11th Annual Well-Connected Awards: Infrastructure

But staying well-connected requires more than increasing speeds and adding feeds. You need strength on the inside, with security and management strategies. Many devices on the network already employ standard network-based authentication (IEEE 802.1X) to control access to edge devices like routers and switches. And they have bandwidth management with QoS (quality of service) strategies for traffic prioritization and queuing (IEEE 802.1Q/p). But few devices put together multiple services for security and management and include on-board voice processing like our product of the year, Cisco's ISR (Integrated Services Router).

Network configurators and console servers also add inner strength. Managing router and switch configuration is a mundane task but one that requires a network configurator's dedication and automation. The console servers we tested, meanwhile, had multiple serial output ports, Ethernet connections for remote access, and security through authentication and encryption. The winners in these categories combined complex connection and routing capabilities with good performance on our tests and a low price.

Categories

Infrastructure Configuration

Winner: Rendition TrueControl 3.0 (now known as Opsware Network Automation System). Opsware, (408) 744-7300. www.opsware.com

Rendition Networks' TrueControl 3.0 simplified creating and maintaining configurations for heterogeneous network devices. TrueControl has an open architecture, intuitive interface and superior control over configurations. At review time, this was the only configurator that could deploy device OSs or images. Although the finalists also had compelling stories, neither was as easy to use as TrueControl, and both came up short in reporting and operating on devices. (Read the original Review)

Finalists:

• Gold Wire Formulator 200 3.4 (now known as Intelliden R-Series 4.1). Intelliden (866) 906-0660, (719) 785-0660. www.intelliden.com• VoyenceControl. Voyence, (972) 759-4000. www.voyence.com

WAN Accelerator

Winner: Peribit SM-500. Peribit Networks, (866) 737-4248, (408) 330-5600. www.peribit.com

The Peribit SM-500 offers great performance and ease of use. In our tests, which emulated WAN links with a Shunra Storm appliance, the SM-500 nearly tripled throughput across a low-speed link and reduced transfer times on a high-latency link with moderate packet loss, by 89 percent. The SM-500's ability to detect and eliminate repetitive traffic gave it a big edge over other accelerators in its class. Its two 250-MB hard drives store compression information. Centralized management software makes it easy to configure all network devices. Scaled pricing and interoperability with all Peribit products make the SM-500 both affordable and flexible. (Read the original review)Finalists:

• Accelerator 4820 and 6810. Expand Networks, (888) 892-1250, (973) 287-1140. www.expand.com

• PacketShaper Xpress 2500 and PacketShaper Xpress 6500. Packeteer, (800) 697-2253, (408) 873-4400. www.packeteer.com

Content SwitchWinner: Big-IP 9. F5 Networks, (888) 88BIGIP, (206) 272-5555. www.f5.com

Big-IP 9 pushed the content switch into data-aware networking with speed and elegance. With a revamped management interface and new Tcl-based configuration rules, Big-IP lets you route traffic based on Layer 2 to Layer 7 and above. Big-IP's performance was outstanding even under the heavy load supplied by Spirent's Avalanche and Reflector in our labs. The device's hardware-assisted HTTP compression and an extensible framework add features like in-memory caching to take it over the top. (Read the original review)

Finalists:

• 9950 Application Delivery Switch. Netscaler, (800) NETSCALER, (408) 678-1600. www.netscaler.com

• Sun Secure Application Switch N2120V. Sun Microsystems, (800) SUN-0404, (800) 555-9SUN, (650) 960-1300. www.sun.com

Console Server

Winner: SecureLinx SLC 16. Lantronix, (800) 422-7055, (949) 453-3990. www.lantronix.com

The SecureLinx SLC16 had the best mix of features and the lowest price. It supplied thorough reporting capabilities and the most complete internal administration. The SecureLinx has front-panel configuration, redundant power supplies and easy-to-configure connection and routing parameters, with the best set of built-in error and status reporting options. (Read the original review)

Finalists:• AlterPath ACS16. Cyclades Corp., (888) CYCLADES, (510) 771-6100. www.cyclades.com

• Digi CM16, Digi International, (877) 912-3444, (952) 912-3444. www.digi.com

Design, Innovation, Enhancement

Winner: Cisco 3800 Series Integrated Services Routers (Cisco 3845). Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387, (408) 526-4000. www.cisco.comCisco's new 3800 Series ISRs are products to "DIE" for this year. The Cisco 3845 we tested was designed with security and voice over IP in mind to include a firewall, QoS, intrusion detection and call processing, all without compromising performance. Cisco's SDM (Security Device Manager) 2.0, along with a Web browser supporting JRE (Java Runtime Edition) 1.4.2, made router configuration and management easy and intuitive. The 3845 supplied inline PoE (Power over Ethernet, IEEE 802.3af) for connected devices and came with Cisco IOS 12.3, which included CME (Call Manager Express) 3.2. (Read the original review)

Finalists:

• Polycom VSX 3000. Polycom, (800) POLYCOM, (925) 924-6000. www.polycom.com

• Solaris 10. Sun Microsystems, (800) SUN-0404, (800)-555-9SUN, (650) 960-1300. www.sun.com

Sean Doherty is a senior technology editor and lawyer based at our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. A former project manager at Syracuse University, he helped develop centrally supported applications and storage systems. Write to him at [email protected].Cisco 3800 Series Integrated Services Routers (Cisco 3845), Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387, (408) 526-4000, www.cisco.com

It was easy to ignore routers a few years ago. Configure them and put them in place and they might run forever, happily directing packets to their destinations. But Cisco has made it difficult to ignore its 2800 and 3800 Series ISRs, which bring together security, voice and data to reduce the number of appliances your data center or remote branch office needs. Each router comes with a firewall and an IDS (intrusion-detection system) as well as a strategy for QoS (quality of service) and on-board packet voice DSP (digital signal processing). Since we couldn't ignore these multitasking wonders, we named them Most Outstanding Product of the Year.

We tested the Cisco 2821 and 3845 ISRs in our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. Using a Web browser with JRE 1.4.2 support, we had the routers up and routing as well as providing a perimeter defense with a firewall and an IDS in no time. We even added a QoS strategy and configured voice processing, and still had time to grab our morning coffee.

SDM (Security Device Manager) 2.0 made configuration and management easy and intuitive. Support for inline PoE (Power over Ethernet) meant we could plug the phones into the routers for power. Cisco IOS 12.3 with CME (Call Manager Express) 3.2 provided basic call processing. Cisco included a Unity Express voicemail module (NM-CUE) on the 3845 to take voice to the next level with ACD (automatic call distribution), voicemail and other goodies.The ISRs support existing WAN interface cards, voice interface cards and network modules such as the Network Analysis Module. And they are poised for the future with support for SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).