One of the repercussions of WAN optimization technology is that it can hinder efforts to keep tabs on network and application performance.

For example, using TCP session information to gauge application performance gets tricky when there is WAN optimization gear in place. The gear creates multiple TCP sessions between clients, acceleration devices and servers, as opposed to the typically single TCP session that is established between a PC and an application server when there is no optimization gear in use, explain Network World columnists Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler.

To help clear up the monitoring picture, vendors are working together to better integrate optimization devices and management tools. The latest pairing is between Cisco and network management player NetQoS. The two vendors are working together to develop a management interface for measuring end-to-end application response time when there are WAN optimization technologies in place.

The software will be integrated in Cisco’s Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) devices so IT managers can capture application performance statistics from the end user to the data center and validate the results of WAN optimization deployments, the companies say.

“Current WAN optimization technologies obscure application response times through locally acknowledged TCP sessions, making it difficult to quantify the real benefits of a WAN optimization deployment,” said Dr. Cathy Fulton, NetQoS CTO, in a statement.

The integrated software on Cisco WAAS devices will export TCP header information before optimization occurs to NetQoS SuperAgent, the performance monitoring module of the NetQoS Performance Center product suite. Cisco and NetQoS also will jointly market NetQoS ReporterAnalyzer, a traffic analysis module that reports on enterprise wide Cisco IOS NetFlow statistics.

The products are aimed at helping IT executives identify network segments and applications that could benefit from WAN optimization; validate the results of WAN optimization deployments; and troubleshoot problems after rolling out optimization technologies, for example.

Cisco and NetQoS launched their efforts in this area after more than 75 enterprise customers approached the vendors about integrating WAN optimization and performance reporting metrics.

Ann Bednarz is associate news editor at Network World.