iBypass HD: High Port Density Bypass Switch

Building a comprehensive monitoring access platform into the core fabric of the network is a critical component for modern data centers to meet the demand to make them more agile, flexible, healthy and secure. As business requirements evolve, so must the data center infrastructure. Monitoring access is a fundamental requirement in today’s data centers for a wide variety of applications. The new iBypass HD solution further extends the flexibility of the Net Optics monitoring access platform to meet virtually any monitoring access requirement.

The iBypass HD (High Density) is a high port density bypass switch for in-line network security appliances, such as intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and firewalls. In order to ensure link protection when monitoring up to eight critical network links, each of the two to eight segments operates independently. Individual and multi-segment IPS appliances can be connected, maintained, or removed without affecting traffic through the links or the operation of the remaining segments. Pairs of bypass switches can be linked in a high-availability configuration, where failure of one appliance results in auto-failover to the other. The iBypass HD includes Net Optics Heartbeat™ technology, which actively monitors the health of attached in-line monitoring devices by injecting a configurable Heartbeat packet into the monitoring port link. The Heartbeat packet helps determine the availability of attached monitoring tools or network delay due to heavy traffic loads.

To learn more see our press release.

Laura Chappell's Summit 09

Laura Chappell, a leader in the network security industry, will be at Net Optics December 7th through the 9th, holding her Summit '09. The three-day summit will combine lecture with hands-on lab exercises along with “scenario-based” procedures based in three unique network assignment packets. Dennis Carpio, Net Optics Director of Product Innovation, will provide an overview of monitoring-access methodologies and how these solutions were deployed in case studies. Gerald Combs, creator of Ethereal and Wireshark, will discuss Wireshark's latest features and will be available for Q & A. Chappell chose Net Optics for her Summit because of the synergy between the Net Optics product line and her network security and forensics curriculum. Net Optics products provide visibility for Wireshark and other tools used for network-traffic analysis.

As a special bonus, all Summit 09 attendees receive a full licensed copy of NetScanTools Pro.
 For more information, click here.

Telco Case Study

Cell phone and “smart” phone usage is escalating rapidly thanks to the implementation of new 3G and 4G technologies by telecommunications companies (telcos). Users have embraced and are now heavily relying on the voice, video, and data services provided by these new technologies.

One large provider of telecommunications services realized that maintaining a high level of QoS and accurate tracking and billing would be key issues in designing their 3G/4G infrastructure. The network architects needed a reliable, transparent, and cost-effective monitoring access solution for IP traffic.

Net Optics proposed a Monitoring Access Platform™ (MAP) within the core network infrastructure and Director™ was placed at the center of the platform. The Net Optics solution reduced the complexity of the network and increased the reliability. Read more about Net Optics’ solution for telecommunications companies in our Telco Case Study.

Director Xstream & iLink Agg Xstream

High-speed 10G networks are increasingly being deployed as multi-protocol traffic dramatically escalates. Net Optics has developed two new products, Director Xstream and iLink Agg Xstream, to offer 10G networks an intelligent, efficient, and flexible monitoring access platform. The Net Optics Xstream products offer a more cost effective monitoring access point for the increasing amount of traffic on 10 Gig network links. They enable IT departments to reduce CAPEX and OPEX costs and, at the same time, improve operational efficiency.

Director Xstream and iLink Agg Xstream offer a variety of features. iLink Agg Xstream has 24 SFP+ ports in which 10G SFP+ transceivers and 1G SFP transceivers can be mixed in any combination. It can aggregate 20 links to 4 tools and has redundant, hot-swappable power supplies. The Director Xstream data monitoring switch comes with 24 ports that can be used for monitor or network connections. It can support 24 network plus 24 tool connections using split cables (RX fiber for network, TX for tool). More details are available in the Director Xstream Data Sheet and iLink Agg Xstream Data Sheet.

Director does Load Balancing

With load balancing, the traffic is split into multiple streams so the data can be processed by two or more tools working in parallel. Director can be used for static load balancing by using filters to take the traffic from any Network Port or aggregated set of Network Ports and distribute it to two to ten Monitor Ports. The load can be balanced by IP address, port, protocol, VLAN, and MAC address, or any other packet header field. Flows are kept intact, ensuring that each tool receives complete "conversations" for analysis. Load Balancing can be used in conjunction with filtering, aggregation, and other Director functions, and multiple Load Balancers can be implemented in a single chassis. For an example of using static load balancing based on the SSRC ID field of an RTP packet stream, download this white paper.

Two 10G Link Aggregators In One!

The new LA-1450 10G/1G Dual Link Aggregator provides two independent 5x2 Link Aggregators in a single package. Like the LA-1400, the LA-1450 offers 10G/1G rate conversion, media conversion with SFP+ network and monitor ports, and plug-and-play, zero-configuration deployment. However, where the LA-1400 aggregates ten links to four monitor ports, the LA-1450 aggregates five links to two monitor ports — twice! It is ideal for monitoring redundant cross-connected switching complexes when it is desired to keep the traffic in each direction separate.

What kind of Tap do I need for my network?

 
Traffic access ports or Taps are important components in any network deployment. They eliminate points of failure, increase the ROI on your monitoring tool investment, and ensure that your monitoring devices can see all of the network traffic.

Taps come in several varieties with different purposes and features. If you are confused about what type of Tap device you need in your network, here is a quick overview of the capabilities each type of Tap provides:

• A standard network Tap provides access into a single network segment and enables you to attach one monitoring device that employs two NICs, one for each of the traffic directions on your full-duplex link.


• Converter Taps provide conversion between different types of media, such as copper and fiber.


• The iTap operates just like a standard Tap, with the extra capabilities of remote management and basic monitoring built directly into the Tap.


• The Regeneration Tap provides the ability to plug in more than one monitoring device. You can access a single network segment and "regenerate" the traffic to multiple monitoring tools.


• A Port Aggregator does essentially the same thing as a Tap; it allows you to access a single network segment. The difference is that you can plug in one or two monitoring devices (depending on the model) and view full duplex traffic with only a single NIC per device, rather than two NICs.


• A Link Aggregator does essentially the reverse of a Regeneration Tap. This device accepts multiple network segments and "aggregates" all the traffic to one to four monitoring devices (depending on the model).


• Our Bypass Switch is specifically designed for deployments of Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and other in-line devices. It is installed in-line on a single network segment and the IPS is attached to the Bypass Switch. If the IPS fails or is removed, the Bypass Switch maintains the network connection while the IPS is offline.


• The Director data monitoring switch is our new, state-of-the-art filtering appliance. It combines many of the functions above, such as tapping, regeneration, and link aggregation while providing Layer 2 to Layer 4 filtering. Several models are available to provide multiple levels of throughput.

If you are using a hub or a Span port to get monitoring access to your network, you need a Tap!

Once you've identified the product you need, visit our website at www.netoptics.com for more comprehensive information.

Indigo Management Software Suite

Net Optics managed iTap-enabled devices - iTaps, iBypass Switches, iMatrix Switches, and Director - are supported with the Indigo^TM management software suite. Indigo tools provide a variety of interfaces to support different user requirements. The main components of Indigo are System Manager, Web Manager, and the command-line interface (CLI).

Indigo System Manager turns a Windows PC into a central console for managing all of the iTap devices on a network. Within System Manager, you can organize your iTap devices in groups based on device type, physical location, or other criteria. A friendly point-and-click GUI gives you instant access to device and link status of any iTap in your network. Another tabbed screen enables you to view and set the iTap configuration parameters.

Watch a video about Indigo System Manager


Indigo Web Manager is a Web micro-site hosted within the iTap device itself. It can be accessed from any Web browser, providing remote manageability from anywhere in the world. A user-friendly GUI makes it easy to view device and link status, to reconfigure the device, and to see RMON statistics about the traffic on any device port.

Watch a video about Indigo Web Manager


The Indigo CLI is a text-based interface familiar to network administrators who work with switches and routers. It is accessed with a terminal emulation program over a local serial link; you can also access the Director CLI remotely with a secure SSH connection. An intuitive object-action syntax enables all of the iTap’s functions and status to be efficiently viewed and controlled, and interaction with TCL and Perl scripts is possible.

Watch a video about the Indigo CLI


Indigo’s rich set of interface options makes it easy and efficient to manage your iTap devices in practically any environment.

For more information

Net Optics Teams with TippingPoint

Net Optics has teamed with TippingPoint, a leader in intrusion prevention, to help enterprises more effectively address their business continuity requirements. Together, we are offering a network monitoring and security solution that combines the Net Optics iBypass Switch with Heartbeat™ technology and TippingPoint Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPSs). The combined solution protects against power, link, and application loss, thereby increasing application availability and network security.
For more information

Director Wins “Best of Show” and “Best of Product ShowNet” at Interop Tokyo

On the heels of last month’s Network Product Guide 2009 Product Innovation Award, the Net Optics Director data monitoring switch has captured two awards at Interop Tokyo. The “Best of Show” award recognizes Director’s outstanding contribution to the IT industry, while the “Best of Product ShowNet” award acknowledges Director’s contribution to keeping the conference network secure and operating at peak performance, in an environment that emphasized Network Virtualization, Cloud Computing, Deployment of IP as typified by Digital Broadcasting, migration to IPv6, and security issues. Congratulations, Director! more...

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