* Continuing with Cisco’s point of view
In the last newsletter we began a discussion of the pros and cons of integrating WAN optimization with routers. We’ll continue the “pro” side of this discussion with more comments from Mark Weiner, director of product marketing, Cisco application networking services, with comments focusing on understanding security and VoIP benefits realized through router integrated WAN optimization.
Mark commented: “According to Infonetics market research firm, the top branch IT trend of recent years has been the integration of security technologies such as firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion detection systems (IDS) into routers. This is validated by the rapid adoption of embedded security into more than 3 million Cisco ISRs shipped. Taneja Group reached the same conclusion through its May 2007 Branch Office survey, where 250 IT directors mandated that WAN optimization preserves their integrated branch security investment. Their top IT priority for a remote-office and back-office (ROBO) solution is data security, with WAN and application optimization the next priority.
“Cisco router-integrated WAN optimization allows organizations to protect their branch security investment. The WAAS WAN optimization solution offers ISO 15408 certification, PCI 1.1 compliance regulation support through strong disk encryption, and support of router-based and stand-alone stateful firewall inspection and intrusion prevention.
“Finally, integrating WAN optimization logically and/or directly in the router also offers the follow VoIP benefits:
– Better VoIP quality and performance through transparent integration with QoS: Integrated WAN optimization allows the router to tag the VoIP QoS once correctly, rather than creating two sets of conflicting QoS policy.
– Higher VoIP reliability through out of path deployment: Unlike in-path deployment that processes all traffic whether or not it needs optimization, out of path deployment does not introduce single point of failure, and does not introduce processing delay for VoIP that needs no optimization.
– Optimized Internet route selection: Router integrated WAN optimization offers not only application layer acceleration, but also provides Internet route optimization by selecting optimal routes to circumvent Internet congestions. This leverages the available Performance Routing (PfR) software on organizations’ existing Cisco routers, and optimizes specific applications on a link with higher security, lower cost, lower latency, or higher priority (QoS).
“By focusing on the economic, security, and VoIP benefits created through router-integrated WAN optimization, Cisco has successfully implemented its solution at thousands of sites at hundreds of customers globally.”
