* ClearSight Distributed
ClearSight Networks this week is set to release a new version of its traffic analysis software that the company says will let network managers distribute traffic monitors across a network and manage them from a single console.
ClearSight Distributed builds upon the company’s ClearSight software and appliances that monitor traffic to determine if the cause of performance issues is the network, server or application infrastructure. The company added this capability to better compete with vendors such as Fluke Networks, NetScout, Network General and WildPackets, and to help customers looking for a more comprehensive view into network traffic and application performance.
“We provide the ability to monitor application conversation flows in real time, and that empowers the network team to understand how apps use the network,” says Bill Berkman, chairman and CEO at ClearSight. “We built the distributed model to become more than a point product in customers’ nets.”
ClearSight Distributed consists of two components: agent manager software and distributed agent software, which can be packaged on an appliance or sold as software only. The agent manager software is installed on a server or workstation and requires a VPN connection into the distributed agent appliances, or the server they reside on if customers choose software only. Agents can be located in strategic network locations, such as near a core router or switch. The agents collect data on network segments or remote locations and send it to the console manager. ClearSight says the distributed architecture not only lets IT managers drill down into specific locations for application or network issues, but also get a global view of the traffic ClearSight Distributed manages.
This release also includes pre-configured reports; application-specific monitoring, such as for VoIP, SAP and Citrix; and support for IPv6. IT managers access the data via a Java-based Web interface.
The product is available now, and pricing ranges from less than $8,000 for one distributed agent and management software license, up to $28,000.
