NetScout Releases VPN Application Management Tool

NetScout Systems has released an enhancement to its nGenius Performance Management Solution which promises to help IT managers increase the efficiency of applications running in virtual private network (VPN) environments. The new nGenius Site Monitoring and Reporting capability offers greater visibility into applications running in VPNs and more control over how those applications are used and run.

The release comes at a time when VPN use is growing rapidly as enterprises seek to reduce expenses by creating virtual tunnels to route company data and applications through lower-cost access routes like carrier backbones and the public Internet. According to Infonetics Research, end-user demand for VPN services is expected to reach $30.1 billion worldwide, by 2008. However, the same VPN technology that protects the data makes it difficult for IT managers to see, let alone manage and troubleshoot network traffic.

The nGenius Performance Management Solution's new Site Monitoring and Reporting tries to tackle that problem by providing unified insight into applications delivered over IPSec and MPLS VPNs. The new features allow nGenius users to validate prioritization schemes, application flows and QoS levels and monitor network and applications for volume and responsiveness with in-depth packet analysis.

"With the nGenius Solution, enterprises will improve the deployment of VPNs as a result of more comprehensive management information," nScout senior vice president of product operations Michael Szabados said in a statement. "Our CDM technology allows performance metrics from across the enterprise, regardless of infrastructure technologies present, to be integrated within a single view. This unified view of performance helps our customers manage by business priority while maximizing IT investments."

The Site Monitoring and Reporting enhancements are currently available as part of NetScout's nGenius Performance Manager 2.0.1 and nGenius Probe Firmware CDM 2.1.