Traffic management tools help boost net performance

Network Instruments this week will roll out the latest version of its flagship network protocol monitoring and analysis tool, which includes features that can help customers pinpoint poorly performing applications running across LANs, WANs and wireless nets.

Observer 9.0, which is available as software and on probe appliances depending on the version, includes features that can spot application performance problems and most accurately identify the source. The application analysis can track an application from server to server and give network managers an application's response time.

"We are offering a higher-level view of the server and letting users drill down to get to the root cause," says Douglas Smith, Network Instruments' president. "For companies that can't afford a Concord or a Micromuse or a BMC, we can now give them that application perspective as well."

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Network Instruments this week will roll out the latest version of its flagship network protocol monitoring and analysis tool, which includes features that can help customers pinpoint poorly performing applications running across LANs, WANs and wireless nets.

Observer 9.0, which is available as software and on probe appliances depending on the version, includes features that can spot application performance problems and most accurately identify the source. The application analysis can track an application from server to server and give network managers an application's response time.

"We are offering a higher-level view of the server and letting users drill down to get to the root cause," says Douglas Smith, Network Instruments' president. "For companies that can't afford a Concord or a Micromuse or a BMC, we can now give them that application perspective as well."

Another new feature lets network managers perform multi-session remote monitoring and collaborate with co-workers about potential performance problems. The company also added a new user interface, updated filtering technology and more reserved memory for high-capacity networks. Observer 9.0 offers protocol analysis, real-time statistics, packet capture/decode, expert analysis and long-term trending for LAN and WAN traffic, including voice over IP.

The Observer product line competes most closely with Network Associates' Sniffer, which is now going by the Netasyst product name.

Observer 9.0 pricing ranges from about $1,000 to $15,000 depending on the software and number of probes purchased.

Meawhile, Fidelia Technology last week upgraded its network performance monitoring software with new features to take automated action and generate intelligence alerts.

NetVigil 3.5 now lets network managers see what portions of the network are least utilized or what devices are over-using network capacity by monitoring network performance and traffic flows. The monitoring of under- and over-utilization helps customers decide where to place, for example, a wireless access point in an area it's most needed. The company also says users that deploy the containers or business views feature can see how network degradation directly affects application performance.

NetVigil software discovers network elements to be managed such as Web and application servers, databases and devices. The software comes with an SNMP agent, but Fidelia says NetVigil also will use agents already on the managed device.

NetVigil 3.5 pricing starts at $40,000, with an average price of about $80,000 to $100,000.

Read more about infrastructure management in Network World's Infrastructure Management section.