB2 Signing Support - This feature includes support for end-to-end client-server SMB2 signing.
Outlook Anywhere Optimization - This feature includes support for Outlook Anywhere optimization and automatic detection of RPC-over-HTTP(S) connections. In addition, you can select a new Outlook Anywhere latency optimization policy for in-path rules to activate RPC over HTTP(S) optimization on matching connections.
Citrix ICA - This feature uses the RC5 algorithm to encrypt the ICA protocol, securing communication sent between a MetaFrame Presentation Server and a client.
In-Path Interfaces Page - The Steelhead Management Console now includes an In-Path Interfaces page that includes a checkbox to enable Link State Propagation.
SSL Client Side Support - This feature includes support for optimizing SSL environments that use client-side SSL certificates to authenticate clients in addition to authenticating servers by the use of SSL certificates.
MAPI v2 Prepopulation - The Steelhead now includes support for MAPI v2 prepopulation.
SCEP/CRL GUI Support - You can now use the Steelhead Management Console for SCEP/CRL management in addition to the Command Line Interface (CLI).
Selective Optimization for SRDF - Delivers higher levels of performance, visibility and control of EMC’s SRDF enterprise SAN replication protocol. Includes the ability to track and tune optimization for SRDF on a per RDF-group basis, thereby increasing the overall optimization and performance of SRDF traffic and ultimately leading to improved Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).

RiOS 7.0

Acceleration of End-to-End Video Solutions - With stream splitting technology, also known as application layer multicasting, a single video stream can serve a large number of viewers in a particular location. When these new optimizations are combined with data streamlining to store on-demand videos in branch locations, QoS to prioritize bandwidth utilization, and prepositioning to proactively improve users’ video experience, Riverbed provides a robust video solution for the enterprise. These live and on-demand optimization capabilities also leverage current partnerships with leading video content management solutions providers such as Polycom, Adobe, Qumu and MediaPlatform. With these integrated solutions, organizations can not only enhance video production and content management but also delivery and distribution.
- Optimizations for Adobe Video Solutions - Native stream splitting for Adobe Flash over HTTP allowing the effective delivery of multimedia communication and collaboration solutions to remote employees for live broadcasts as well as videos on demand.
- Live Video Stream Splitting for Microsoft Silverlight - Organizations using Microsoft Silverlight can now use more video, effectively without increasing bandwidth capacity or negatively impacting the performance of other applications.
UDP Optimization – Now optimize applications that run on both TCP/IP and UDP, including replication solutions.
IPv6 - As IPv6 is adopted, RiOS 7.0 ensures organizations can take advantage of bandwidth optimization for UDP traffic and TCP over IPv6
ICA over SSL Optimization – Adds SSL to the available transport for ICA.
Client drive mapping - enables organizations to optimize content accessed directly from a thin client, including thumb drives.
On Demand Packet Capture - allows customers with Cascade Pilot to leverage Steelhead appliances in branch offices for on-demand packet capture and remote analysis.
Encrypted Lotus Notes – Organizations that have embraced Lotus Notes can now accelerate Encrypted Lotus Notes traffic.
Microsoft Online Services Optimization – Riverbed can now deliver increased performance for messaging and collaboration solutions, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Office Live.
End-to-End Kerberos Authentication Support – Riverbed can now optimize applications that utilize the Kerberos authentication standard, which is used by Microsoft applications and platforms including Active Directory and Windows Server.
Native Skipware Integration - Riverbed’s Skipware® software now integrates directly with RiOS 7.0. Skipware is based on the proprietary commercial implementation of the Space Communications Protocol Standard (SCPS), which has become the de facto standard for US Department of Defense satellite networking environments.

Tags: Riverbed, Industry Trends, WAN acceleration, WAN optimization

How Different Traffic Shapers Prioritize Data

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

By David Mackey

We at VistaOne like to educate customers on available solutions to ensure through collaboration, we employ the best solution for the problem and the environment. VistaOne engineer Jim Dixon recently described the way several traffic shapers prioritize network data.

Blue Coat PacketShaper
PacketShaper allows the management of aggregate class traffic through the use of “partitions” or virtual pipes. Traffic in a partition can have both a guaranteed minimum and a capped maximum. Individual flows or connections can also be controlled with the use of policies. It’s also possible to shape or control on a per host basis with the use of “Dynamic Sub-Partitions”. PacketShaper’s shaping mechanism is TCP Rate Control and works by manipulating TCP rather than directly dropping packets.

Exinda
Exinda also allows for the management of aggregate traffic via guaranteed minimums and capped maximums. With Exinda, this can be done either with a virtual circuit, which is similar to the PacketShaper partition, or on separate classifications of traffic called policies within a virtual circuit. Exinda also does per host shaping they call Dynamic Virtual Circuits.

In addition, it’s possible do shaping or control based on total accumulated bandwidth per host. For example, I could set a bandwidth limit of a gig a day per host and drop the connection rate for hosts who exceed that daily limit. Both policies and virtual circuits can be scheduled and thus different policy can be in effect during business and after hours. Exinda uses its own implementation of Hierarchical Token Bucket Queuing for control.

Procera PacketLogic
Procera has a unique approach of allowing an individual connection to be classified more than once. This allows for per host, or even per connection policy to be in effect at the same time a global policy is in effect on the same type of traffic. So it’s possible to limit each P2P connection to 1k and also limit all P2P to 1M, etc. With Procera, traffic can be classified by application attribute (for example, HTTP URL or server host name) and even behavior (streaming, download, random looking/encrypted).

Procera can classify connections based on their client or server roles. It’s possible to limit (or block) local hosts when they are acting as servers but allow client connections on those same hosts for the same application.

Procera can also do volume-based shaping or bandwidth budgeting for a given time period and drop back connection rates when hosts exceed their budget. Policy scheduling is also very easy and can include events as well as regular schedules. Procera uses its own sophisticated multiple-queue “Leaky Bucket” queuing algorithm for control.

NAC can be simple, unobtrusive, up-to-date and inexpensive to operate

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By David Mackey

Impulse Point calls their NAC solution Safe•Connect. It accomplishes the same objectives expressed by the well-known brands: role-based user and device authentication that audits for proper malware protection and software security updates, quarantines non-compliant endpoints and automates remediation. It just does it in different ways—ways a growing number of EDU network managers believe are better.

A pre-configured appliance and software bundle, Safe•Connect installs into an existing multi-vendor network infrastructure in hours (not days) without touching anything—no network upgrades or changes; no continuous manipulation of network switches. Its software-based architecture creates a vendor-agnostic NAC solution that scales easily.

Layer 3 (network path) operation with Layer 2 (physical addressing) quarantine
Operating out-of-band, the Safe•Connect Policy Enforcer sits on premises connected to the organization’s existing Layer3 switch/router. Active only during authentication, it passes traffic as a bridge or router after admission. It doesn’t introduce latency, create bottlenecks or cause maintenance-driven network outages.

Endpoint devices connecting to the network are intercepted, authenticated, presented with the network’s acceptable use policies, and issued a lightweight software Policy Key. The solution provides continuous policy assessment and delivers real‐time Layer2 quarantine isolation while allowing the quarantined device to communicate with the remediation services needed to restore network privileges.

Simple centralized management
A single Policy Enforcer can manage network access policies for more than 10,000 endpoint devices. Additional units can be added as needed. The entire system is managed centrally through the Safe•Connect Policy Management Console. Connecting remote offices and locations to manage LAN access policies from a central point becomes plug-and-play.

Administrators can select from a series of pre-configured policies on authentication, anti-virus or anti-spyware protection, patch maintenance levels, and peer-to-peer file sharing, or create their own using the custom policy builder module.

The Policy Management Console displays real-time status reporting to provide valuable insight into group or individual policy compliance. The help desk can immediately view the security posture and login status of any device on the network by searching IP, MAC address, or user name. It also provides historical data for trend analysis, compliance auditing and archiving.

With Impulse Point, support is a complete managed service
Impulse Point covers Safe•Connect with the industry’s only Managed Support Service. They monitor the health of the system from the Impulse Support Center and the company takes responsibility for delivering all necessary hardware and software maintenance, problem determination and resolution, and feature enhancements for the first year as part of the purchase price.

While competitors offer workarounds, Impulse Point vigilantly maintains up‐to‐date support for the most current device operating systems, anti‐virus applications and other endpoint security software. They guarantee customer updates within 48 hours. Maintenance also comes with lifetime hardware upgrades.

VistaOne now has a knack for NAC
When you look at the whole package, you can see why we think Safe•Connect delivers the best value of the NAC appliances. The next step, in progress at Impulse Point, is integration with your traffic shaper. That marriage will allow you to control beyond what individual users can access to how much in the way of resources they can consume with what applications and devices.

Get started now. You can replace your existing NAC solution with Safe•Connect and get the remaining balance of annual maintenance PLUS an additional year of maintenance at no extra cost through January 31, 2012.

First things first. Ask us for a personalized demo of Safe•Connect and find out how simple NAC can be.

Riverbed Leads the Pack in WAN Optimization.

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By David Mackey

You already know Riverbed has long been the WAN Optimization leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant.

Now they sell more appliances and virtual solutions than all their competitors combined.

The above graph is part of a larger report by Gartner. Contact Riverbed for the complete report.

Riverbed doesn’t dominate the field because they have the most magnetic marketing or the most efficient channel or the best financial backing. They lead because they demonstrate results. They say they can improve throughput to 7x and cut bandwidth consumption 90% and then prove it time and again.

Riverbed’s Steelhead products provide the most comprehensive approach to application acceleration and disaster recovery for any organization’s WAN. They go beyond simple optimization to help make IT infrastructure run faster, better, and more securely — in the data center, at a branch office, on a worker’s laptop, and in public and private clouds.

No stranger to the cloud, Riverbed’s Whitewater provides organizations with a fast, secure and cost-efficient method of integrating cloud storage into their existing backup infrastructure and disaster recovery strategies.

Riverbed Cascade provides application-aware network traffic management that enables end-to-end visibility into the performance of critical business applications. Cascade integrates end-to-end monitoring with deep packet capture and packet analysis for proactive alerting and robust network troubleshooting.

In fact, you could make a solid case that Riverbed understands packet capture and analysis better than any other company. They’ve brought together the three leading innovators in the field – Steve McCanne, co-creator of TCPDUMP, Loris Degioanni, inventor of WinPcap and Gerald Combs, creator of Wireshark – to continue the advancement of network performance management.

Riverbed’s most recent acquisition, Zeus software, helps enterprises to deliver fast, secure and available applications across any combination of physical, virtual and cloud infrastructures with a single point of application delivery control and monitoring. Zeus Traffic Manager will deploy on an enterprise’s own hardware or hypervisor, or in public, private, or hybrid cloud environments.

VistaOne proudly represents Riverbed as a value-added reseller, service provider and authorized training partner. Contact VistaOne for Riverbed products,services, and training.

Tired of Service Calls about Network Access (NAC) Problems?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By David Mackey

Your network access controller (NAC) shouldn’t cause more problems than it solves. If fact, once policies have been fully established, you shouldn’t have to think much about it at all.

Replace your existing NAC solution with Safe•Connect and get the remaining balance of annual maintenance PLUS an additional year of maintenance at no extra cost through January 31, 2012.

We’ve heard complaints on quite a few campuses and read the gripes on the forums.

“The college uses the ‘Bradford Campus Manager’ as its new DHCP server, and it doesn’t use the right kind of flag for Vista.”

“Apple based systems are currently getting placed into a ROGUE status on the resnet network. We are working to resolve this issue but in the meanwhile please submit a problem ticket to register your Mac.”

“The requirement the agent lists is ‘Windows Updates XP’ and doesn’t provide any other information. I’ve updated my Office and everything (and) installed every update, optional or high priority and have had no success. My network administrator has been inaccessible for a period of time and hasn’t responded to my queries after they were stumped on the issue.”

“We Cisco customers are growing increasingly tired of buying equipment that is end-of-lifed in a very short space of time. It’s looking like we paid over $20K for a failed beta product from Cisco, AGAIN.”

VistaOne has partnered with a company called Impulse Point because they demonstrated that NAC can be simpler and faster with a lower total cost of operation.

Their Safe•Connect™ network access control (NAC) solution provides endpoint security policy enforcement for large, diverse environments with myriad personally‐owned, non‐managed, mobile computing devices. With real-time problem determination and resolution, Safe•Connect truly automates user authentication, device compliance scanning and out-of-band quarantine and remediation.

Its ease of installation and scaling, independence from other network functions and track record of reducing help desk calls all contribute to lower total cost of ownership and fewer headaches.

Riverbed’s New Cascade Pilot takes Wireshark to a New DPI Level

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By David Mackey

You’re going to want to evaluate this amazing time saver.

Last week I was visiting a customer as a follow up to a Riverbed Steelhead installation we had implemented on his network weeks before. He showed me reports that revealed a 40% reduction in bandwidth usage worldwide and a marked improvement in the delivery of their ERP application to offices in Europe and Asia.

I knew my friend had been a consistent user of Wireshark for troubleshooting performance complaints and bottlenecks on the WAN. He was vaguely aware that Riverbed had acquired one of the popular packet capture analysis tools and I told him I was curious to see how the new Cascade Pilot would function in an authentic enterprise network.

“Good timing,” he said. “I just ran a trace for a recurring slowdown the London branch has been grouchy about. Unfortunately it’s a pretty big file, five gigs, unfiltered. I hope you have some time to wait.”

We downloaded a thirty-day trial of Riverbed’s Cascade Pilot software. We were both blown away when Pilot pulled the big file in less than ten seconds. “This could limit my coffee breaks,” my buddy said.

Once the trace file was imported, we applied the Bandwidth over Time graph. It clearly showed a spike in network throughput and the exact time the spike occurred. We highlighted the spike and applied the network usage graph.

This permitted us to drill into that spike and see what applications were consuming the bandwidth when it happened. The majority of the traffic was HTTP so we applied the web objects report to that same spike and sorted the results by maximum server time.

Viewing the duration of each web object, my friend selected the slowest object and exported just the packets involved in loading that object to Wireshark for DPI and decoding. Wireshark filtered that one web object out of the millions of packets in this trace file in about 3 seconds. “I knew it wasn’t the network,” my buddy said. “This could be a HUGE time saver. I wonder if it works in real time.”

It does. And it does it especially well with Riverbed’s high performance Cascade Shark packet capture appliances with multi-gigabyte distributed analysis that eliminates the need to export large trace files across the network to be analyzed locally. Cascade Shark can increase the breadth and depth of my customer’s analysis with no packet drops and deliver faster and better alerts.

You’ve got to see this thing. Evaluate it for thirty days.

Video & software updates devouring your bandwidth?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By David Mackey

You’ve seen a marked rise in video use for both instruction and entertainment. And you see the same software updates come through for every desktop on your WAN. Software updates by Microsoft and others make up a surprisingly significant percentage of all Internet traffic.

Here’s another reason to consider updating your traffic shaper. The new version of the Exinda OS includes acceleration via edge caching.

Exinda’s unified performance management (UPM) solution assembles a suite of advanced DPI visibility, traffic shaping and WAN optimization technologies into a single appliance with a simple GUI. The latest release expands optimization scalability, significantly increasing the number of accelerated connections per appliance. Most models can reach 10Gbps throughput.

Edge Cache
The Exinda Edge Cache improves the speed and performance of Internet applications by locally caching video, images and other regularly requested content from the Internet. Using a single appliance at the branch or data center, IT departments can download once, and pre-populate content such as software updates in the cache. Caching can be turned on per policy, allowing Exinda administrators to choose exactly the types of files they want to cache.

By eliminating repetitive downloads, the Exinda Edge Cache dramatically improves the speed and performance of Internet applications. Users have seen as much as 80% reduction in http traffic over the WAN, and more than 35% reduction in video and other content.

Network Intelligence
It also offers cache statistics such as how cacheable the network data is, how frequently the cache is being accessed and by how many hosts, helping organizations to understand the nature of their network traffic over time. Combining QoS, caching and the proper visibility to understand the behavior and utilization of the network gives organizations a complete robust solution.

Get a look at all the new features in Exinda’s latest operating system. Request a hands-on demonstration and conversation.

Support a Worthy Cause and Enjoy a Pro Soccer Match in the Bargain

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By Mike Callahan

I am a professional soccer player with the Richmond Kickers as well as the Community Relations Coordinator for VistaOne. While our main focus at VistaOne is improving network performance, we place a great deal of importance on giving back to the Richmond Community. I wanted to share with you some of the work we have been doing as well as respectfully ask for your support.

The first focus of our program is on the underserved youth in Richmond who often miss out on fun and unique opportunities. VistaOne and the Kickers have teamed up to address this problem and provide the hopefully sustainable experiences that these children deserve. To get a better idea for what our program is all about, please check out this link to the Richmond Kickers website.

Our second focus is on Special Olympians, which is where we would love to get your and your associates’ help. VistaOne is sponsoring a “Special Olympics Night” at the Kickers home game on July 22nd against the LA Blues. While we expect the pro game to generate its normal enthusiasm, it’s the Special Halftime contest where we need the heartiest fan support!

We’ll have a pre-game party for everyone and your kids are welcome to take the field before and after the game with ALL the athletes, Kickers and Olympians! Simply put, we want to put as many people in the stands as possible to give these athletes the support and recognition that they deserve. Get more information and reserve your tickets to this great event.

Please feel free to email or call me (804-479-7702) if you have any ideas for projects we could work on together or if you simply want to bring some employees out to any game! Thank you for taking the time to read this and for making the Richmond community a better place!

6 New Reasons for Traffic Shaping and Acceleration with Exinda

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

By David Mackey

With 70% year-over-year growth, Exinda has been making serious inroads into network application delivery enhancement with their Unified Performance Management version of WAN optimization. UPM displays every application that is traversing the network, identifies individual users, pinpoints the origin of traffic and communicates the amount of bandwidth consumed. Then it provides tools for practical prioritization, secure control and acceleration.

The just-introduced operating system version, ExOS 6.1, elevates the platform further introducing the Exinda Edge Cache™ and four other feature enhancements and functions. In addition, the company launched Network Reporting Center, an advanced solution for real-time troubleshooting and historical reporting of all applications on an organization’s WAN and Internet connections.

Together, they provide six new reasons to put Exinda on the short list of any organization looking to initiate WAN optimization or replace an outdated shaping device:

1. Edge Cache
The Exinda Edge Cache enables single-sided caching of Internet-based content, including web objects, videos and software updates with a single Exinda appliance at the branch office or data center, dramatically reducing bandwidth usage and costs. Web objects are cached at the network edge as they are downloaded from the Internet. These objects can then be delivered to the users on the corporate local area network much faster.

2. Scalability Enhancements for Optimization
Under the new OS, administrators can expect to double the number of connections supported for acceleration by any Exinda appliance. Organizations can add more users without hardware upgrades.

3. IPv6 Support
Exinda now supports native IPv6 connectivity, visibility and control. Administrators can netflow export IPv6 traffic information such as layer 7 application ID and application performance metrics—jitter, loss and latency—for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic.

4. Enhanced Network Health Alerting
Administrators can institute alerts based on individual metrics such as:

packet retransmissions and losses
TCP connections started, refused, aborted or ignored by the server
network server and transaction delays for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic

5. Updated L7 Application Signatures
With every release Exinda continues to add and improve its L7 inspection engine. With ExOS 6.1, Exinda has added over a dozen new signatures and updated more than 50 existing signatures.

6. Network Reporting Center
The advanced Network Reporting Center delivers comprehensive network diagramming and long-term historical trending and analytics to enable network managers to get a complete view of their entire worldwide network.

NRC goes beyond port and protocol reporting to show the actual applications and users consuming network resources. Network managers have the tools to monitor overall network performance, analyze historical data to anticipate problems, identify key trends in performance and address them before they impact the user experience.

Once installed on the WAN, NRC collects network data from the Exinda appliance in each location, including head office and branches, and consolidates the data into a single, centralized reporting dashboard. NRC provides granular, by-the-minute reporting in real time, as well as up to two years of historical data on the applications traversing the network. The NRC is offered as a cloud solution or as an on-site virtual appliance.

Request a personalized demo of Exinda products.