2006 Best of Interop Awards

On May 2, 12 judges from Network Computing's editorial team plus one member of the Network Professional Association board of directors performed a competitive analysis of the best Interop 2006 had to offer. This year, vendors submitted 141 products and services in seven categories: Application Networks & Performance, Data Center & Storage, Infrastructure, Network Software & Services, Security, VoIP & Collaboration, and Wireless & Mobility. We rated all entries on factors ranging from distinguishing features to price, to how the product or service advances the state of the art for networking, to the strength of the business case for purchase and implementation. We then chose finalists in each category.

Finalists had mandatory interviews with judges at Mandalay Bay the day before the Interop Exposition opened. We put vendors in the hot seat, as judging teams dug into the nitty-gritty of each product. Judges then convened to discuss the merits of each qualifier and select a winner in each category. We also awarded two special accolades: Best Start-Up, given to the outstanding product from a company less than two years old, and the coveted Best of Interop Grand Prize, selected from among the category winners.

Grand Prize Winner (Application Networks & Performance)

Crescendo Networks ALP TechnologyApplication front ends have focused on optimizing performance between the Web server and client to reduce the impact of poorly performing applications. In addition to providing optimization and acceleration of traffic through compression of content and protocol off-loading, Crescendo Networks' ALP accelerates app flows across all application tiers, reducing latency by intelligently monitoring, queuing and scheduling requests end-to-end.

Employing user-defined rules or adaptive learning, ALP accelerates incoming requests between tiers by identifying app-processing limits, and recognizes that different requests carry different processing "weights" based on performance metrics.

By optimizing both client and server flows, Crescendo's ALP ensures consistent, measurable performance that makes best use of all application tiers and prevents performance degradation due to overloaded apps.

Best Start-UpKaidea Innovation for NASVault

In a world filled with digital perils, the NASVault from Kaidea may be the only networked storage device designed to protect your data from both physical danger and conventional data loss. The NASVault is targeted at small businesses for backup and disaster recovery, and offers protection from water, shock and fire damage. Physical protection includes Kingston and floor-mount lockdowns and an on-system verification button that requires physical access to authorize deletions.Prices start at $2,500.
www.kaidea.com/nasvault.pdf

Data Center & Storage

D-Link DSN-3000 Series xStack Storage iSCSI SAN ArrayD-Link's xStack devices provide the kind of power iSCSI needs to become a small-business force. The xStack iSCSI SAN Array boasts eight 1-Gbps network ports (3200 model) or one 10-Gbps port (3400), screaming performance, and a sub-$6,000 starting price. Add in free 9x5 support and functionality normally found on high-end iSCSI arrays--including QoS support, cache management, micro rebuilds and jumbo frames--and this baby walks off with this category's Best of Interop award.

The xStack devices sport up to 6 TB of storage per array, and D-Link offers support for most initiators, including popular HBAs and Microsoft's free initiator. Not enough? This 3U array includes RAID, SATA I and II support, 65,000 I/Os per second, redundant power supplies, CHAP authentication, and an easy-to-use interface.
presslink.dlink.com/pr/prid=275

Infrastructure

ConSentry Networks CS4048X LANShield SwitchConSentry adds security to the LAN with its 1U CS4048X switch. The LANShield uses ASICs, 802.1X and NAC to inspect every packet and enforce security while tracking and recording applications accessed on a per-user basis. Other stats: 44 10/100/1000 copper ports, four Gigabit Ethernet SFP ports, two 10-Gbps uplink ports, hot-swappable power supplies and fans, and Layer 2/3 QoS.

The LANShield's edge-security strength stems from two C-programmable ASICs that inspect traffic flows for profile adherence and regulate access.

Implementation requires no client-side or network design changes. The LANShield authenticates using RADIUS, 802.1X and to Active Directory. Management is provided by ConSentry InSight command center. The switch is due to ship Aug. 1, and starts at $14,995.
consentry.com/news_pr_041706.html.

Wireless & MobilityReva System RFID Tag Acquisition Processor, Platform Edition

Reva's 1U RFID Tag Acquisition Processor (TAP) appliance lets corporate IT departments collect, manage and integrate a large field of disparate RFID readers over a standard Ethernet network.

Like Cisco's groundbreaking approach to routing TCP/IP protocols, Reva routes proprietary RFID protocols to the back-end ERP and database systems that capture location and logistics information. By applying business-process rules to traffic coming back from readers, TAP intelligently filters redundant scanning events, relieving back-end systems of complex programming and integration.
revasystems.com/pdfs/Reva_BOI_Announcement.pdf

Network Software & ServiceseTelemetry Locate

Locate dynamically discovers, correlates and archives the person behind the IP address--"the people layer"--to expedite forensic investigations and help comply with SOX. It approaches the issue of how to match a name to a network device from the identity side, a change from 802.1x and NAC methodologies.

The Locate appliance sits passively on the network and analyzes packets in real time to garner ID info from sources like Active Directory, IM and e-mail traffic, then associates this data with network information.

Once Locate is populated, IT can disconnect an individual with one click at the switch port level, a powerful tool for enforcing policy and halting the spread of infections. You also can connect to an end user's computer without asking for an IP address, track assets dynamically, stay in sync with Active Directory and other LDAP directories automatically, and archive network activity for forensic investigations.
etelemetry.com/pdf/Interop_finalist_ final.pdf

Security

Application Security AppRadar 3.0

AppRadar logs all events and alerts IT over SMTP or SNMP when an internal or external entity accesses a database without authorization. Database extrusion detection and activity monitoring is growing in popularity, and AppRadar's auditing and rapid notification of extrusion events make it our security winner. A reasonable base price of $10,000 and per-database charge of $2,000 don't hurt either.

AppRadar comes in two models--a passive network monitor and a database agent--and supports Oracle, Sybase and DB2 in the network model and SQL Server in the host model. The network monitor autodiscovers all networked databases and requires no agents. The agent model is more difficult to subvert, but requires that you install agents on your databases. Although it can't prevent data theft or deletion, AppRadar does take a snapshot of the database both before and after an event and will notify an administrator if a violation occurs.
appsecinc.com/products/appradar.

Voice over IP & Collaboration

Sipera Systems IPCS 310

The Sipera IPCS appliance brings a new level of security to SIP by performing antispam, IDS, IPS, denial of service and firewalling of VoIP traffic. Normally the device acts as a SIP proxy, passing cleared traffic through to the call manager, but it can also be located right in front of the call manager, at the edge of the VoIP VLAN, or behind the Internet connection on the data VLAN. In the event of an anomaly or unusual traffic, the product can drop the call or ask the caller to enter a code on the keypad. Scripted attacks and spam callers cannot respond to the query.

Sipera is targeting midsize to large enterprises with this product, which it says can handle 1,000 users, or 100 calls per second. In the event of a failure, power loss or routine maintenance, the product goes into a passive mode, essentially turning into a wire. Pricing starts at $22,000, and centralized management and reporting are available.
www.sipera.com/index.php?action=products,ipcs_310

Best of Interop Judges: Network Computing: Ron Anderson, Bruce Boardman, Frank Bulk, Drew Conry-Murray, Michael J. DeMaria, David Greenfield, Steven Hill, Don MacVittie, Lori MacVittie, Dave Molta, David Strom, Pete Tenereillo Network Professional Association: Barry Sellers