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nCipher nForce SCSI 300
nCipher scores with its nForce SCSI 300 by providing performance, multiplatform support and seamless integration with the Web server. The nForce SCSI 300 is also the only FIPS-140 Level 2-certified unit in this product group. The module is a SCSI-2-based solution, housed in a physically tamper-resistant case. It supports a number of diverse plat- forms, including HP-UX 10.20/11.0, IBM Corp. AIX 4.2/4.3 and Linux 2.x. It also supports Microsoft Corp. Internet Information Server (IIS) 3.0/4.0, Windows 2000, Netscape Communications Corp. Netscape Enterprise Server 3.6 and Apache 1.3.6 or later. This support far surpasses that of its competitors. We tested the nForce SCSI 300 on our Compaq ProLiant 5500 server running Netscape Enterprise Server 3.63 on NT 4.0.

The nForce SCSI 300 communicates with the server via the SCSI bus. By inserting NSAPI-defined initialization functions, the nForce performs critical cryptographic routines in its hardware rather than letting the Web server perform them in software.

Keys, certificates and other secure information also can be generated and stored in the nForce 300 SCSI 300 via its graphical interface or through its command-line utilities. Private keys are always stored within the unit and are never transmitted outside of the server.

The nForce SCSI 300 appears physically equivalent to the nCipher unit we tested last year (see "Cryptographic Accelerators Provide Quick Encryption," at www.networkcomputing.com/1008/1008r1.html), but the firmware and installation process have been upgraded. We were extremely impressed with the ease of the nForce SCSI 300's installation, from the perspective of both hardware and software. With one SCSI-2 connection and the click of a button, the installation was complete. nCipher's decision to provide its HCM with a SCSI-2 bus connection gives the product an edge over the PCI implementations of the AXL200 PCI Accelerator Card and the Praesidium SpeedCard in the area of scalability. Seven nForce units can be daisy-chained together, while PCI slots are usually limited to four.

Using RadView's WebLoad software to generate peak loads of up to 800 clients, we saw an average improvement of 170 percent in the number of TPS (transactions per second) handled by the Web server when enabled with the nForce SCSI 300. Response time improved as well, dropping from an average of 1.36 seconds to .33 second. The AXL200 PCI Accelerator Card, the other product tested on the NT platform, dropped the Web server's response time to .23 seconds, but AXL200 lacks the overall platform support and installation ease of the nForce SCSI 300.

Although we appreciated the benefits and improvements of the nForce SCSI 300, we disliked its "Morse-code" status lights. The CryptoSwift EN has a visual monitor, capable of being run remotely, that provides a real-time display of the unit's status, including the number of RSA key signings per second. This is much more helpful. The AXL200 PCI Accelerator Card includes command-line diagnostic tools that aid in the product's installation and troubleshooting. Similarly, these are much handier than the status lights on nForce.

nForce SCSI 300, $12,000, nCipher, (800) NCIPHER, (781) 994-4000; fax (781) 994-4001. www.nicpher.com or ussales@ncipher.com