Radware Offers Software To Detect Network Performance Problems

Radware Ltd. on Monday introduces new software that comes bundled with the company management appliances that's designed to help companies quickly get to the source of network performance problems. APSolute Insite is meant to deliver comprehensive network management and security auditing so IT administrators can manage configuration permissions at a granular level. The software will make it easier control user access to data, helping to enforce and comply with auditing requirements, the company says.

Mercado Libre, an Internet marketplace based in Argentina and the Latin American partner of eBay, is a customer of Radware and plans to install the new software next month as it prepares for a holiday spike in sales. IT director Rodrigo Benzaquen says the enhanced network management capabilities will help now that the marketplace has expanded its network connections from one Internet service provider to three ISPs to order to better fight off denial-of-service attacks. Mercado Libre processes 800,000 transactions per month, and expects traffic to grow. "Managing more than one ISP isn't so easy," says Benzaquen. "With APSolute Insite we hope to manage all three paths better, with integrated views of the app, firewalls, and network switches."

The software offers a new security reporting model to give IT administrators a better view of attack trends and help them pinpoint the genesis of attacks on a geographical map. That should help them design networks, links, and the location of server farms to better fend off attacks. A Site Explorer tool within Insite projects a view of the network's configuration, including the operational status and performance of various network elements. The software comes with any Radware network switch, priced between $8,000 and $70,000, and is aimed at customers with very high throughput requirements like ISPs.

Radware's appliances let network administrators view historical or real-time bandwidth consumption by application, as well as monitor remote network appliances from a central location. They also let administrators delegate network access control to select groups based on pre-defined rules. And more detailed reports help companies comply with regulations like Sarbanes-Oxley.

Many companies today rely on server management tools because they often offer the best views in terms of security and compliance, but they have their limitations, says Gartner analyst Joe Skorupa. "For companies with multivendor servers and networks, network management is too fractioned," he says. "APSolute Insite is a good first offering, added to a good app controller."