Welcome to NWC's Rolling Reviews, where you can follow key Network Computing Reviews from conception to completion.

NWC's Rolling Reviews present a comprehensive look at a hot technology category, beginning with market analysis and wrapping up with a synopsis of our findings. Our extended testing span lets us accommodate today's accelerated revision cycles and focus our attention on individual products, while maintaining a consistent test bed.

Ongoing Rolling Reviews

Windows 2008 Server

The OS formerly known as Longhorn is ready to run. Should you jump on or get the hell out of its way? We've launched a new type of Rolling Review to find out how Windows Server 2008 stacks up.

Switch Infrastructure

Want cutting-edge capabilities? Then you'd better shop your infrastructure upgrade around. In this Rolling Review, we do just that.

Network Behavior Analysis Systems

Network behavior analysis systems promise to defend your network against unknown attacks. We'll put these claims to the test.

Automated Patch Management Applications

The best medicine for application flaws is automated patch management. To kick off our latest Rolling Review, we'll size up key trends and vendors.

Host-Based NAC

Malware spreads fast, and the best risk management strategy is to not get bitten in the first place. Time to kick off our host-based NAC Rolling Review.

SOA Appliances

As service-oriented architectures move into the IT mainstream, can appliances reduce complexity? We'll find out in our latest Rolling Review.

Out-Of-Band NAC

This Rolling Review will focus on NAC products that are installed out of band from the network and both assess and enforce NAC policies. We will test based on a few common scenarios, such as a conference room that is open to the public, an internal network segment that contains managed computers and a remote worker.

Wi-Fi Location

For this Rolling Review, we issued a request for information to vendors that provide Wi-Fi-based location appliances and/or tags. To be qualified to participate, vendors must offer a Wi-Fi-based location appliance or software module for their WLAN infrastructure product that can tie into third-party applications or network access policies. Rogue Wi-Fi device detection, even if it integrates with external applications, is insufficient. Tag vendors must offer a tag that can be read by standard Wi-Fi access points. Inclusion of additional RF technologies is acceptable.

Completed Rolling Reviews

Holistic Application Performance Management

If you're interested in improving network performance by collecting and analyzing data, there's a wide-ranging field of APM systems to sift through.Over the coming months, we'll review more than a dozen systems, from vendors with varying approaches to the problem, to help you find the right one for your environment.

In-Band NAC

We sent five inline NAC vendor a detailed invitation letter with breakdowns of our equipment and made ourselves available for questions. We asked vendors to supply a solution they would recommend for our test scenario leaving a number of decisions open to them. ConSentry's LANShield Controller, Nevis' LANenforcer, and Vernier's Edgewall are reviewed.

Strategic Security: Web Applications Scanners

As applications evolve, new vulnerabilities emerge. For this Rolling Review series we'll examine how Web application scanners help address the security weaknesses found in RIAs in general, and Ajax in particular.

Database Extrusion Prevention

We asked nine vendors to send us their database extrusion prevention offerings: Application Security, Crossroads Systems, Guardium, Imperva, IPLocks, Pyn Logic, Symantec, Tizor Systems and Transparency Software. We brought their products into the lab and ran them through their paces. Read on for expanded results as well as our Editor's Choice pick and Shortlist.

Enterprise Service Bus Products

In November 2005, we began our quest to find the ultimate ESB (enterprise service bus) suite by issuing an invitation to a dozen vendors. Eight took us up on our challenge and sent software to our Green Bay, Wis., business applications lab, home of our fictional widget maker, NWC Inc.